WATERFORD, Wis.— As Wisconsin embraces its two most recent snowstorms, snowmobile trails begin to open across the state.

Two sets of trails in Racine County are currently groomed for public use, managed by the Tichigan Lake and Burlington snowmobile clubs.

Mark Boncher has grown up being part of the Tichigan Lake Snow-N-Go snowmobile club, based in Waterford.

“My grandparents were snowmobilers and very active in the club as president and vice president, so we grew up in the club,” he said.

He now has passed the love of snowmobiling down to his two children, letting them experience the traditions he’s so fond of.

“Every Christmas, every New Year, that’s what we were doing,” he said. “A lot of fond memories of being outside with the sleds with family and enjoying the outdoors.”

Tichigan Lake maintains 43 miles of Racine County’s 188 miles of sled trails. Preparing them for riders is a year-round job. Trail Boss Perry Baumann has been grooming them for 21 years.

“Right now, we have about six people trained on the groomer,” Baumann said. “It takes some practice with it, so we just have six groomers right now and that’s myself included.”

It takes a great deal of time to mark the trails, put up signage, groom them with a Snow Cat, and also get permission from landowners to ride on their property. Baumann owns a farm in Waterford and allows that. He’s one of 52 landowners that Tichigan Lake works with currently.

“It’s a year-by-year ‘okay’ if we can use the farmers’ land and individual’s land,” he said. “That takes up a lot in the early part of the year to get the all-okay.”

Baumann stresses the importance of not deviating from marked trails for this reason.

Logistics aside, both Boncher and Baumann love the camaraderie and community that comes with being a snowmobiler.

“It’s evolving and everybody keeps coming and going and the same with our club member,” Baumann said. “Right now, I think there’s 125 members, families, actually.”

“There’s a really special bond I think between snowmobilers,” Boncher said. “The stories every time you stop, everyone has a story.”

Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources provides funding to maintain these snowmobile trails. A list of trails that are currently open across the state can be found by clicking here.