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March Break Update

Spring riding conditions are what you can expect this weekend and into the March break week.  With the amount of sun we have seen and slightly warm temperatures, road sides are pretty bad, rocks are poking through, hills facing the sun are starting to get bare and ice is getting exposed.  We will continue to groom for as long as we have snow, groomers keep running, and we have temperatures which are cold enough at night.

We were notified by a few people of some downed trees just north of the clubhouse yesterday on TOP E.  A quick shout-out to Brian M. and Darrin S. for responding quickly and getting those trees cleared.   They also had some help from a couple of riders that came along, one of whom gave our guys a gift card to thank them.  How great was that!!!

There is still lots of great trail out there and conditions should be good most places but remember, you should expect spring conditions.
Trails Update

We are happy to report that the promised snow did arrive.  We didn't get quite as much as was forecast but it was very helpful.   Groomers have been rolling as this white gold covered bare spots and allowed us to put something on top of our still-good base.

Keep an eye on the ITG for trail status updates.
Update for February 8, 2023

We are happy to say that we got the trails around Gooderham (607 Wolf Lake and 610 into Gooderham) cleared yesterday and we hear that HCSA was able to battle their way down their 9 trail to Gooderham as well.  We know people have been eager to see trails open in that area - keep an eye on the ITG for updates.

We still have one groomer down (probably for the season) and we keep having to fix issues with our second one but we seem to be able to keep things in reasonable shape.  We continue to use the District spare (fixing it occasionally too) and share the load with other clubs in the District.  Equipment problems seem to be a significant problem all across District 2.

With the warm spell and rain coming, we are not certain what the impact will be on trails or on grooming operations but are confident that the trails won't be completely destroyed.  It would be best if everyone stayed off the trails while they are soft so that we have something reasonably smooth to start with when things get cold again.
Thinking of Local Businesess....

As many of you are aware, the Municipality of Highlands East closed the bridge (temporarily) on the IB&O rail trail that runs between Wilberforce and Tory Hill.  This trail was a key feeder of snowmobile traffic from the west into Wilberforce and on to the north and east.

With this link cut, we wanted riders to know that businesses in Wilberforce have been significantly affected and some of these are great supporters of the club.  They have purchased advertising on our map boards and the paper maps and do a lot to support the club in other ways.  We want to especially acknowledge the impact on and thank the South Algonquin Diner, Wilberforce Service Centre and Ironview Retreat.

Please give them a thought as you are planning your ride.  You can still access Wilberforce from the east via our 605 trail from Harcourt and there is a great loop (Trailblazer Tour Loop) that runs from Wilberforce west to the 601 Miskwabi trail up to TOP E. 

Those businesses in Wilberforce would greatly appreciate your patronage.
Parking in Harcourt

We recently announced that the Municipality of Dysart et al has made parking available at the community centre in Harcourt for snowmobile trailers and the uptake was great.

Unfortunately, there were some trailers that ended up parking on the road (Rainbow Drive) and blocked access to homes to the east of the community centre.

If you use that parking area, please be sure not to block roads or driveways there.
Paudash Trail Blazers Cookout

Our annual cookout is happening on Febrary 4th from noon to 3pm at the Clubhouse.  As always, we have burgers and hot dogs, soft drinks, coffee, tea and hot chocolate.  This annual event is a popular one with club members.

While the food and beverages are free, we will be asking for donations and will be running some raffles with some great prizes and a 50/50 draw to raise money.

Bring your friends and kids, have something to eat, chat with friends, see a groomer up close, talk to a Groomer Operator or one of the club's Committee members.  There will be lots of us there if you have questions or are interested in getting more involved.

We can't wait to see everyone after a pandemic-induced hiatus!
January 25 Update

Grooming activities continue and it's snowing as I write this with more to come.  While we have had 2 groomers down (one lost a track and the other had a brake failure and electrical problems), the District has been juggling groomers to help keep operations going.  Water levels are dropping and wet holes are slowly freezing up, reducing the risk that we trap groomers in the mud and making trails safer for riding.  Most of the tree clearing has been completed and a HUGE thanks to our VOLUNTEERS for doing so much of this.  The system has pretty much been done 3 times due to storm damage leading up to and in the season.  We now need some snow to work with, which will help to fill in the holes and allow us to smooth out the moguls better.

We are also pleased to report that the District received a new-to-us 2020 New Holland groomer yesterday and its first assignment will be to groom Paudash trails.  We are really looking forward to seeing what this machine can do and hope that its newness will mean it's as reliable as the 2017 John Deere has been.

Finally, an update from Chandos Lake, which is at the south end of our club area.  A number of lake riders have made donations to the club to recognize the efforts of the volunteers and the club would really like to thank them as well as others from other areas that have sent us money.

Also, on Saturday February 18, Maybee's backyard BBQ will be returning to Lakeview Cottages and Marina for their 2nd annual Chili Cookout.   The event runs from 1pm to 4pm and they will be charging $10 for chili and a bun.  For those that get there by snowmobile, the marina will be making gas available.  This was a popular event last year - please put it on your calendar and make Chandos Lake a destination that day.
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