November Newsletter

HAPPY TRAILS

By Richard Demers

A snowmobile trail is a marvelous thing.   It is a snow road:  a carefully designed product that provides access to an otherwise unattainable terrain. A road made possible only by the selfless efforts of a group of enthusiastic volunteers.  People who willingly give of their time and energy to toil and sacrifice for the benefit of anyone who loves the great outdoors.  The snowmobile trail often wanders through our picturesque landscape quietly inviting all who want to explore our natural habitat without leaving a footprint a safe and sensible path:  a way to touch nature and a way to leave it undisturbed.

Sometimes the snowmobile trail is nothing more than two tracks on a lonely field made by a single adventurer on a new fallen blanket of snow.  Other times the snowmobile trail is a smooth well groomed road made of snow complete with signs and warnings that protect the users from harm.  And like all roads, snowmobile trails have to be maintained.

When you think about it a snowmobile trail is the most ecologically friendly road in the world.  It does not leave a mark on the landscape because it is made of snow.  It winds through areas that are already carved out of the back country either naturally or by some other means.  Perhaps it was the cattle that forged the basis of the trail, or perhaps it was the railroad, or perhaps it was the wanderer who was exploring the area and trading goods for furs in our historic past, or perhaps the wild life etched a way to their favorite meadows on what has now become man’s natural connector to nature.  However the trail came to be often the snowmobile trail is merely a smoothed out winter version of an existing access in the back country.  And these snow roads are maintained and groomed by caring individuals who because of their big hearts want nothing more than to make sure trail users are enjoying our winters in a safe and happy environment.

Yes the snowmobile trail is a variety of many mosaics of natural landscape.  It can wander through groves of pine trees so deep and thick that the morning light has to fight its way to your eyes.  Or it can weave in and out of a riverbed allowing you to flow like the clear blue stream into the open embrace of our most remote of lakes.  Or it can duck in and out of tall reeds as it meanders into each small village in its path.  A snowmobile trail can connect communities that are isolated, people that are in need or friends that need each other.  A snowmobile trail can let the uninitiated touch the footsteps of our homesteaders and allow them to imagine the toil and effort it has taken to build this land.  A snowmobile trail can help connect the city dweller to the plight of the family farm by bringing him to the depths of the fields where true effort makes it all worthwhile.

Yes a snowmobile trail is an amazing invention.  It can unite families to long forgotten values by bringing them to their roots.  It can create a vision of respect for all who toil to make our Province special.  But sometimes, like all good things, a snowmobile trail can be abused.  It can suffer the indignity of a few malcontents: individuals who have no respect for anything or anyone.  These are the ones who ride the trail with no consideration for others or for the property of others.  They abuse the efforts of all who toil to make our land, our lives more meaningful.  These few individuals can not be allowed to continue to abuse our natural habitat.  So it should be that we protect our trails from these few misguided souls.  Banning use of the trail is not however, an acceptable answer.  That would have the same effect prohibition had on the sale of liquor in the early 1930s; these riders would still continue to tear up our land. Confronting the abuse is the only way to eradicate it.  These few riders need to be educated to a better way.  These few riders need to be taught to ride the trails with respect.  They need to be taught to respect the property of others.  They need to be taught to respect the trail.

It is not the trail that is bad.  It is not the developers of the trails that are bad.  It is not the land owner who is bad.  It is not the family that uses the trail to explore our pristine back country that is bad.   It is the few careless, malcontents who are attempting to ruin it for all who are bad.  The answer is with the snowmobile clubs.  By joining with the snowmobile clubs in operating and maintaining the trails, the snowmobile trail can be freed of the abuse of a few.  Those who gladly give of their time to groom and maintain this treasured resource will be rewarded when users and landowners unite to demand the respect of property: respect for the trail.  The solution is to for both landowners and users to join their local snowmobile club, an affirmation that you respect the trails.  The solution is to speak up when abuse is obvious.  Making the abuse public knowledge will deter the abuser.  It will allow those in authorities to do their duty.

The solution is to work together to find answers to problems that result from trail use.  All stakeholders need to be involved.  The answer is to join the snowmobile club and to ensure you have a say.   Communication is a powerful tool that when used properly can and will eliminate the abuse of our trails.   We communicate by being involved.  So this November make your voice heard by getting involved with your club.  Join the snowmobile club and help protect your snowmobile trails.     Join the snowmobile club and help protect the farms and the farmers from these malcontents.   Join the club to bring your voice to making our winter a safe and happy experience for everyone.  Together we can make our snowmobile trails a legacy of pride and respect for our community.  Our snowmobile trails are our gateway to family winter fun.  Let’s snowmobile together.