For 50 years, the Evergreen Snowmobile Club has been planning trips for its members to get together for some frozen fun. That’s 50 winters exploring the trails in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and even Yellowstone National Park on motorized “sleds.”
Ron Planis, ESC’s current president, said the club is open to newcomers of all experience levels. The club plans about six outings every year, and has developed relationships with hotels in Wisconsin and Michigan that are friendly to snowmobiles and have generous cancellation policies, since trips are typically canceled if there is no snow. Planis said the camaraderie is strong in the club, and that the members are also very concerned with safety.
“You never want to ride alone. As long as I’ve been president, we’ve never had an accident. Everybody watches out for everybody,” Planis said. “We’ll never leave anybody anywhere. Period. If we get up in the morning and someone’s sled doesn’t start — I’m a mechanic by trade — I’ll do everything I can do get it going.”
The family-friendly club’s roster is mostly male, but some wives and kids come along to snowmobile, or just for a weekend away. Planis’ own daughter rides, too. Each year, the club has about 50 to 60 active members, he said.
Rich Lee is one of the founding members and was around when some friends used to meet after Evergreen Park Chamber of Commerce meetings for cards. From there, conversation about snowmobiling eventually led to creating a formal club.
The club formed in 1966, and soon proved to be a great resource for the people of Evergreen Park when the blizzard of 1967 dropped 23 inches of snow on the Chicago area. Many people were homebound until roads were clear. Lee said the Evergreen Park mayor called on ESC members, who rode their snowmobiles to take milk from Reuters Dairy to homes where residents couldn’t get out, or to stop by the local pharmacy and get prescriptions to people who needed their medicine.
Over the years, the club met and rode at the Evergreen Country Club and later the Silver Lake Country Club in Orland Park. While the golf courses don’t allow snowmobiles anymore, the club helped ensure there were a few local trails by working with the Cook County Forest Preserve District to establish areas where snowmobiles are welcome today.
Morrill Meadow in Palos Hills, Turtlehead Lake in Orland Park, North Creek Meadow south of Lansing and Ned Brown Meadow in Rolling Meadows all have designated snow mobile areas. Riders must register their snowmobiles for a fee, and abide by the rules that the soil must be frozen with at least 4 inches of snow cover and temperatures of 20 or lower, according to the district. Snowmobiling is not permitted in Will County preserves.
“(The rules) minimize potential negative impact on the turf,” said Cook County Forest Preserve District spokeswoman Stacina Stagner. The number of permits follows the snowfall. With last year’s dry winter, there were only about 30 snowmobile permits issued, Stagner said, but the prior year the district issued nearly 130.
Lee said the forest preserves are a good spot to get started and stay local, but farther north typically means more snow and more fun. The allure of snowmobiling is two-fold for Lee.
“It’s the camaraderie, being with the fellows,” he said. And it’s also the beauty. “Riding up north, I’ve seen bald eagles, and the otters in the river, and the beavers, and the deer running along the trails.” He’s even seen coyotes attacking deer.
He said he really likes spots around Lake Superior.
“It’s vast up there. It’s serene. It’s beautiful, the frozen waterfalls. We see the bears that haven’t gone into hibernation yet,” Lee said. “We stay away from them.”
The club is marking its golden anniversary with a celebration trip Feb. 22 through 26 in St. Germain, Wis. The trip is open to current and former club members.
When the snow has melted, club members still get together, with events like dinners, Chicago River boat tours and White Sox outings. Planning for the next season typically begins in April.
The Evergreen Park Snowmobile Club meets the first and third Tuesday of the month from October through April at Beggar’s Pizza in Oak Forest. More about the club can be found at its website, www.egsclub.com. New members are welcome.
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Paige Fumo Fox is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.