When the snow fell in Sherrard, Illinois, packs of snowmobiles came out.
Sunday, December 22, 2013 looked like a winter wonderland in the Quad Cities Area. Many areas saw five inches of snow, and some had more.
But just south of the Quad Cities, the sound of snowmobiles echoed throughout the small community.
William Nelson is one of the riders; he has been riding snowmobiles for years. Every time it snows, he makes it a priority to get out.
“I’m a snow guy so I wait all year for this,” said Nelson, masked from head to toe in snow gear. “We go pretty much everywhere.”
The riders meet in Sherrard. The group then rides through fields of snow, traveling from places as far as Coal Valley to Aledo.
“It’s just such an adrenaline rush,” said one rider as he revved his snowmobile’s engine. “Today, we will just be riding the ditches, but we will go 60 to 70 miles per hour.”
With speeds like that, the ride could turn disastrous. That’s why Nelson enjoys riding with a large group.
“Safety is number one, with a big group of guys we can make sure nobody is left behind and everyone is safe,” Nelson said.
The group doesn’t have a name for themselves, but when snow is expected, they will be in it.