Trails are not open yet! Please stay off of them.

Keep sleds parked

Groomers have started pre-season packing of West Carleton trails, and this cold weather is really helping to firm up our waterways and swamps. We need a little more snow, and things are starting to look good for a start to a great season very soon but TRAILS ARE STILL NOT OPEN.

There are various reasons, whether it be our landowners not able to open gates (yes livestock can still be out in the fields at this time of year). And there is still not enough dense snow in most areas which, as you may be hearing in the news is a serious safety issue. Club volunteers want the trails open as much as anyone, as we are all sledders too, but this takes a combination of the right snow/safety conditions and permission to open gates on our land owners properties. Trail patrol is now patrolling trails and with new legislation in place, trespassers can now be fined up to $10,000 for trespassing and riding on unopened trails. This is serious stuff.

Please, everyone remember that trying to get that jump on the season before trails are open risks it for all of us. We have lost some valuable links on local trails yet again this season and have had to significantly increase road running because of the few sledders who think that just one run on an opened trail does not matter. It does. Just one sled wandering where it shouldn’t be can result in a trail becoming a permanent dead end – and we can’t blame our landowners for trying to protect their crops, property and livelihood.

On a lighter note, West Carleton has some exciting new trails being opened this season, like rail bridges in Pakenham and Arnprior on the W311 and the A trail. It has taken thousands of hours and working with the goodwill of the public, towns and municipalities to get us, the sledders, access to these. These routes are being opened on a trial basis and access to these areas can still be revoked by riding on them now, before official opening.

It’s going to be a great year if people can please, PLEASE keep the sleds parked until they show “Available” on the Interactive Trail Guide. And if you know that person that still insists on trespassing on unopened trails – put some pressure on them – they are messing with all that money you have invested riding this year.

Wait for it… wait for it….

Keep sleds parked

Another awesome dump of snow last night and today and in the distance I think I hear groomers starting to warm up for some pre-season packing. Hopefully a good cold snap will also help our waterways and swamps, which are still far from being safe. But things are looking great!

Please, everyone remember that trying to get that jump on the season before trails are open risks it for all of us. We have lost some valuable links on local trails this season and have been working hard to find suitable reroutes. One sled wandering where it shouldn’t be can result in a trail becoming a permanent dead end – and we can’t blame our landowners for trying to protect their crops, property and livelihood.

On a lighter note, West Carleton has some exciting new trails being opened this season, like the W311 – the rail bed linking us from Arnprior, through Pakenham, Almonte, Blakeney and continuing on in the BEAST as #311. Huge thanks to the families who went out and brushed and put up the signs!

It’s going to be a great year if people can please, PLEASE keep the sleds parked until they show “Available” on the Interactive Trail Guide. And if you know that person that still insists on trespassing on unopened trails – put some pressure on them – they are messing with all that money you have invested riding this year.

Adding Rail Line to West Carleton Trails!

rail-linesIts OFFICIAL, the West Carleton Snowmobile Club will be using two sections of the old rail line between Arnprior and Blakeney this coming sledding season! The club has been in negotiations with Lanark County and they have been finalized for a trial basis this year.

We have been working hard to make sure that all the insurance and other details were in place prior to announcing this, and now trail work can begin. Volunteers will be needed to help prepare and sign these new sections of trail (as well as existing trails).

The Beast has also been granted use of the same rail line from Carleton Place to Smiths Falls.

Details will also be available at our swap meet in Kinburn (October 15). Stay tuned for more information in the near future. Please SHARE to all SNOWMOBILERS that you know.

Your board of directors, working for you!

 

November Club Meeting – Tuesday Nov. 3rd

volunteers brushing trailsPlease join us at the West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association November club meeting – to be held tomorrow – Tuesday Nov 3rd, 7:30pm, in the board room at the Kinburn Community Centre (doors to the left of the main entrance).

The club is currently looking for volunteer coordinators, people to help with brushing and signage and other volunteer positions. Have any special skills that you might be willing to share to help make our club, our trails and our events even better? Please come and introduce yourself at a meeting, or  contact us.

Signage and pre-season trail work will be key topics at this meeting. If you are one of the many people who adopted a section of trail last spring, or if you would like to find out how you can help get our trails ready for the upcoming season we encourage you to join us. We hope to see you there!

Trail opening – please read

Trails are not open yet! Please note the last paragraph

Attached is the current state of our trails, the green are the trails that have been picketed and are signed and ready for inspection.

The major push are the trails is the area south of the 417, Thursday we hope to complete the W 10 and W 9, and Friday the W 12 either side of Pakenham (from W 10 to W 9 intersection)

The big effort required this Saturday is the new re-route for the W 12 from Blakeney towards the A Trail (coming into Almonte), a small group attacked it last weekend, but there is still aprox 1 km left of a trail that has not we used or brushed in aprox 10 years. Please show up this Saturday at 9 AM, park on the side of the road around 314 Ridge Road off the top of Panmure, and then follow the trail makers in to the work party. The work requires pruners, chain saws, work gloves, we will provide a brush saw and pole saw. Due to the distance involved best to bring your sled or ATV

We need to get all trails signed and inspected before we can start the grooming and using the trails (and of course we still need some more snow). The few of us that are doing the bulk of the work are exhausted from a 3 month effort, and we know it’s the busy Christmas season, but these are the simple facts of what is required to open trails. Please lend a hand.

trail status december 16 2014

Media Release; Get Ready to Go Snowmobiling Ontario Week – November 24 to 30

Media Release; Get Ready to Go Snowmobiling Ontario Week – November 24 to 30

Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs

(Barrie, ON. November 22, 2013) – The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) and its member clubs are celebrating the coming sledding season during Get Ready to Go Snowmobiling Ontario Week, November 24 to 30. The celebration starts as club volunteers are hard at work clearing, preparing and signing over 30,000 kilometres of OFSC trails. Although OFSC trails are not available for snowmobiling at this time, early indicators are very positive for a great 2014 snowmobile season ahead, with long-range forecasts predicting a cold, snowy winter and many parts of the province already having experienced below zero temperatures and early snowfalls.

With tens of thousands of trail permits already sold, Get Ready to Go Snowmobiling Ontario Week invites more Ontarians to discover the family fun of organized snowmobiling, plus its many social, health and recreational benefits. Get Ready Week is also the cue for OFSC snowmobilers to start making their Ontario ride plans and preparing their sleds and gear. As well, Get Ready Week marks the final days that Seasonal and Classic Snowmobile Trail Permits are available at pre-December 1st savings. Permits can be bought online at www.ofsc.on.ca.

This season, Get Ready to Go Snowmobiling Ontario Week also celebrates many OFSC initiatives to improve the rider experience that can be found online at www.ofsc.on.ca:

  • Tour Loops: The OFSC has launched a new winter product with eight exciting tour loops that make exploring Ontario easy and convenient. Each loop delivers a unique snowmobiling adventure on well established, marked and maintained trails with good access to services and amenities.
  • Interactive Trail Guide: The OFSC Interactive Trail Guide features the most accurate and up to date display of the entire OFSC trail network available anywhere. This online tool enables OFSC snowmobilers to plan their rides and view the latest
  • Colour-coded trail status updates: (Red = Trail Not Available; Yellow = Limited Availability; Green = Trail Available.)
  • Early Season Priority (ESP) Trails: Snowmobilers looking for their first ride of the season can find it on ESP Trails. These OFSC trails on old logging roads, abandoned rail lines, utility corridors and unassumed road allowances will signal their early limited availability by turning from red to yellow on the OFSC Interactive Trail Guide.
  • New Website: The OFSC’s new public website is being revamped for this season with a new look, improved navigation and updated information. The new site will be launched in December.
  • Mobile Apps & Routable GPS: OFSC snowmobilers will soon be able to check trail status from their smart phones by downloading the latest version of the OFSC trail network with the OFSC’s faster new snowmobile apps. Routable versions of
  • The OFSC provincial trail system will also be available for download to popular GPS units. Coming in December!

The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs is a volunteer led not-for-profit association, which through strong leadership, provides a wide range of quality programs and services to, and on behalf of, its member organizations. Our provincial network of organized snowmobile trails connects Ontario communities providing responsible riding experiences that are safe, enjoyable and environmentally sustainable.

New volunteer opportunities

New volunteer opportunities

Trail Clearing Oct. 2012
We have recently completed a number of significant trail improvement projects, in no small part thanks to a handful of volunteers who faithfully show up to get things done. As the ground frost starts to move in we have trail markers and signage to put up, and some brushing and clearing of trails to do. We could really use your help – so that we can all be out riding when the snow is on the ground! Please contact us to be notified of upcoming events and activities.

Last season was particularly challenging with several wet and heavy snowfalls that brought down a lot of branches and trees on our trails. Huge thanks to the volunteers who put in hundreds of hours of work to get trails reopened each time, making for a great season. Helmets off to everyone who’s pitched in and given a hand!

We are always looking for new volunteers for the wide array of things that need to be done to provide great trails and club activities. Whether you have a few hours, or a day here and there, we really want to hear from you and know what you are able to contribute to make our club and our trails the best in Ontario.

If clearing trails or trail marking and signage isn’t your thing, there are lots of other opportunities to get involved and meet new people. Organizers, food preparation and staff for events such as our poker run are always welcome, or people to help manage other club affairs are needed too. Just let us know your skills or interests.

Volunteering for the club is a great way to meet like-minded people, make friends – and is also a fun way for high school students to get their volunteer hours.

For more information, please contact us. We look forward to meeting you!

Getting Ready for 2012-13 Season

Trail preparation is well under way for the 2012-2013 season. Several small teams of our intrepid  volunteers made big strides last weekend, completing opening of the trail near Pinto Valley Ranch, and clearing brush along the Carp Ridge and in the old Crazy Horse / Holland Hill areas. There’s still lots to do to get ready for this season though, so we encourage you to get in touch with Ted Kelly, our volunteer coordinator for 2012-2013. Last year was a good year for snowmobiling in West Carleton, considering the limited white stuff on the ground, and this would not have been possible without our volunteers. Please help make the trails in your area even better this year by offering upo a few hours of your time!

To find out more please get in touch here!