Members of the Forest Lake Snowmobile Club pose next to their machines during a weekend ride.
The Forest Lake Snowmobile Club, formed in 1966, has been an active organization for the last 49 years. In 2016, the club will honor its 50th year with a celebration event Jan. 17 from noon to 3 p.m.
The event will be a meet and greet trail stop in downtown Forest Lake on the Hardwood Creek Trail and will showcase the Star Trail system groomer that grooms the Hardwood Creek Trail.
“The club is made up of members who love to ride snowmobiles, enjoy the outdoors and like to develop friendships in the snowmobile community,” Jerry Grundtner, club president, said. “So far this year, however, most of our members are not very happy with the lack of snow on the ground. We had our Christmas party of Dec. 12, and it was all anyone could talk about.”
Unlike most snowmobile clubs, the Forest Lake Snowmobile Club does not have any trails that it grooms or maintains. Instead, the 20 current members are responsible for putting out and removing signs on the Hardwood Creek Trail through the Forest Lake area.
“Aside from just riding and working with the signs, we also make it a point to give back to the community,” Grundtner said. “Each year the club gives back by providing food to the local food shelves and in 2016 will be sponsoring two veterans who will ride snowmobiles for a weekend as part of an MNUSA event in January.”
Steve and Larry Erickson map out a route during a club ride.
During the winter months (weather permitting) beginning in January, the club rides every weekend through March. There are four overnight rides from Friday to Sunday to locations in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. On the weekends that do not have an overnight ride, the club rides locally on Saturdays. The rides may be from Forest Lake or neighboring communities or at a location that is within a one-hour drive.
“We are very organized about our planned rides, and we often get a lot of participation,” Grundtner said. “We even go so far as to book blocks of hotel rooms for the overnight rides.”
The club meets at 7:30 p.m. every second and fourth Thursday of the month during December, January, February and March at the American Legion in Forest Lake. During the rest of the year when the club does not ride, there are three social events. The first is a summer barbecue and the second is a steak fry in the fall. In addition the club also has an annual Christmas Party at a local restaurant.
“Belonging to a snowmobile club helps bring needed protection and maintenance to the 22,500 miles of trails in Minnesota,” Grundtner said. “We are currently looking for members of any and all ages. Currently, our oldest active member is 80 years old, and he just bought a new snowmobile.”
Anyone interested in joining the Forest Lake Snowmobile Club can contact Grundtner at 612-751-4666 or Jagrundtner@msn.com or view club information on Facebook at goo.gl/NpwMeR or on the MNUSA website at goo.gl/vSqtpH. Membership dues are $15 per calendar year.