The Rhinelander Daily News - Online news and information for the Rhinelander, Wisconsin region

Melissa Theisen - Editor

In August 2007 the Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribal Council passed a Tribal Resolution which granted the Wisconsin Off-Highway Vehicle Association (WOHVA) exclusive access to Tribal land holdings in and around the Mole Lake Indian Reservation in Mole Lake for the purpose of holding organized and formal OHV trail riding events. In addition to access, WOHVA was appointed to act as intermediary between the Tribe and any organization wishing to hold an event on Tribal lands.

Over the past 11 months, WOHVA has been busy developing a network of off-highway motorcycle and four-wheel drive trails. Their first event on these lands was the Great Northern Trail Ride last week on August 8 and 9.

The event started Thursday, August 7, with check-in and thorough vehicle inspections. According to WOHVA Executive Director John Schnorr, one of the main things that the vehicle inspectors were looking for were spill kits, which would be used to keep up any spills or leakage caused by a radiator leak or brake or gas line leaks to name a few examples. As the event was being held on private land owned by the Sokaogon Chippewa, the WOHVA was taking extra precautions to ensure that there was no damage done to the trails or the lands surrounding them. Among other safety equipment, inspectors looked for locking differentials which allowed the jeep, ATV or other four-wheel drive vehicle the capability of having all the tires rotate together, allowing the vehicle to climb steep inclines while not leaving huge divots in the trail. (Vehicles without differentials were encouraged to take less “extreme” trails and stick to the easier terrain.) The vehicles also required tow points in case anyone got stuck and needed to be pulled out of a tough situation. Motorcycles were also allowed to travel the trails, although they were located on different trails than the other off-road vehicles.

Greater Northern Trail Ride participants traveled the trails together on Friday and Saturday, but were separated into two groups. One group traversed the easier terrain but covered a greater surface area. The remaining group, consisting of more modified vehicles to handle rougher terrain, spent the weekend driving on steeper, more extreme trails but covered a smaller area. However, each of the trails took about the same amount of time to travel. Altogether, Schnorr said there was approximately 80 to 100 miles of trails for participants to enjoy.

Participants were served a catered lunch out on the trails, however they gathered together at the Mole Lake Lodge and Conference Center for breakfast and dinners together. Some, after a long day of trail riding, opted to stay at the lodge for the evening, while others continued their outdoor adventures by camping outside.

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Besides having inspections to ensure the safety of the participants as well as protecting the land and its resources, WOHVA members worked with the tribal forester earlier in the year to make sure the environment wouldn’t be effected by the trail riders and to ensure that the archaeological and historical sites located on Tribal land was not disturbed. Trail riders were also instructed by WOHVA members to treat the land with respect, clean up their trash and that their vehicles would only be given two opportunities to navigate over an obstacle before trail guides would step in. It was hoped that these and other responsible actions would help to reduce any damage that might be done on the trails.

WOHVA members said they’ve been working on the trails since May and have been working with the Sokaogon Chippewa for the past six or seven years in order to set up this and other off-roading events on Tribal lands. They said that they hope to hold another event in Mole Lake in August next year and plan to attend the Northwoods Jeep Jamboree in October.

WOHVA is a noncommercial association of Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts organized for the promotion of interest in maintaining closer contact between individual members and the WOHVA Executive Committee, to promote cooperation, friendship, responsible conservation, ecology and to proactively assure that public and private off-highway motorized vehicular recreational opportunities are expanded in Wisconsin for safe use by this and future generations. WOHVA works to preserve access to public and private lands through education stressing safety, ecology, TreadLightly!® principles, wise and responsible land management policies.

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