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Glen Strandberg
Staff Writer
Now that December’s big snows and cold temperatures have given way to a more erratic January and even more sub-zero readings, Forest Lake area businesses are left to figure out whether their customers are coming or going. While one store owner might be crossing his or her fingers in hopes of more snow, their neighbor could be wishing a small heat wave blows through town and helps the ice fishing conditions.
The way this winter has started, stalled and frozen, perhaps everyone is happy. Or at least satisfied.
Amy Frischmon, vice president of Wild Mountain/Taylors Falls Recreation, says her family business has seen a nice bump in attendance. Her numbers were up 22 percent as of Friday, Jan. 11, and the sale of season passes has seen a 15 percent increase.
“December was absolutely, fantastically wonderful,” she says. “I mean, it was great; really fun.”
 Winter snow tubing at Wild Mountain near Taylors Falls has been a hot winter sport for many area winter fans.
(Photo Submitted)
Frischmon gives lots of credit to the season’s early snowfalls, as that brought a whole new crowd to the slopes, which actually was once the same old crowd.
“What was great about it (was) to see the people we haven’t seen out here in years,” she says. “You can tell by the type of equipment they’re skiing on.”
Long, straight skis? Those went out of style with Zubaz and really big hair.
“You can’t imagine the amount of people I’ve seen where I said, ‘Wow I haven’t seen those skis in a while,’” laughs Frischmon. “They say they haven’t skied in 20 years and pulled them out of the attic.”
Frischmon says she noticed a lot of that in December, but it has tapered since the beginning of 2008. With weather forecasters repeatedly predicting the arrival of more snow, Frischmon believes the winter playland will continue.
“It will be nice to keep that energy going and get some more snow, and I’m confident it will happen,” she says.
Ice is nice
Rich Robinson, owner of Mike’s Bait On 8, shares Frischmon’s desires for a lasting winter, but his business actually does better when it’s a little warmer and there is less snow. He needs the sun to melt the snow to create the ice. Then it’s back to hoping the temperature doesn’t drop too far.
“When it’s super-cold, it’s slower than the mild weekends,” he says.
Robinson is now in his third winter since taking over the business, and he says the ice that formed in December was about two to three weeks earlier than recent years.
“For me, the early ice really helped,” he said.
Though the economy has dominated the news and gas prices continue to rise, Robinson says those factors don’t have a big affect on his operation. Those issues may stop someone from going way up north, but the local fishing remains steady.
“It’s been going good. The fishing has been good,” he says.
As of the second Friday in January, Robinson said the lakes weren’t completely safe to drive on, as some spots were eight inches thick, yet others might be 14 inches. By last Monday, though, ice was certainly not in short supply.
One minor concern is having these conditions remain by the time the VFW Post 4210 Fishapalooza gets going on Saturday, Feb. 16, but Robinson doesn’t sound too worried. By pushing the event into next month, he feels the ice will be able to support the thousands of anglers who will descend upon Forest Lake.
Bring on the snow
Another local source to learn about all things winter is John Waldoch, owner of Waldoch Sports on Lake Drive in Columbus.
He points out how it’s been eight years since there was a decent winter in terms of snowfall, and you have to go back to 1997 to find a substantial amount of snow.
What’s actually helped his business, oddly enough, was the snowfall that hammered the area last March. It had been a long time since Forest Lake got dumped on, but Waldoch believes the more than 13 inches of powder caused local residents to be prepared.
No snow, means there’s no reason to pull out the snowblower. But after a February storm was followed by the one in March, it was time for new equipment or repairs to the old machine.
“They weren’t ready for that snow, because they hadn’t had it in six or eight years,” Waldoch points out. “They just didn’t have their stuff ready.”
From snowblowers to blades, to other equipment, Waldoch Sports was able to help.
“Not just the new stuff, but also the stuff that’s in people’s garage — that had to be serviced and fixed,” Waldoch says. “That got people thinking how they didn’t want to be caught in it, so they improved or bought something new.”
As far as the fun items go, it wasn’t safe enough just two weeks ago to be riding snowmobiles on the ice, but that has obviously changed.
With a little more snow, Waldoch might see more people make the big purchase. He’s noticed how someone might have a 10-year-old sled and is contemplating a new one. Four inches of new snow allows them to test one out and that “puts them over the edge.”
“Just the difference from last Friday to this Friday is 100 percent different,” he observed in early January.
Customers went from being excited to snowmobile to feeling like they needed a couple more inches of fresh flakes.
Odds are the avid riders who make an effort to drive to the really good snow will find a way to get there.
“But the person that can just go north of Wyoming or Scandia, and just go for a ride on their snowmobile, that’s the business that really helps us,” Waldoch admits. “When you can just leave right from your house in Forest Lake or Lino or Columbus or wherever you’re at and go riding, that’s what really helps business.”
For years, the economy was solid, but wintertime was warm and dry. Now that there is snow and cold, the economy isn’t cooperating.
“Combine the two and it would have been fun,” Waldoch says. “The biggest killer to business is climate, not the economy. They say four inches and then you get nothing, that drives you crazy. For us, weather means more than anything.”
So where do these drastic stretches of weather leave everyone? Taking what they can and hoping for better — which might bring us right back where we started.
“We’re just kind of waiting, and frankly that’s how it works,” Waldoch says. “When we get that next little snow, it will be phenomenal. The base of the trails is ice, and the snow would give it that little bit of lubrication. It should be quite nice.”
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