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player ready...With snow on the ground and just a misty rain in the air, the Sno-Kommanders of Lake County were out in full force Sunday.
The snowmobiling club held its Take a Friend Snowmobiling outing on the grounds of Grant Township Center in Ingleside, combining riding, chili cooking, socializing and an effort to build its ranks.
With about 15 active members, the club hopes to lure others into the camaraderie of club snowmobiling, which includes local rides, snowmobiling trips north to Wisconsin and Michigan, safety and education programs and trail advocacy.
Club members rode for a while on a three- to four-mile marked trail on the Grant Township property and then spent time mingling inside the township center, as well as outside by a makeshift campfire.
Steve Neshev and Nik Veltchev of Buffalo Grove are relatively new members, and Veltchev said it makes the hobby more enjoyable.
“We were trying to find a club close to us,” he said. “What’s not to like? You get trail maps and snowmobile buddies.”
In addition to snowmobiling activities, the club meets the second Monday evening of every month from September to April at the El Puerto Mexicana Restaurant in Fox Lake.
Member Don Schaefer said only an estimated 10 to 15 percent of snowmobilers belong to clubs.
“We’re trying to change that. Today is about trying to introduce people to the sport,” Schaefer said, adding that those who do belong to clubs are loyal and several members of the Sno-Kommanders belonged to other clubs previously.
Don and his brother, Skip Schaefer, who serves as vice-president of the club, have been snowmobiling since the ’70s, when they used to ride with their father.
The husband and wife team of Jenny and Rick Selle of Gurnee said they used to go on more long-distance trips when they were younger, but the club keeps them riding both locally and out of town.
“It’s like a family and we’re inviting new family members,” Jenny Selle said. “We’re resilient. We love to have a good time and we’ll find a way to do it regardless of whether there is rain, sleet or snow.”
Organizers said safety is also at the forefront of the club’s goals, and that it participates in trail marking and promotes safety classes and certification for all riders.
A family membership in the Sno-Kommanders runs $35 per season. Those who join from this point on in the season may begin paying dues next year, Skip Schaefer said.
For more information about the club, contact Skip at [email protected] or club president Justin Naramore at [email protected].