Trespass Issues on December 1st
It’s only December 1st. I’m sitting here on my lunch break, daydreaming about being out in the
snow instead of staring at a screen, scrolling through Facebook and watching all the lucky riders
who are out there today. And then—frustration. Because right among those beautiful snowy
photos are the ones we all dread: riders already trespassing. On Day 1.
And honestly? It makes my stomach drop.
As snowmobilers, this should make every single one of us just as angry as it makes me. We all
love fresh powder—trust me, I get it—but is a few minutes of cutting across someone’s field
really worth risking the loss of an entire trail system? Because that’s the reality. One landowner
pulling permission doesn’t just close a corner of a field… it can shut down access to a major
trail, or even a whole connection between towns.
Think about that, especially in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where so many of you ride.
Distances between towns are already long. Now imagine one access point getting shut off
because someone wanted to “make their own trail.” Suddenly there’s no gas for miles, no food,
no safe route through. One bad decision affects every rider who comes after.
Our clubs work unbelievably hard to prevent that. All year long, volunteers are meeting with
landowners, building relationships, renewing permits, and securing seasonal easements so we
can all enjoy these trails. When someone rides off trail—onto a crop field, across a yard, or
anywhere we don’t have permission—it isn’t just disrespectful. It puts those relationships, and
your trail access, at risk.
So I’m asking—no, I’m begging—each of you: Know where you’re going before you go. If
you don’t know whether you’re on the marked groomed trail, then you need to stop and find out.
Backcountry riding has a time and a place, but that place is NOT on our landowners’ property or
across their fields. If you’re not on the trail, there’s a good chance you’re on private land. Please
take that seriously.
And while I’m on this soapbox—join a club. Support the people who keep the trails you love
open. And please, please don’t ride alone. Trails, weather, and machines can change in a
heartbeat. Having a buddy can turn a dangerous situation into a manageable one.
We all want the same thing: a long, safe, fully open riding season.
That only happens if we ride with respect.
Ride Safe. Ride Smart. Ride Right.
See you on the trails!
