Trail Conditions: Good
Snow Cover: Decent, but need more!
Date of Report: February 11, 2026
Area Report:
Despite the lack of new snow, our trails are holding up surprisingly well. After today, the forecast is calling for 6 days of temps above freezing with four days at 40 & above. This will be a challenge because Presidents weekend brings heavy traffic. Trails that are deeper in the woods should still fair pretty well, but sections that are exposed to the sun during these warmer days are going to deteriorate quickly.
The Barnstormers still plan to groom each night if the temps fall down below freezing. We’ll try to hit the heaviest traffic areas nightly and less often where it’s not as critical. Grooming when it’s too warm causes more harm than good, so we want to be careful with that.
The good news is that when this warm spell is over, there is supposed to be some snow on the way! Snow dances please!!
There is a lot going on this weekend: radar runs at Bent’s Camp and St. Germain, Lion’s ice fishing tournament on Plum Lake, Barnstormer’s pizza fundraiser at Hillside, and more! It takes a lot of work to put all these events together, so please get out and support them.
As I’ve mentioned previously, you will find your best riding in the mornings and early afternoons. Areas with high traffic can get beat up rather quickly, but overall, there is still some amazing riding available!
Remember, if you aren’t able to keep your sled on your side of the trail as you enter corners, you’re going too fast and putting the safety of others at risk! You can drive too slow many times, but you may only drive too fast once! SAFETY TRUMPS EGO!
Ride RIght & Ride Safe!
Mark your calendars for these upcoming Barnstormer events:
Sunday, February 15 – Pizza fundraiser at Hillside Tavern from 4:00 – 8:00.
Saturday, February 21 – Brats on the trail at The Web. 10:00 – 4:00.
Saturday, March 14 – Drawing for Snowmobile Raffle at Sayner Pub at 5:00!
Snowmobiling Information
The Sayner Barnstormers are proud groomers of the Sayner – Star Lake Wisconsin area snowmobile trails. Our club was founded back on November 26, 1969, with 27 charter members. The Barnstormers trails stretch all the way from Hwy 70, just east of Arbor Vitae, all the way up to Old Hwy B, just west of Land O Lakes. We groom these trails with three tractors each equipped with 9-foot-6-inch grooming drags built by Sno*Boss of Eagle River and Arrowhead Groomers of St. Germain.
Snowmobiling was born here in the 1920s, when Carl Eliason, of Sayner, invented the first snowmobile in 1924 (he called it a snow machine initially). He took his first patent out on November 24, 1927. He has been featured in History Magazine, in the Modern Marvels section. You can still see some of the very first snowmobiles to ever be ridden in Sayner’s History Museum and at Eliason Lumber, both located on Hwy 155 in Sayner.
Our trails cover a variety of terrains including beautiful wooded trails, lake crossings, and some road routes. Over the years signage has improved tremendously, with the most recent addition of intersection numbers, making it easier for snowmobilers to figure out where they are. These intersection numbers were also created to assist snowmobilers and emergency crews to find each other in the unfortunate event of an accident.
Through the combined efforts of the Sayner Barnstormers and our great neighboring clubs, we feel that Vilas County has the best maintained and marked trails in the world. Our trails adjoin St Germain’s BoBoen Club, Arbor Vitae / Minocqua Cross Country Cruiser’s, Eagle River SnoEagle’s, Land O Lakes Frosty Club’s , and Boulder Junction’s trails. Other clubs in the county include the Conover Snow Buddies, Manitowish SnoSkeeters, Presque Isle SnoBunnies, Phelps, and Lac du Flambeau Northern Horseshoe.
See you on the trails and always, Please Ride Safe!!!