Trail Conditions: Good
Snow Cover: Lost a bunch, but more coming!
Date of Report: February 18, 2026
Area Report:
Thank you to Hillside Tavern for hosting our pizza fundraiser last weekend. It was very successful and we appreciated all who attended. The pizza was amazing, as always!!
As expected, a week of warmer temps, sunshine, and heavy traffic took a toll on the system. We did some late night grooming as temps allowed. Trails deeper in the woods held up decently. Areas of heaviest traffic and sun exposure got hit harder. Snow cover on the entire system is thin and most corners are icy.
We groomed about half the system late last night. By tomorrow morning, the entire system will have been completed with several areas multiple times. The new 3″ of snow we got overnight was wet and very helpful. There is an additional 4-6″ forecast for Thursday night into Friday. If it’s as wet as what we got last night it will make for some really nice riding this weekend!
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:
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!!!