Thursday, March 28, 2024

NEWS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Greenbush Bikers Rejoice!

By Jackie Scharfenberg
 

  The mountain biking trails at Greenbush Recreation Area of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Northern Unit have been adopted by a new organization, Sheboygan County Cycling (SCC) which became a 501c (3) non-profit in February of 2022. The group’s mission is to promote all forms of cycling, for all people who live, work, and play in Sheboygan County.
            
The winter of 2023-2024 marked the first year that SCC groomed the Greenbush trails for winter off-road/fat-tire biking. This came about thanks to a land use agreement with the WI Dept. of Natural Resources and the financial support of sponsors and members. This winter the SCC utilized two groomers at Greenbush. The first was a 1980s snowmobile with a drag behind it to pack down the snow. One of the group’s volunteers, Dan Meyer, manufactured the drag in his garage. The second groomer was what is known as a Snowdog. It is a small one-person stand-up snow craft that maneuvers excellently around the tight corners of the Greenbush trails. A special thanks goes out to this year’s groomers, Dan Meyer, Dave Hasse, and Tom Reis.


Grooming proved to be a challenge this winter with the two large back-to-back January snowstorms that dumped nearly three feet of snow. It took a crew of more than 15 volunteers on snowshoes to help pack the trail and clear fallen branches from the trail before the groomers could go out. Then came the bitter cold followed by the great melt-down. The group was able to groom the trails after last week’s snowstorm.

Equipment for this first year was made possible thanks to a borrowing agreement with Attitude Sports located in Fond du Lac. Currently, SCC is fund raising to purchase a Snowdog single track groomer which will be stored at Greenbush for easy and consistent use. This will help the SCC groomers produce a higher-quality winter cycling experience for everyone. For more information about Sheboygan County Cycling and the group’s fundraiser check out their website: sheboygancountycycling.org.

With the current freeze-thaw cycles, the group recommends heading out to bike the trails early in the day before the ground thaws. It is best to bike on frozen dirt and not mud. This practice will protect the trail tread and reduce the amount of trail maintenance.
Bikers need to be mindful of other trail users from hikers and snowshoers to horseback riders, and cross-country skiers. At Greenbush, the bike trails cross other trails at multiple locations, so bikers should make sure they remain on the bike trails.

Bikers over 16 years old using the Greenbush Trails need a WI State Park System annual or daily trail pass. Folks can purchase trail passes at a self-registration station or from a staffed State Park System office. This trail pass also works for State Bike Trails, horseback riding trails, cross-country trails, and in-line skating paths that require them. A Wisconsin State Park System vehicle admission sticker is required to park in the parking lots at Greenbush. 

People can buy a vehicle sticker at the same locations as the passes.

With Sheboygan County Cycling adopting the Greenbush Recreation Area mountain biking trails, mountain and fat tire bikers should rejoice! This new partnership between the SCC and the Dept. of Natural Resources can only lead to awesome biking on excellent trails.
 


SEASONAL REMINDERS

Our guide to Wisconsin winter trail etiquette
https://milwaukeejournalsentinel-wi.newsmemory.com/?publink=0e933f9d7_134d116

For additional information, click on this link: 

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=8cd6596367&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1788276961730947964&th=18d13c6c07fceb7c&view=att&disp=inline

State park visitors can purchase annual admission passes online, over the phone by calling local properties directly or in-person at self-registration stations at individual properties.

The DNR urges state park visitors to do their part when visiting DNR properties. Most Wisconsin state parks, forests and other day-use areas do not have garbage or recycling bins. When you visit, please take your garbage and recyclables home with you. We all play a vital role in taking care of our natural resources. Following the Leave No Trace principles helps protect the land for generations to come. Fight the Bite! Ticks will be out, and visitors should take precautions to prevent Lyme Disease.