What a season it was! It was great to be able to get out on the sleds for the Christmas holidays and still be sledding in to the end of March. Who says our season is getting shorter each year?
This season saw our crews having to start over 3 times due to weather. First, many of us were caught a little by surprise with the amount of snow we received early. This caused some problems as the snow came before the frost had entered the ground. Our volunteers were out early on Club sleds to pack the snow on the trails to try and force the frost in to the ground. Once we were almost to the point of having our trails in excellent shape and ready to open, the January rains came with a vengeance. There was major flooding all through our area. Not only were trails washed out and swamps overflowing, but we had homes flooded and roads washed out. I almost forgot to mention – - – - wind storms accompanied the rains. Our trail system that was cleared in the fall, was once again littered with branches and fallen trees. All OFSC trails in the Province were closed for approx. 2 weeks due to these storms. February also saw us dealing with other thaws. As cold weather started to reappear, so did the sledders, even though the trails were listed as closed. During early season trail prep, and mid season trail maintenance due to mild weather and rain / thaws, it is necessary to keep the trails closed to allow our volunteers and groomer operators to work the trails so that they will set and be ready for re-opening.
Let me explain briefly, the Trail prep process.
All trails must be cleared of any obstructions such as branches and fallen trees. Culverts have to be installed or reinstalled. Club sleds are used to pack the new snow on the bush and swamp trails to help drive the frost in to the ground so that our larger groomers will be able to access these areas once they are set / frozen. In many cases our volunteers shovel / scoop snow in to wet areas, to quicken the freezing process. Sometimes our large groomers are used where possible to aid with this process. Our volunteers do this knowing that they most likely ( at least once per year ) will go home at the end of the day soaked to the waste in freezing cold water.
Once the trails are set, our groomers are ready to make their first pass on the trail. Keep in mind, our groomers weigh 6 to 8 tones and do not float. It can cost as much as 30k to retrieve a sunken groomer, and get it operational again. Not to mention groomer down time and trail damage. Our groomer operators can only cross swamp or wet low lying areas, when the area is solid enough to cross. A minimum of 15 inches of good ice is required.
Unfortunately, the trails even though listed on websites as closed, fenced off, and in some cases “Trail Closed” signs installed, see snowmobile traffic that breaks through the sections that we have prepped but are not yet adequately frozen. This causes delays in opening of trails, causes rough sections and much frustration to our volunteers who have worked so hard to prep the trails. I understand the frustration to the majority of you, who support us as Club members by purchasing a trail permit when these delays occur. It is your right to speak to, or report anyone who is riding on closed trails. We have actually had complaints from people who have had their sled(s) submerged in swamp water, because they were riding on closed trails. If reporting, just call us with the sled make, colour, and validation # on the side of the sled. In most cases those who you are reporting, are trespassing.
We make every effort to have up to date Trail Status information on ours and the OFSC Website. PLEASE take time to read this report before heading out, and stay off closed trails. “KNOW BEFORE YOU GO”.