David Archambeau/AP Photo A crowd looks on as a competitor in a previous hillclimb loses control of his snowmoblie while climbing to the top of the hill.

The property that the MASTERS (Mid America Snow and Terrain Expert Racers) Racing Circuit Snowmobile Hillclimb takes part on has a history all its own. It is not just the snowmobiles that go up, and some come down, but the backstory of Whealkate Bluff also has its ups and downs.

The popular landmark outside of South Range started with motorcycle hillclimbs in the 1970s. The motorcycle hillclimb ran into the 1980s and then stopped. The hill during those motorcycle hillclimbs was owned by business people in South Range.

In 1991, the eventual owners of the MASTERS Racing Circuit would work with the Range Snowmobile Club to put on a snowmobile hillclimb. After two years, and a hillclimb that took place in -15 degree temps, the club decided not to co-host the hillclimb.

In the latter 1990s, after the MASTERS was formed, the hillclimb made a brief return. Just like in the past, the event would only last a couple years when the landowner decided to not allow the hillclimb to take place.

“This became a broken record. We come up with the event, build it, and people out of our control pull the plug. This happened at Copper Peak and other snowmobile events,” said Jason Kleinschmidt, MASTERS vice president.

Then in 2017, the MASTERS began working with the new landowner, Triest Forest Products. Triest decided to give the MASTERS Racing Circuit the opportunity to run a hillclimb. However, no work would be done to the hill or the property, just in case the fan and racer support was simply not there.

In March, 2018, fans and racers proved that Whealkate Bluff has potential, not just for snowmobiles, but to see the return of a motorcycle hillclimb.

That’s when Triest Forest Products invested thousands of dollars in grading the hill, developing a fan and pit parking areas and complete an “exit” road from the grounds. The MASTERS had started to build an exit road before the previous landowner discontinued permission to hold a hillclimb.

“While the exit road was not ready for use for the motorcycle hillclimb, that road will be used for the Feb. 2 Mid America Championship Hillclimb (MACH),” Kleinschmidt said. “With vastly expanded fan and pit parking, and the use of the ‘exit’ road, the MACH will see major improvements from last year’s snowmobile hillclimb.”

Kleinschmidt’s G & J Construction built the original exit road. Triest Forest Products that has made that road traversable on a more permanent basis.

A March “thaw” prevented the use of the exit road at last winter’s snowmobile hillclimb. Plowing the snow two weeks before the MACH, in addition to the cooler temps, will make it easier for fans to come in on Whealkate Avenue and leave on the exit road.

Triest Forest Products also plowed the grounds for the fan reserved and general parking, along with the pits, and the area right below the hill for the MASTERS PA/Officials Trailer. Due to all the snow, there will be a limited amount of reserved parking where the fans will be able to watch the hillclimb from the warmth of their vehicle. The general parking will require that the fans bring a lawn chair to watch the snowmobilers try to make it to the top of the hill.

The Christian Motorcyclist Association volunteers will be directing people to which parking lot they purchased parking for.

At the top of the hill, a snowbank was made that will be the timing shut. That is for the few that have the skill, and the luck, to go around a series of gates and make it to the top.

Those that do not make it to the top, will be assisted by fraternity brothers of MTU’s Sigma Tau Gamma. The Sigma Tau Gamma “Hill Jockeys” will do their best to safely try to prevent the snowmobile from rolling to the bottom of the hill.

“We have a list of brothers that are signing up to be hill jockeys. They love this!” said Jake Kessler of Sigma Tau Gamma.

Some snowmobile racers and their teams volunteered to set up fencing earlier this winter to try to keep snowmobiles off the hill. Josh Bramble, Ray Van Alstine, Jordan Wolfe and Wolfe Racing will also help set up the gates for the course. They will do this the day before the hillclimb.

The decision as to where the gates will be put in the 2.5 feet of snow is up to MASTERS Officials.

“This year for the first time we are going to have a jump right at the bottom of the hill,” said Kleinschmidt. “This will make it difficult for the snowmobiler to get any momentum on the bottom of the hill. Plus it is jumps at the bottom of the hill that the Jackson Hole (Wyoming) Snow Devils have for the World Championship Hillclimb.

The MASTERS Racing Circuit will send the top professional hillclimbers from the MACH to Snow King Mountain in Jackson, Wyoming. The World Championship Hillclimb is Mar. 21-24.