The Black  Hills snowmobile season got off to a chilly start today. The temperature this morning in Deadwood is 18 below zero. When it’s this cold, Carhartts don’t even cut it. The good news, however, is that the season, which runs Dec. 15 to March 31, is going to be one of the best in years.

Another five inches of new snow fell in the Hills over the weekend, on top of an already heavy base – thanks to the early November blizzard that dumped about 4 feet of snow on the Hills.

I talked to Shannon Percy, trails manager for the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks, this morning. He said the cold weather has slowed the grooming machines, called Tuck”I had hoped to get a couple going this morning, but they’re starting to jell up,” he said. “But the Tuckers are out, we have all the signs up and the warming shelters are set up.”

And the weather is supposed to turn warmer later in the week. With the current cold, the snow isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.  By Christmas week, conditions should be very good.

“For those of you heading to the Black Hills on Monday, recent snowfall throughout the week should make for excellent riding conditions,” said Ryan Raynor, Trail Program Specialist for the state Division of Parks and Recreation.

The state grooms and maintains 350 miles of snowmobile trails in the Black Hills, and the crews will keep the trails maintained until March 31.

You can get snowmobile trail maps for the entire state at most Game, Fish and Parks offices or by calling 605-773-3391. The maps also include locations for food and fuel as well as additional information about snowmobiling in South Dakota.

You can also check out the Black Hills, Badlands Web site for information about winter sports. And Black Hills Central Reservations can set you up with a snowmobile package.

To check the latest conditions, check out the GFP Conditions Report or call the tourism hotline at 800-445-3474. They’re a little behind right now. I checked both this morning, and they hadn’t been updated.