in Blue Mound (Moderator: Walt Hougas)

A lot of the credit for the good outcome we have to date is due to all the people who took the time to write an email to the DNR or speak at their public hearing. This was the first thing that came up at our stakeholder meeting.

We need a similar effort to make sure the Natural Resources Board sees there is significant public support for passing the amendment. We need this to secure the future of the trails.

More credit is due to the efforts of Patricia and Gary.

The folks at the DNR have given us most of what we asked for. We in the biking community have been treated well. I hope that the comments people write reflect the good deal we are being offered. I understand that change is scary, but I have a high degree of confidence that the changes to Over Lode Trail will make it more fun to ride for most people.

Walt

Please note that if you submit written comments to the Natural Resources Board, your support of the amendment can be split between mountain biking and the proposed snowmobile trail.  They are technically separate issues within the amendment.  Just want to make sure that is clear.  Consider that as a silent sport, MTB aligns more with skiers and snow shoers than motorized use.   Also, the Friends of BMSP are very supportive of silent sports, and that includes MTB.

I obviously support the trails very much.  I consider BM my home trail and take great pride in its condition and future use.  I don't agree not supporting the snowmobiles through the park.  It has been part of the master plan for years and all they want is a connector to Black Earth.  They are going to be next to a the road...motorized vehicles use this road.  I don't see any reason why to deny the snowmobiles this connector, especially when we are talking maybe 5-10 days a year.  Thank you!!!

It's my understanding that the new snowmobile multi-use connector will displace the existing XC ski trail on the western most edge of Pleasure Valley.  I didn't think the trail is going to be right next to the road.  If I'm wrong, someone with more understanding please correct me.

The thing that gets me is the snowmobile contingent is unwilling to support their trail monetarily at all.  At least that's what it sounded like in the Wisconsin State Journal article. 

You are of course free to do as you wish. Bottom line here is the Friends group has a long history of supporting the park, and as partners, it's in our best interests to support them and silent sports in general.

The proposed route follows the road into the park, but is 40+ feet away, I think by law. It will displace the existing ski/bike trail. Also, after it crosses Ryan Rd, it would cut a gaping path through the woods, crossing Over Lode, before going onto private land. I'm not sure why it doesn't follow Ryan Rd.

I believe that in its designation as a route and not a trail, all the expenses fall on the snowmobile club for building and maintaining it.

I personally would rather not have snowmobiles in the park, BUT...

I'm not sure CORP should take that position as a group. I still believe that snowmobile trails are the greatest fatbike riding opportunity in the region.

We have, if you're being optimistic and including all of Blue Mound, perhaps 50 miles of MTB trails in Dane county. There are over 500 miles of snowmobile trails. Furthermore the snowmobiles already do the grooming, which hasn't been a huge issue during this el Nino year but its often a great effort to maintain our singletrack. Also, the snowmobile trails go to a lot of cool places you don't get to visit any other time of year.

So while my personal opinion is that there has to be a better way for the snowmobilers to route between the Military Ridge and Black Earth than through a silent sport park, I think CORP should try to make as many friends as possible and keep officially neutral on this one.

I agree with Frank that we shouldn't make enemies with the snowmobilers if we don't have to. They appeared to be on the side of the mtb'ers for the most part during the public hearings.

The other side of the coin is that "Friends of the Bluemounds" is helping to fund trails at Bluemounds now and their stance appears to be to oppose the snowmobile trail. I personally just left the snowmobile stuff out of my comments but there are arguments for either stance so I opted to go neutral.

The key points about the Draft Amendment are:

1. It's very good for the mountain bike trails at Blue Mound.

2. As a package, it ties our gain to a snowmobile trail that is undesirable to the folks who have offered to pay to keep Over Lode open.*

3. You are free to vote your conscience and write to the Natural Resources Board that you support the Draft Amendment as it is, or that you like the part about the bike trails, but don't want snowmobiles in the park. It may be worth considering that snowmobiles will continue to have a path through the park, amendment or no, using the same roadside right of way on Mounds Road they have been using for the last two years. The DNR appears to lack the authority to regulate use of the right of way, at least according to the state snowmobile association.

4. The NRB can approve the Draft Amendment as it is, or parts of it, ask for a rewrite, or reject it. If the Draft Amendment doesn't pass in a form that includes the bike trails, it may be a long time before Blue Mound will come up for another amendment. I don't know what happens to Over Lode (and Pokerville) in that case.

5. CORP is not against snowmobiles, snowmobile riders, or snowmobile trails.

*The changes we proposed to the DNR to meet their requirements include three switchback trail segments that are on extremely steep hillsides. Basically impossible to build by hand. The Friends of Blue Mound State Park have offered to pay the ~$11,000 it's going to take to pay a professional trail builder using an excavator to do the job.   

So what's the story with this lawsuit?

A couple of folks have sued to stop the snowmobile route.  I've not seen any documents or heard many details, so I don't know on what grounds.  But the DNR decided that, since the mountain bike trails were approved in the same amendment as the snowmobile trails, everything would have to wait until the suit is resolved.  It is still early stages and we are working on clarification and/or compromise on what we will be able to do in the meantime.  It is possible that the suit will be resolved quickly, but it could drag on as well.  We should have an answer of some sort in the next few weeks.  A bummer, but patience has always played a part in our relationship with Blue Mound.

So where does that put Overload?  I assume we ride the same old route until the amendment moves forward, then the reroute?


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Hi Frank,

What's certain is nobody can ride the new trail yet.

We will communicate more when it is made known to us. Right now there isn't a lot to tell.

Walt