March 13th, 2026

Latest trail report from Dwight Kimber!

Vilas county has announced that trails will officially reopen tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM (Saturday, March 14)!

We are essentially starting from scratch after the springlike weather last week. The new snow has not yet had a chance to freeze to the base, so you will need to ride with caution. Some road routes may still be thin. Expect that corners will not hold snow for long, so they will be icy and very slick! Star Lake is still marked and Plum Lake has been remarked. Please stay close to the markings as there are some homeowners that have aerators near their docks and ice may not be safe.

The winter storm expected over the next two days will likely bring down more trees & branches. Please anticipate that you may come across a few obstacles! We would certainly appreciate your help in getting them cleared from the trail.

The Barnstormers will be out grooming today and tonight so that our entire system will be groomed by opening tomorrow morning. We'll be continuing with our regular grooming schedule until trails close.

Don’t forget about the drawing to give away a 2025 Polaris 650 VR-1! There is still time to purchase raffle tickets! The drawing will be held at Sayner Pub on Saturday, March 14! Beginning at 11:00 am, there will be food & raffles all day up until the snowmobile drawing at 5:00!!

March 9th, 2026

Vilas County has officially announced a TEMPORARY closing of the trails effective 3/10/26 at 8:00 AM.

By calling it temporary, they leave the possibility of reopening if conditions allow for it. There is some snow forecast this week, but high temps still in the mid to upper 30s. Not a lot of promise.

If they don't reopen, thank you to everyone that rode the Barnstormer trails this season. We greatly appreciate the support you've given our club and our local businesses.

Don’t forget about the drawing to give away a 2025 Polaris 650 VR-1! There is still time to purchase raffle tickets! The drawing will be held at Sayner Pub on March 14 @ 5:00 PM!

Here are a few statistics going back as far as the 2005/2006 season. The average number of days the trails have been open is 78, with the longest season being 2012/2013 at 111 days! This season was 81 days. The earliest we've ever opened is December 9, that was in 2010. The latest we've ever opened was January 17, that was just last season!

March 3rd, 2026

Between Sunday and last night, we have groomed our entire system. With the forecast this week, we won't be going out tonight or Wednesday. If overnight temps allow, we may go out Thursday night to try and pull snow onto the trails for the weekend. Grooming over the weekend will be dictated by overnight temps.

Snow cover on top of the ice base is very thin and in some areas it is gone. There is still some decent riding to be found, but you'll have to ride through some bad to get to the good.

The next 7 days show highs in the 40s and even reaching upper 50s on Monday. Does this mean the end of the season? Still too early to say, because temps drop back into the 20 next week with a couple days of forecasted snow. It'll be up to the county alliance to decide if there is enough hope to stay open through this coming week.

Don't forget about the drawing to give away a 2025 Polaris 650 VR-1! There is still time to purchase raffle tickets! The drawing will be held at Sayner Pub on March 14 @ 5:00 PM!rch 3rd, 2026

February 26th, 2026

A big thank you to Stephanie & Gil, owners of The Web, for hosting our brat fry fundraiser last weekend. It was a big success and we appreciate their generosity.

Trails are holding up very well. The snow we've received this past week was mostly dry & fluffy, but we'll take all we can get. We are able to keep the majority of our system pretty flat and in great condition. Of course, the higher traffic areas will get bumpy much sooner, but overall we're in good shape. The snow layer on top of our base is getting thin, and you will start to see corners getting icy again. Some good wet snow would help fix this. In the meantime, we're doing what we can to pull snow back onto the trails.

Temps these next few days vary widely with some lows below zero and a high on Friday of 47. We'll still be good through the weekend. It appears that by mid next week, temps are heading back up, so we'll have to wait and see. There isn't much new snow in the forecast.

We hear occasional complaints about the portage (between Star and Plum lakes) being rough. We do groom this frequently, but not as often as the rest of our system. The portage is NOT a funded trail, so we do NOT get any funding to groom this. Every time we go down there, it's money out of our general fund without any reimbursement.

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, March 14 – Drawing for Snowmobile Raffle at Sayner Pub at 5:00!

February 18th, 2026

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!

Ride Right & Ride Safe!

February 11th, 2026

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.

Ride RIght & Ride Safe!

January 28, 2026

The majority of the Barnstormer's trail system is in excellent condition and continues to groom out nicely. There are some select areas with deeper ruts/mogals that will only get better with some fresh wet snow to fill them. Trail 7 north out of Star Lake is our most challenging section due to heavy traffic and no new snow. Ice is becoming more exposed in corners, so please be aware of this.

While we aren't always able to groom our entire system every night, we are grooming nightly. We're trying to make sure all sections get done at least every other night.

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 some amazing riding available!

January 22, 2026

Trails continue to groom out nicely each night. We definitely could use some new wet snow! As I've mentioned before, your best riding will be in the mornings on freshly groomed trails. By afternoon and certainly by evening, the riding will get bumpier simply because the snow is too dry to stay in place.

The Barnstormers will not be grooming on Friday night due to dangerously cold temps. Whether we groom Saturday or not will depend on temps. We should be back at it at least by Sunday.

A big thank you to the couple that stopped the groomer last Monday night to tell us how much they appreciate what we do and to give us a cash donation on the spot! It's riders like you that make it worth the time we spend maintaining the trails.

Ride RIght & Ride Safe!

Mark your calendars for these upcoming Barnstormer events:

Saturday, February 7 – Chili dump at The Murm from 2:00 – 5:00.

Sunday, February 15 – Pizza fundraiser at Hillside Tavern from 4:00 – 8:00.

Saturday, March 14 – Drawing for Snowmobile Raffle at Sayner Pub at 5:00!

January 18th, 2026

A huge THANK YOU to Stillwaters for hosting our annual breakfast fundraiser yesterday, and to all who showed up to support the Sayner Barnstormers! The food was incredible (as always)!

Over the past few days, we've had anywhere from 5" to 8" of fresh snow. We wish it would have had some moisture in it to help it stick to the trails, but we'll take what we can get. Trails have been grooming out nicely every night. If you are a morning rider, you've been experiencing some really great riding. By afternoon, heavy traffic takes it's toll and things get bumpier, especially on the busier trails like 7N out of Star Lake.

We will continue grooming nightly. With the drop in temps expected this week, I'm anticipating the same trail conditions; they'll be great in the mornings, but get bumpier quickly since there isn't much moisture in the snow.

Ride RIght & Ride Safe!

Mark your calendars for these upcoming Barnstormer events:

Saturday, February 7 – Chili dump at The Murm from 2:00 – 5:00.

Sunday, February 15 – Pizza fundraiser at Hillside Tavern from 4:00 – 8:00.

Saturday, March 14 – Drawing for Snowmobile Raffle at Sayner Pub at 5:00!

January 12, 2026

Updated trail report from Dwight Kimber! The weather was interesting this past week. There were three days of above zero temps and combinations of rain, sleet, and snow. Fortunately, our trails held up better than anticipated. We ended up with only an inch of new snow in Sayner, with up to 4" just a bit to our east.

We will continue to groom nightly for the foreseeable future, unless weather dictates otherwise.

There does not appear to be any significant snow, other than an inch here & there, for the next week. There are many big events in the next few weeks, which will mean heavy traffic. Of course, we will do our best to keep the trails as smooth as possible. Additional snow would sure be helpful!

Remember, if you aren’t able to keep your sled on your side of the trail, 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!

January 8th, 2026

Barnstormers, like many other area clubs are discouraging riding during this warm weather. If you are out there, please be careful! There are several trees down across the trail. There will be equipment out today, so please use caution when on the trails!

Good News: More snow in the forecast! Just in time for Brats on the Trail - see you Saturday!

January 4, 2026

Latest trail report from Dwight Kimber!

It's been a busy week with heavy traffic. Overall, the trails are holding up well. Our most challenging trail to keep up with so far has been 7N out of Star Lake. The amount of traffic on this main corridor has made it nearly impossible to keep flat. Another batch of fresh wet snow will most welcome.

We are grooming nightly, and will continue until the temps get above freezing as projected later this week. The 4-6" of new snow expected tonight will be very helpful if it has any moisture in it. Dry fluffy snow does not help at all as it will not stick.

Wednesday and Thursday appear to be our most challenging days this week with temps pushing 40 and at least partial sunshine. Our best hope to salvage the base is for people to refrain from riding during those warmer days. If that happens, we should be in really good shape again by next weekend when temps drop back down.

Plum and Star lakes are now marked. They are bumpy, but rideable. Please stay along the marked route.

Apparently, we have to keep reminding people to slow down for corners. If you aren't able to keep your sled on your side of the trail, you're going too fast and putting the safety of others at risk! If you feel the need to show off the speed of your sled, save it for the lakes. SAFETY TRUMPS EGO!

Ride RIght & Ride Safe!

Mark your calendars for these upcoming Barnstormer events:

Saturday, January 10 – Brats on the trail at TIN #217 from 10:00 – 4:00.

Saturday, January 17 – Breakfast at Stillwaters from 8:00 – 11:00.

Saturday, February 7 – Chili dump at The Murm from 2:00 – 5:00.

Sunday, February 15 – Pizza fundraiser at Hillside Tavern from 4:00 – 8:00.

Saturday, March 14 – Drawing for Snowmobile Raffle at Sayner Pub at 5:00!

December 29, 2025

Latest trail report from Dwight Kimber!

Thank you all for your snow dances! Last night's storm dumped about 14" in our area. The first half was heavy wet snow, followed by dry powder. While we need heavy wet stuff on the trails, it also caused a considerable amount of damage. There are limbs & trees down throughout our entire system.

The initial intent was to get out and groom today and tonight. However, we won't be pulling the groomers out until we get through the whole system to clear trees. Once that's done, we'll follow up with the groomers. This is going to take some time, so please be patient with us.

If anyone is venturing out with their sleds today, be aware there may be sections of trail that are unpassable until trees are cleared. Feel free to strap on a chainsaw and give us a hand while you're out there. Any help we can get today will be very much appreciated. Once this is done, the trails are going to be amazing!!!

Ride RIght & Ride Safe!

Mark your calendars for these upcoming Barnstormer events:

Wednesday, December 31 – Breakfast at Sayner Pub from 9:00 – Noon. Blessing of the sleds at 12:30 under the arch.

Saturday, January 10 – Brats on the trail at TIN #217 from 10:00 – 4:00.

Saturday, January 17 – Breakfast at Stillwaters from 8:00 – 11:00.

Saturday, February 7 – Chili dump at The Murm from 2:00 – 5:00.

Sunday, February 15 – Pizza fundraiser at Hillside Tavern from 4:00 – 8:00.

Saturday, March 14 – Drawing for Snowmobile Raffle at Sayner Pub at 5:00!

December 26, 2025

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Here’s the latest trail report from Dwight Kimber! As Dwight mentioned, snow should be coming so please don’t ride aggressively to help preserve our trails. Looking forward to the Blessing of the Sleds and Breakfast at the Sayner Pub on Wednesday!

The weather is currently not our friend. We've got above freezing temps forecast today through Sunday. The good news is that we are expecting snow Sunday night into Monday and the temps look like they'll be dropping and staying low for next week.

The Barnstormers have been out these past couple days and have groomed the majority of our system. There is limited snow cover, but most of the system is flat and rideable. Corners are going to be extremely icy right now and potentially hazardous. We will likely suspend grooming over the weekend until more snow arrives.

The warm temps these next three days won't hurt us too badly, unless there is heavy traffic. The damage from riding on soft trails won't be fixable without a decent amount of snow. If you are going to ride during these warmer days, please, please, please refrain from being too aggressive!

We do have one section that is down to the dirt and should be completely avoided! Trail 6-9-11 between TIN 204 and 225 is NOT RIDEABLE. Please stay off of this section until we get more snow!

Both Plum and Star have been reported to have 8" - 12" of ice. We are told that they'll be marked as soon as there is enough snow to secure the barrels. It is still recommended to stay off the lakes until they are marked.

Ride RIght & Ride Safe!

Mark your calendars for these upcoming Barnstormer events:

Wednesday, December 31 – Breakfast at Sayner Pub from 9:00 – Noon. Blessing of the sleds at 12:30 under the arch.

Saturday, January 10 – Brats on the trail at TIN #217 from 10:00 – 4:00.

Saturday, January 17 – Breakfast at Stillwaters from 8:00 – 11:00.

Saturday, February 7 – Chili dump at The Murm from 2:00 – 5:00.

Sunday, February 15 – Pizza fundraiser at Hillside Tavern from 4:00 – 8:00.

Saturday, March 14 – Drawing for Snowmobile Raffle at Sayner Pub at 5:00!

December 21, 2025

It's a good thing we didn't listen to all the naysayers that said we opened too early and that the trails would be trashed after one day!

Every sledder I spoke to over the weekend talked about how good the trails were! My wife & I road yesterday & hit trails in Sayner, Star Lake, Conover, Phelps & Land O' Lakes. Even though it's a very thin base, it was all fairly flat and so much fun! We even saw Santa out on his Scorpion. I heard the same reports from people who rode in the St. Germain, Boulder Junction and Presque Isle sytems.

Yes, we do need more snow, for sure. Without it, we'll begin to see more icy conditions as traffic increases over the holiday week. For now, don't hesitate to go out and enjoy what we have.

The Barnstormers will be grooming on a very limited basis until we get more snow. Excessive grooming right now will do more damage than good. Start doing your snow dances!!

Ride RIght & Ride Safe!

Mark your calendars for these upcoming Barnstormer events:

Wednesday, December 31 – Breakfast at Sayner Pub from 9:00 – Noon. Blessing of the sleds at 12:30 under the arch.

Saturday, January 10 – Brats on the trail at TIN #217 from 10:00 – 4:00.

Saturday, January 17 – Breakfast at Stillwaters from 8:00 – 11:00.

Saturday, February 7 – Chili dump at The Murm from 2:00 – 5:00.

Sunday, February 15 – Pizza fundraiser at Hillside Tavern from 4:00 – 8:00.

Saturday, March 14 – Drawing for Snowmobile Raffle at Sayner Pub at 5:00!

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