The Sudbury Trail Plan isn’t writing off winter yet.
Mother Nature may have thrown a curve ball into the organization’s operations, but its president is confident that when the snow arrives and stays, the snowmobile season will get back to normal. Snow may be topping the wishlist for many snowmobile enthusiasts over the holidays, but the first thing needed is a long spell of temperatures than -15 Celsius.
“That would make us smile,” Dave Bolton, who is serving his second year as president of the organization, said. Those temperatures would allow water to freeze and to keep the snow from melting. The Sudbury Trail Plan maintains more than 1,200 km of trail on behalf of its eight member clubs. The grooming fleet consists of eight groomers, all of which are all ready to go.
The long-range forecast does not bode well in terms of snow, Bolton said, but it is looking more promising for colder weather. Grooming is done in weather colder than -10 degrees Celsius and at night, which provides ample time for the trails to freeze before the first snowmobiles have a chance to tear them up.
Sudbury Trail Plan is made up of the Broder Dill Snowmobile Club, Walden Sno Runners, Northbound Sno Drifters, Onaping Falls High Riders, Valley Trail Masters, Capreol Ridge Riders, Nickel Belt Snow Spirits and Coniston/Wahnapitae Driftbusters. Volunteers from those clubs are responsible for grooming and maintaining the trails, Bolton said.
For lakes and ponds, seven inches of good ice is needed for clubs to mark trails, and 14 inches of ice is needed before they allow groomers to travel on them. All trails vary in the amount of snow needed to lay down a good base, he said, but added trails in District 12 are some of the most difficult to prepare and maintain. Rocks are a nightmare for snowmobile clubs, and rocks around Sudbury are certainly not in short supply.
“Sudbury has some of the worst terrain in the province to operate,” he said. “All the rocks mean we need more snow on the ground than anywhere else, and we also have to ensure the trails are clear of obstacles, which is a big job.”
The snowmobile season, on average, gets into full operation by the end of December or early January and lasts for about eight weeks, Bolton said. This year, there is no denying the season will be off to a late start, but that could mean it could also have a late finish, and spring snowmobiling “can be some of the greatest riding,” he said.
The largest organization of its kind, Sudbury Trail Plan has been operating within the city for more than 24 years and currently sells more than 3,000 permits per year. The sale of permits is currently about 15 per cent lower when compared to the same time last year, Bolton said. Once the snow flies, he fully anticipates that will change.
“We’ve budgeted to sell 2,500 permits,” Bolton said. “People generally don’t buy their permits until the snow flies,” but people are very eager to get out and start riding the trails.”
Permits sell for $250 each, and all snowmobiles are required to have one in order to ride trails under the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.
Sudbury Trail Plan is part of the much larger OFSC, with access to more than 34,000 km of groomed trails across the province. The local area comprises District 12, which encompassed the Manitoulin Island to Massey and from Hagar down to Killarney.
A number of trail improvements have been made on both the D and C trails. A portion of the C trail, which stretches from north to south beyond the borders of Timmins to Parry Sound, was rerouted in Sudbury to utilize the rail bed through Capreol. The D trail stretches east to west.
“We are fortunate enough to have Vale and Xstrata as major landowners in the area, who give us, and us alone, permission to build our trails through their property,” Bolton said.
This summer, the organization equipped each of its groomers with GPS tracking systems, which provides 24-hour information on their locations. As well, up-to-date trail information is now available online, and will let snowmobilers know the status of all trails within District 12.
Bolton has been an avid snowmobile enthusiast since 1987. He said the development of trail systems all across the province allow people to be tourists “in their own back yard.” The sport of snowmobiling continues to grow in popularity, he added, and has become a past time for people from all walks of life.
For more information about Sudbury Trail Plan, or for updates on trail conditions, visit www.sudburytrailplan.on.ca.
The Greater Sudbury Police Service offers these tips when dealing with ice, regardless of whether you’re on a snowmobile or on foot:
- Never travel onto frozen bodies of water alone.
- Let others know your planned travel route.
- Check weather and ice conditions before leaving.
- Avoid travelling on ice at night.
- There should be at least two inches of clear-blue ice before you step on any frozen water – more if there will be several people on the ice.
- If the ice starts to crack, stop, drop and roll until you’re on thicker ice. If you see a friend go through the ice, don’t try and be a hero, get help
- Stay away from areas where there’s a current or water level change such as rivers, streams and reservoirs. Watch for the dark areas that reveal places where the ice is thin. It’s also a good idea to avoid areas with logs, brush or docks sticking out from the ice. These areas absorb the warmth from the sun and weaken the ice around them.
- It may seem silly to wear a lifejacket over your coat, but it could save your life. The jacket not only keeps you afloat if you fall through the ice, but it will also keep you warm.
- It’s important to note that alcohol will greatly increase your chances of suffering from hypothermia.
- On a large reservoir, there’s never any “safe ice.” The lake waters are moving and levels are fluctuating enough to prevent solid ice from forming.
