Need for active and younger generational riders

By Robert Williams

Editor

Thirty years ago a group of snowmobile riders broke off from the Red Eye Riders Club based out of the old Red Eye Tavern and have taken over trail maintenance all around the Wolf Lake area extending to Menahga, Osage and beyond.

“We decided to start our own club,” Dale Anderson said.

There were 30 members that started the Wolf Pack Snowmobile Club around the turn of the century and today the club ranges in the 50-80 member range but not all of those members are active.

“I would say anywhere near that 60 mark,” said Randy Torma.

Being a club member is about much more than just riding sleds. Club meetings begin in September every year and trail maintenance is a top priority. Those trails get no county support as they are located either on state land through the Smokey Hills or across private property.

“That’s our primary course of action, maintaining the trails and such,” said Torma.

The group spends multiple weekends in October maintaining the trails and clearing brush, according to member Mark Koskela.

This season’s trail work was more taxing than usual after the EF2 tornado went through the area last June. 

“The need is for active members really,” said Torma. “40-50 memberships seems like a nice number. What do we need more people for? But out of 40-50, there are maybe 10-15 that show up on an active basis.”

“Some of us are a little older too and we don’t get out as much as we used to,” said Anderson.

The average age of the current active group is 40 to 60-years-old and the club is actively seeking younger members to help ensure the future of the organization.

“We could use some younger members to keep the club going down the road,” Tyson Aho said. “I don’t know if they think it’s too much work joining a club, realistically, it’s not that much work. Last year was our hardest year that I’ve witnessed.”

While members are definitely needed to put in the work, the club is about more than just maintenance.

“We’re a fun club; we do a lot of fun stuff,” said Torma.

The group is also active outside of the winter season, utilizing the trails on four wheelers and side-by-sides during the summer season. They even turn trail workdays into a fun activity with some members camping at the clubhouse making a weekend out of the process and whipping up group meals grilled at the end of the day.

“The trail cleaning is a workday but we all show up on four wheelers and side-by-sides and go out and have a fun day of it,” said Torma.

The club’s regular meetings run from September through May.

“It’s a good group of people,” said Aho. “Everybody gets along.”

Annual dues are only $20 and that gains new recruits a membership in the club and the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association.

“That’s the big lobbying power for snowmobiling at the state-level,” Torma said. “They like all the clubs to be a part so they can get an overall number of snowmobilers for legislation and lobbying for funding.”

A dozen club members were at the clubhouse located just north of Wolf Lake on Friday, Feb. 10, preparing to take off on the annual club ride to Northern Lights Casino in Walker with a weekend of snowmobiling planned.

“Getting to go on club rides like this is a bonus for everybody who works throughout the year,” said Torma.

The club also pays for a night of lodging for active members on the ride.

Without the club and its hard-working members, the trails may not be accessible to other riders. None of the Wolf Pack Snowmobile Club take that access for granted

Over the past three decades, the group has put in a lot of work on various fronts. In the early days, they had to garner easements from 17 different landowners to allow the trails to run through their property. Those landowners are also essential to the club’s future. Much of that work was done by Harold Breitenfeldt and Anderson creating links for groomed trails stretching from the Wadena County trail system through the Smoky Hills State Forest and Perham and Ottertail systems.

“We would like to thank all of the landowners who granted us permission to let the trails go through their property,” said Aho.

The club farmed out their grooming in the past but were unhappy with the work. They used a state grant to purchase a groomer from the Two Inlets Forest Riders Snowmobile Club.

The club does its own fundraising via raffle at the Wolf Lake Lions Hall every year and are participants during the town’s annual celebration Harvest Fest. This year’s raffle of guns and side-by-sides was moved up to December as the club has seen a portion of their membership turn in their snowmobiling for snowbird lifestyles down south during winter. Moving it up was a way to keep those members involved.

Current members are from all around the region between Park Rapids, Frazee, Perham, Wadena, Wolf Lake, Osage and some from the Twin Cities.

For more information on the club visit online at facebook.com/WolfPackSnowmobileClub.