Gilberts snowmobile trails still not open

Snowmobile drivers, don't start your engines yet in Gilberts.

The season may have officially started this week, but the trails aren't ready. and those trails won't be ready until more land is found for them.

The paths that have been used in the past are out of reach because some of the private property they run through has been sold or built on. Members of the Gilberts Snow Hunters are looking for new links, but that's going slow, said Mark Woodbury, a trail boss.

"It's a matter of getting out there and contacting the property owners for their permission to use the land," he said. "That takes time."

And once they have the permission, the trails have to be marked and groomed. Usually, that's done by the end of November, weeks before the Dec. 15 start of snowmobiling season.

The sporadic temperatures has bought the 20 club members time. But who knows how long it will be, Woodbury said.

"What we really need are people to help us mark and prepare the trails," he said. "No one can use anything until we have a good base so we can go to work now."

Snowmobiles shouldn't be used unless three inches of snow is on the ground and the terrain is frozen. They can be used when five inches of snow is on an unfrozen ground, he said.

Gilberts trails are important because they are an important link to a longer trail system leading to Huntley, Hampshire and Elgin. Those trails link to longer trails in southern Kane County and through McHenry County.

Nonetheless, people have been riding them in Gilberts and surrounding towns and they also have been breaking the law. In Gilberts, snowmobiles cannot be driven in parks or other public property. They can be ridden on the side of roads when the drivers are going to trails.

But that allowance is moot without the trails.

For years, the rural Kane County community has been a favorite with dozens of snowmobile owners because of the open land available and existing trails. When homes were built, though, the paths were changed. But there always were new directions the paths took.

The economy and the land sales make finding alternatives tricky, Woodbury said. But he's confident they will be found.

"There will be snowmobiling in Gilberts this year," he said.

Local police are hoping he's right. Designated trails keep sled drivers out of the parks and off the roads. Their job is easier when people have trails to ride on, police chief Mike Joswick has said. When they don't, they have to chase and try to catch troublemakers.

For more information on the Snow Hunters, call Woodbury at (847) 217 3450.