Check out a small garden cart from Lowes or others. For under a couple hundred bucks, you can get a fairly large trailer to pull behind, it dumps etc, and is the same width of your machine. I have one, it is about 5 ft long, and maybe 3 to 4 ft wide. Wheels are up underneath so they don't stick out, and it dumps from the seat. My son and i use ours all the time to haul wood out of the woods, haul brush that we have cleared etc. Great tool. Fits in the back of my truck.

 

Sorry I didn't see your question earlier. It's a good one.

ATVers and snowmobilers share the same trails here. I think that over time, that will prove to be a very good thing. The more people there are enjoying trails, the more trails we'll have. More people using trails means more opposition to tree huggers trying to close them or the "quiet sports" crowd trying to exclude other trail users.

Still, there is potential for conflict between ATVers and snowmobilers, which I think is the reason for your question. ATVers can pretty much shut down snowmobiling. Snowmobilers like to cruise along at higher speeds, which they can't safely do if ATVs have rutted the trails. But, such damage apparently occurs only when the temperature rises to the point where the snow gets soft. ATVers can really ruin trails for the snowmobilers then. A few years ago there were some tests (run by the WI DNR I think) that showed no problems as long as temperatures stayed below 25 degrees. At lower temps, packed snow on trails is almost like styrofoam. Wheels roll right over it without sinking in much.

So, I guess continued harmony means each group maintaining mutual respect. ATVers need to limit their riding on snow when the temp is over 25 degrees. Snowmobilers should join ATVers in efforts to expand and maintain trail systems.

 

I would advocate conversion to tracks for Winter use...

 

Funnride, I believe the reason teh snow crown is seen in a better light by the authorities, is that they are 1) better organized, 2) they are much more family oriented. 3) they operate at times when most citizens are in the house, so they are not bothering people as much. 4) Let's face it, the snowmobiles are real good handlers in the trees, so they have ot slow down when on close trails. Most young (I am not pickingon you kids out there) tend to ride with reckless abandon. Us older guys tend to go a lot slower, and a trail ride is something to be enjoyed, not some kind of competition. We are not in competition with ourselves. We will stop along the trail and pick up garbage, and fill in a rut or two. IN short, we have a long term view... most youngsters are only interested in the now moment.

 

I have heard comments at meetings with the authorities that the ATV crowd is so disorganized that they can't formulate a valid sentence. There is a lot of truth in that, and I think we as a group could learn a great deal from the snowmobile crowd. But lets be realistic too. I'd bet that the majority of us that ride ATV's in the Northwoods probably at one time or another have either owned, or ridden a snowmobile, and so I consider myself a member of both groups. Add a dirt bike in there as well. the fact is, we are one group anyway. The perception is what we have to fight. The other thing is that snowmobiles are expensive toys, and for a while you didn't have the same problem with the younger crowd damaging trails. Lets also admit that there is no fun taking a snowmobile through a mud puddle. But it is a blast for some on an ATV. I have always thought that when you can't ride your dirt bike due to muddy conditions, the ATV is just getting to be fun... I don't mind getting muddy, but I don't want to leave ruts behind me either. It comes down to using your noggin for something other than keeping your ears apart.

 

We've run into problems where shared trails were closed because of the area's snowmobile clubs bad-mouthing ATVers. This is the same snowmobile club that we worked on 2 massive bridges with and provided 3/4 of the laborers to get them done. One bridge was about 60 feet long and the other was 45 feet long. We also did a bridge last year on our own that the snowmobile club damaged with a groomer. Haven't fixed it yet. I'm willing to work together, but when you help maintain trails only to have them closed because another group bad mouths yours you tend to get tired of it.

 

It doesn't matter what you are riding. If you tear things up, you are going to get bad mouthed and trails will be closed. Around here we've had more trails closed because of reckless snowmobilers, but ATV'ers are closing the gap.

 

Yep. It's so much fun when you try to tell people to slow down around houses or not do donuts in the parking areas and have them look at you like you have two heads. Then they are the first to complain when trails get closed.

 

One powerful argument to elected officials regarding ATV trails can be the economic success of the commercial trails that have appeared here in KY, and over in WVA, especially the Hatfield-Mccoy trail.

I do know that H-M and the KY trails have drawn in a lot of tourist dollars from PA, OH, VA, and other states. Not just trail fees, but accomodations, fuel, meals - a couple of ATV'ers can spend several hundred dollars in a weekend, and have a great time doing it. It's a good argument to elected officials... look at all that money going there. It could be staying here, or coming here from other states.

Money talks, especially to a politician.

 

A new question to you that are doing it.... When you attend a joint meeting, what is the average makeup of those involved? My expereinec has been that the only peopl eadvocating for ATV's tend to be of the older male crowd. Very few younger men with families. Which is opposite of what I see from the Snowmobile crowd. Where you will find a mix of younger family age parents. Both Women and men at the meetings.
Maybe there is something to be learned there.... What do you think?