By Stefan Yablonski
Snow — you love it or hate it. Regardless of what your feelings are, in Central New York it is big business.
Problem is, this business hasn’t exactly been booming the past few winters.
Warm and less snowy winter seasons have meant fewer chances for snowmobilers to get out on the trails.
Oswego County is famous for its lake effect snow which makes it a premier destination for snowmobiling in New York state. Many travel from outside of the region — and out of state — to enjoy local trails.
There are more than 230 snowmobile clubs across the state with approximately 69,000 members (14% of which are from out of state).
According to one economic impact study, snowmobiling contributes more than $868 million to the state’s economy as snowmobilers need lodging, fuel and food along the trails.
The expansive Oswego County trail network has 400 miles of official snowmobile trails. They are meticulously maintained by the snowmobile clubs located around the county. Organizers work to connect the trails so people can travel from one trail to another.
The New York State Snowmobile Association has an interactive map which shows all of the public trails in the state.
The map of trails can be viewed at: http://jimapco.com/maproom/snowmobile/nys/
According to the NYSSA, there are 16,442 members of snowmobile clubs in Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and Oswego counties.
All snowmobile trails in the Tug Hill region and throughout Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and Oswego counties are maintained by volunteers.
One area that famously receives a lot of snow is the Tug Hill. The region averages more than 200 inches (16.7 feet; 5.1 meters) per winter, according to Wikipedia. However, not so much recently.
In 2021, a Snowmobile Economic Impact Study was led by Lewis County in partnership with Jefferson County Economic Development, the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce, Oneida County Tourism, Oswego County Community Development, Tourism and Planning, Operation Oswego County, the Tug Hill Commission and several area snowmobile clubs.
According to the study, snowmobiling in the Tug Hill region attracts more than 35,254 riders with 52% of snowmobile users from outside the region.
Sales totals of $81,575,341 are attributed to snowmobiling.
“The snowmobile industry has been steadily growing in the Tug Hill region due to the hard work of our local snowmobile clubs, as well as the generosity of landowners who open their land to our expansive trail system,” said Lewis County Economic Development Director Brittany Davis.
Results from the study will allow the region to prioritize strategies to continue to support and expand the industry that continues to contribute so much to the economy, she added.
Fiscal impact
The economic activity associated with the region’s snowmobile users generates new property, sales and occupancy tax revenue for the region’s counties.
Total tax revenue that results from snowmobile activity is estimated to be more than $448,000 in Jefferson County, nearly $445,000 in Lewis County, nearly $776,000 in Oneida County and nearly $576,000 in Oswego County.
Other highlights from the study include:
• On average, there are 347,337 days spent in total by non-local users in the Tug Hill region annually
• Non-local snowmobile users spend an average of $192 per day
• Snowmobiling activity adds 866 jobs and $28.8 million in earnings
• Total tax revenue that results from snowmobile activity is estimated to be nearly $445,000 in Lewis County each year
Sales dip
“How are sales? How would you think they are?” Rob Hennigan, sales manager at FX Caprara Powersports in Adams Center, asked rhetorically.
Snowfall was even down on the Tug Hill last winter, he added.
“Riders like to go there because they always have a lot of snow. But last season it was down up there. They had a decent February and into March where you could ride, but it was like the only place in the state. It was getting beat up pretty good,” he said. “It was pretty lousy the last couple of winters.”
Sales were through the roof during the pandemic and then they slowed right down
“I say sales probably dropped 50% last year. We have ATVs, we have everything here actually — motorcycles, side-by-sides, pontoon boats, water craft. So we have ways to make up some of the slack,” he said.
“It’s kind of normal right now [end of November]. The riding season doesn’t start in our area until the second weekend of December,” Hennigan added. “I think a lot of people are holding off to see what the weather does. There’s been a dusting of snow up on the hill today, so maybe that’s a good sign. Anything we get early helps. But if you don’t see any snow by the end of December, it’s probably going to be another down year. We’re going to keep our fingers crossed. We use to have warm winters and a snowy one; it goes in cycles, so we’ll see. It’s been a down few years but maybe they’ll flip the switch. You never know.”
Plowers’ headaches
The lack of snow is also causing headaches for commercial snowplowers.
“I’d like to say that the lighter winters have been more profitable seeing as most of our customers are on seasonal contracts,” said Jason Premo, president of Randy Cramer Snow & Lawn. “But the fact is our cost of doing business has gone up quite substantially. Prices for most of the equipment and materials we use have increased at a rate even greater than the high inflation of late.”
Randy Cramer Snow & Lawn, Inc. is a fully insured residential snowplowing operation located in Baldwinsville. From their new facilities near Moyers Corners, they serve more than 4,500 customers.
“As this has happened in conjunction with the light winters, we didn’t think our customers would take kindly to us raising prices. So we’ve had to stand pat and take the hit,” he added. “Light winters also means less work, so we’ve had a real struggle hanging onto quality drivers who count on a more predictable income than we can provide.
“In short, I’d rather we had a more traditional Central New York winter than we’ve been experiencing. This way our customers feel like they are getting their money’s worth and our drivers are making enough income to justify continuing in the trade. It’s been tough!”
Mark Egan, owner of Wheel-A-Way Motorsports in Fulton, said: “Like anything else, this is a seasonal activity. If it were skiing, the lack of snow doesn’t necessarily add to the usage of the sport you’re involved in.”
“Yeah we have ATVs, motorcycles, side-by-sides and snow scooters — a stand-up kind of arrangement. It’s like if you bought a sailboat and there’s no wind … you still have a sailboat.”
Redfield Snowmobile Club Membership Sits at Around 800
The Redfield Snowmobile Association is located in Redfield.
The club was formed 48 years ago (Dec. 12, 1976) and still continues to grow with around 800 members.
The town is located to the ‘lee’ of Lake Ontario, giving it more than 250 inches of snow annually.
“We are in what they call a high snowfall area — hasn’t been lately,” said Jerry Murphy, the club’s vice president. “It’s a pretty popular club; we get a lot of snow – just not recently. Lately the snow has been a little sparse. But I understand we might get it this year, I’m not sure.”
Club membership has declined a bit according to Murphy.
“The most membership we’ve had was around 900. Last year, I think, we were down in the 800 range. I suspect we’ll get those guys back when the weather is more favorable for snowmobiling,” he said, “A lot of people don’t register their machine if they aren’t able to ride. They just hold off and hold off and hold off. We have about 800+ members now.”
When you join a club, you get a discount on your snowmobile registration; makes people want to join the club, he added.
“We are a totally voluntary organization. We have many volunteers to mark and maintain the trails and take care of the equipment,” he added. “Trails open one week after Northern Zone hunting season closes — snow conditions permitting.”
The club has just two groomers for about 42 miles of trails that connects to trails in Lewis, Oneida, Oswego and Jefferson counties. They normally go through around 15,000 gallons of fuel a year, Murphy said.
“It all comes out of club dues and what we get from NYSSA — they pay us twice a year,” he added.
The club’s current groomer barn was purchased in March of 2006.
“We currently own a 2008 Tucker groomer and a 2018 Piston Bully groomer,” he said. “In March of 2021, we purchased 14 acres at 696 County Route 47, a half mile from our current building.
“We are going to be starting the building of a new groomer barn soon. We need more room. We are planning to have many fundraisers with the anticipation of building. We have two fundraisers a year, plus a hot dog roast on the trail and a vintage snowmobile ride, which is a new event this year.”
