Cruising county trails
Steve SchulwitzArticle Photos
By STEVE SCHULWITZ
News Staff Writer
Last weekend deputies from the Montmorency County Sheriff Department slipped on their helmets, bundled up and fired up their snowmobiles for the first time this winter.
Thanks to a state grant of $5,000 and a contribution of $750 from the Montmorency Board of Commissioners, the "snow patrol" is back monitoring the county's trails.
The department has a pair of new sleds, which it uses on weekends to enforce laws and regulate traffic on the trails.
"We have two patrolmen at a time who will do the patrols," Undersheriff Shawn Seaver said. "If for some reason we can't get two, we will team up with the DNR and ride in tandem with them. We have always worked really well with them."
The snowmobiles are 2008 Ski-Doo, 800-Limited. The machines are equipped with a siren, which goes along with red and blue strobe lights, much the same as the patrol car's display.
"These things can go over 110 mph when opened up," Seaver said. "They are nicer than the old ones we had. They only went about 80 or 90 Those wouldn't have been able to keep up with some of the bigger machines people are driving now."
All the deputies are trained and experienced on the snowmobiles and given the choice, most would rather be on the sled than in the car.
"I think it appeals more to the younger guys," Seaver said. "But it's a safe bet a bulk of the people would prefer to be on the trails instead of in the patrol cars."
The department has eight deputies and William Pylkas, who is a part-time officer who works exclusively with the off-road vehicles.
Pylkas has yet to do a patrol on the new sleds, but is anxious for his chance.
"I am chomping at the bit to get out there," Plykas said. "I've been here since June and feel I'm comfortable enough on the trails to not get lost. There is a lot of territory out there."
The officers who are patrolling on the sleds are in constant communication with the department and can be contacted by radio if needed to respond to a complaint.
"We are in charge of anything having to do with a snowmobile if we are out," Seaver said. "Of course if we have a personal injury accident or something like that and our cars can get there quicker than they will."
The amount of miles the officers put on the machines in a day varies according to conditions, and with over 100 miles of trails in the county, miles can mount quickly.
"On really cold days, we may only put 30 or 40 miles on them," Seaver said. "There have also been days when we can put 150 miles on one. There are a lot of trails and miles to cover."
Seaver has noticed over the past several years people have been more behaved on the machines, but knows there will be citations to hand out in the coming months.
"We used to write tickets left and right," Seaver said. "But people are complying more. I would say the most ticketed offense is for not having a trail sticker. Families use the sleds during the day so there are sometimes simple violations with them, but most of the alcohol incidents are at night."
The money from the state will be used for wages, machine maintenance and gas. It also helped purchase outerwear to help keep the riders warm.
"We purchased four reflective jackets which are really warm," Weaver said. "We also got some bibs. It would be really cold on a day like today."
The department will be on patrol during the upcoming Sno*Drift Rally. Deputies will be helping with parking and helping to keep things running safely.
"We will be out to make sure people are parking in order, because the roads are so narrow," Seaver said. "Plus you get the drivers who want to be racers and drive like they are."
Steve Schulwitz can be reached via e-mail at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5689.
