February 27, 2023 at 2:40 p.m.
Rhinelander Area Silent Sports Association shares 2022 year in review
Rhinelander Area Silent Sports Association shares 2022 year in review
The association came to the Oneida County Forestry, Recreation and Land Committee meeting earlier this month to provide a review of the work that was done in 2022. Normally, RASTA is involved in creating new and better trails, but 2022 was a year of maintenance, showing their commitment to taking care of the established trail system.
Maintenance was done on all county trail properties in 2022, with a concentration on improving the deck, or surface of the ski trail. The better condition the deck can be kept in summer, the longer the season for skiers in the winter. Less snow is needed to create good skiing conditions. Several years ago, RASTA invested in boardwalks on the Cassian Trail where a wetland did not freeze. That boardwalk needed some repairs this year, and a non-member of RASTA donated some materials toward this effort. Without that donation, the trail would not have been able to be open at the same time as the other trails, due to the wetland issue.
Enterprise Trail has been revitalized with the popularity of fatbiking. It is now one of the most popular trails, which is drawing a large number of people from out of the area. The deck on these trails was smoothed and the trail system was signed. Because fat biking is popular at night, reflective signage and maps at key intersections on the trail were deemed important.
The Nose Lake parking lot was expanded by five to six parking spots with donations from Musson Brothers of Rhinelander. The DNR provided a dozer operator to help improve the ski trail system at Nose Lake through county time as well, and RASTA donated non-contract money, all to create this parking expansion as well as improved bike access in the summer months. The work done on this trail system in 2022 is a shining example of what can be accomplished through partnerships.
For the last 10 years or so, one section of the Washburn trail had been problematic. There was chronic erosion at this site. In 2022, the county provided grass seed as well as a DNR dozer and operator. The Dyreby family donated straw and RASTA themselves donated labor to take on this issue. The area was seeded and straw was spread by RASTA volunteers. The next weekend there was a deluge of rain, which would have washed the seed away without protection from the straw. Now the seed has germinated and there is a thick layer of ground cover now. The general feeling is that this issue is now taken care of.
Another area of chronic erosion at the Washburn Trail was tackled in 2022 as well. The trail was reshaped and compacted. The area should require little maintenance, other than normal brushing, for the next five years.
Events
RASTA also sponsored three major events in 2022. Those are the Snowshoe Hare Race, the RASTA Rally and the Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series (WEMS) Rock N Root. All of these events brought many people from out of the area to the Northwoods to enjoy the trail systems. The Snowshoe Hare, in January, is hosted at Holiday Acres just outside of Rhinelander. Approximately 70% of the participants in that event are from out of the area, according to the RATSA year in review.
The RASTA Rally is a relaxed race that is usually one of the first on the calendar in the Northwoods. This race is dominated by local bike racers, but draws people from Madison as well as riders from the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan, who come down for the entire weekend.
The Rock N Root is a WEMS race, which is a national race. This endurance race is largely made up of riders from out of the area as well. This event challenges riders to see how far they can ride in a 24-hour period.
These events, as with the trail systems maintained by RASTA, bring people to the area. Silent sports have become a boom to the local economy of the Northwoods with more trails and better trails being created and maintained by groups such as RASTA.
Trail Maintenance
In 2012, the county created an agreement with RASTA to groom trails. That contract was just signed for 2023 as well, in the amount of $19,900, which has been the same amount since 2012. The 2022 maintenance contract was presented to the Oneida County Forestry committee at their recent regular meeting. The budget showed a RASTA balance of $4.686.26. Increases in fuel, equipment maintenance and labor charges were the largest of this deficit.
Some of the line items are specified in the contract, such as mowing expenses. RASTA did not expect to ever come to the county to ask for other funds to be reimbursed, but would look for ways to make up that deficit. Grants and donations are some of the ways in which RASTA has looked to make up any budgetary short falls.
The group has more than $67,500 invested in single track trails in the area. The group also has over 4,500 hours invested in maintenance and grooming of single tracks. While there is no way to accomplish grooming and maintaining all of these trails within the $19,900 budget, there was no interest in not keeping the trails in the best possible condition, which has been shown to bring people to the area. The group has been unsuccessful in the last two years in being awarded grant funding. However, fundraisers and donations have made the difference.
The grooming program has expanded since RASTA has taken over this from the county. There are now 12 contract groomers who groom on weekdays, weekends and holidays. This allows the group to respond to major weather events and to get trails back in great condition with a minimum of down time.
The 2022 Year in Review document also highlights what it takes to keep the trails in top shape. For a new snow at the Washburn trails alone, it takes two groomers 12-14 hours to get the trails in shape. Maintaining the Cassian Trail takes two groomers nine hours to fully groom those trails. Both the Nose Lake and Enterprise grooming requires one groomer to dedicate three to four hours to those trails.
Silent Sports are growing in popularity. Having good trail systems in the Northwoods has shown to be a draw for entrepreneurs who wish to locate their business for quality of life considerations. These activities also help to attract and retain citizens to areas where these trails are located. Trails also bring tourists at an ever increasing rate. The impact of silent sports will likely continue on this trend as more individuals and families look to get out and become more active in the outdoors.
Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.