The Cottage Grove Snowmobile Club is ready to ride this winter after receiving Board approval for its 2011-12 season trails. 

Trail signs will be placed by December 15 and remain in place until March 15.

Club President Mike Northhouse was at the November 7 meeting to answer questions.  One part of the trail in question was along Coffeytown Road. He said Dwight Huston was putting a gate on the eastern boundary of his property along Nora Road so snowmobilers would come off the Skaar land, across Nora Road to Huston’s property and pick up Nora Road before crossing County Highway N. to Coffeytown Road.  Once on Coffeytown, snowmobilers would have access to credit card activated gas pumps at the Landmark grain elevator.  This is a big move forward for the club says Northhouse who said up until now there was no place to get gas on the south side of the Town.

 “There’s really not a lot of places to get gas on this segment of trail.  Nora Bar says they won’t have sleds come this way because of that.” 

One question Northhouse had was where Town and Village boundaries lied along Coffeytown Road.  Public works Head Jeff Smith said it depends which side of the street you’re on, meaning that if you’re on the south side you’re in the Town and the north side is the Village. 

Some of the trails are planned to go through the Village, which may pose some issues.  Northhouse said according to the snowmobile laws, it’s legal to ride from the operator’s residence to a trail, but the Village apparently has its own ordinance.  “You can’t ride them in the Village.  But you got a ton of people who live out on Vilas Road that come in on Clark Street to get in on the main railroad corridor.” Northhouse said he was told by recently retired Police Chief John Gould that he didn’t mind them riding in the Village as long as they behave and police don’t have to issue citations.

Northhouse said he received the okay from landowners that would allow the trail to continue north through their properties and eventually intersect Glacial Drumlin Trail, which they can take down to County Highway N.  “I think it will help bring some sled traffic into downtown Cottage Grove for the Outpost and 1855 (Saloon & Grill).”