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Ki-Chi-Saga Park, south of Lindstrom, was a hive of activity last weekend and the buzz of snowmobile engines hung in the frozen air,  as  snowmobile safety and operations training for area youth took place.  

In order to hit the fields, lakes and trails this winter, if you were born anytime after December 31, 1976, you need a snowmobiling certificate in Minnesota.  

There are a couple ways to get certified, an on-line course and then a field performance test or take hours of class training followed by a field test.  Saturday there were about 30 kids who started off inside the Lindstrom Fire Hall having completed the on-line part, with a local classroom component.  Everybody was driven the short distance to the county park from the fire hall, where volunteers from Wild River Snowmobile Club and sheriff deputies were stationed.  Sheriff’s Captain Dan Ackerman, said the partnership with Wild River Snowmobile Club is great and they are a big help.    

Kids from age 11 to 15 are invited to sign up, the certificate becomes effective upon age 12 however.

The first thing the kids had to demonstrate was that they knew to check if their sled has become frozen to the ground. You don’t want to hop aboard a sled and gun it only to learn it’s not going anywhere.

There was a course marked out in the open area of the park, with signage and orange cones. The youth who handled it appropriately and knew hand signals, got their certificates on-site.  Captain Ackerman said the performance testing doesn’t cost anything in Chisago County.  Some places do charge a fee, best to ask.

Youth are not allowed to sign-up for these local sessions without first completing the on-line Snowmobile Safety Course through the Dept. of Natural Resources.  Students study and obtain information at their own pace under guidance of an adult.  The on-line part takes two to four hours, the DNR reports.

Print out a ”youth follow up voucher” and register for the local training.

The DNR on-line part is $24.95.

Usually classes fill quickly here and the next available openings are in January 2020.  There will be a session at Chuckers in Rush City.  The next closest site still with openings for youth training is at Isanti County Fairgrounds, January 11.

Check on the DNR website where statewide classes and field sites are listed.  The Chisago County sheriff’s Facebook page also often carries updates on upcoming sessions.

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