Snowmobilers may have tough time in Gilberts this winter

This winter may not be as much fun in Gilberts if you drive a snowmobile.

People driving these motorized sleds who were planning to race across the snow in the growing Kane County community will have to watch where they go -- because they may not have anyplace to go.

The 25-year-old trail system has not been marked or groomed this year, and public streets and parks are off-limits, according to village ordinances.

"People will have to go to Huntley or Elgin to ride their snowmobiles," said Mark Woodbury, the trail boss for the Gilberts Snow Hunters. "Probably a lot of members will."

Those communities have trails and clubs.

Months ago, Woodbury and his colleagues were hoping Neumann Homes executives would change their position and let them ride on undeveloped property along Freeman and Galligan roads. That area contains 50 percent of the club's 8-mile trail system.

Now, they can't change because Neumann has filed for bankruptcy.

"Without that property we can't connect our trails," Woodbury said. "We haven't marked them or done anything to them this year. We used to check the trails and the bridges for safety. But not this year."

Members also get permission from other property owners.

But that's all moot. With snow forecast this week, all snowmobile drivers can do is drive past the trails in their cars to go to other communities.

Nobody thinks that's a shame more than Gilberts Police Chief Mike Joswick. He and his officers depended on the club and the trails to keep sled drivers within the boundaries of the law. They also were another set of eyes to watch for, and report, renegade snowmobile drivers.

"The Snow Hunters did a good job," Joswick said. "They gave people some place to go to drive their snowmobiles. In town, you can only drive on the side of the road to get to a trail. This year, there won't be any trails."

The trails and the club didn't keep all the troublemakers out, though they kept their numbers down to a manageable amount.

"Every once in a while we get someone who thinks they're funny, and tries to outrun us by speeding away," the police chief said.

"But they're the people who don't know the area and end up getting hurt."

Joswick will speak to Gilberts village board members to see if ordinances regulating snowmobile use should be changed because there are no local trails.