West Carleton Trails Not Open Yet

 

Argo Groomer

Snowmobile trails still dangerous

Jan. 1 – We would like to remind riders that West Carleton Trails are not yet open, which means they are unsafe, and riding on them constitutes trespassing on our landowners’ private property.

We are in agreement with The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs’ statement, urging snowmobilers to hold off on their first ride of the season until trail conditions improve.

“We’ve got a whack of snow, but the ground is still warm. There’s no base there,” said Craig Nicholson, a spokesperson for the organization. “If people were to try to go out, they’re taking some dangers in their hands because there’s a whole lot of irregularities on the bare ground.”

The ground needs to be cold enough to freeze the boggy and swampy areas in the region and hard enough to support to weight of five- to seven-tonne grooming machines. And there are rocks and stumps that aren’t covered and there’s no base to protect the machine from those obstacles.

Please trust that we, the West Carleton Club are as eager as anyone to get out and start grooming the trails and are also in the process of assessing signage that has blown down by high winds on Christmas eve. The Club will keep everyone posted. For now we all need to will the temperatures to help get all of those water crossings and swamps you don’t normally even know are there during the season to freeze up.

Time to prepare

Nicholson encourages snowmobilers to take this time to check on their machines to make sure they are running safely and to ensure they have a first aid kit, a survival kit and a tow cable.

“As much as everybody is eager now to get out, and I’m as eager as anyone else, you’ve got to be really careful where you go,” he said.

According to Nicholson, it might seem like this is a particularly late start to the season, but the past two winters have been much colder than usual.

He anticipates the trails will to be safe by the middle of January and suggests riders check on the status of trails in their area by using his organization’s online map before heading out.

Thanks, and we hope to see you on the trails soon!

WCSTA Partnering with Kinburn Community Association for improved facilities

A break at the clubhouseExciting news! The West Carleton Snowmobile Club has been working with the Kinburn Community Association, and are pleased to announce that for the 2014-2015 season we will be able to expand club activities and amenities through shared use of the Kinburn Community Centre.

Thanks to efforts of club volunteers and members of the Kinburn Community Association we will now have a clubhouse room that is open during certain hours of the week (to be determined). It will have trail maps, washrooms and a place to warm up. A canteen will be open on the weekends and possibly other times depending on the number of people who stop in and extent of usage. Plenty of trailer parking onsite and a gas station one block away make this an excellent launching point for your ride as well.

Our club will be offering a few breakfast outings and dinner parties this year. More events equals more sledding fun, so stay tuned for more information and come and get involved with our great club as we grow again!

Bring on the SNOW!

2015 Try Our Trails Free – Family Day Weekend

OFSC Permits

Welcome to OFSC Trails and Enjoy Your Ride!

What Snowmobilers Need to Know About 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permits

In cooperation with the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) is celebrating Ontario’s Snowmobiling Family Day Long Weekend with the third year of the No Cost Try Our Trails Permit, available online at no charge and valid only from 12:01 AM Saturday, February 14 until 11:59 PM on Monday, February 16, 2015.

The 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit is available only by registering online at www.ofsc.on.ca, completing the Try Our Trails Permit application form and printing out a permit good for Family Day Long Weekend only. There is no charge for either the 2015Try Our Trails Permit or the registration process, but to access OFSC trails, the printed permit must be affixed to the sled to which it is assigned in accordance with Ontario law.

Any sled on OFSC trails for recreational purposes without a permit on Family Day Weekend is illegal and can incur a fine of up to $1,000. Riders must also carry a valid driver’s licence or Motorized Snow Vehicle Operator’s Licence, sled registration, proof of insurance, and follow all the rules and assumptions for safe OFSC trail riding.

  

Try Our Trails Q&A

What is it?

“Try Our Trails” is the name of the 2015 permit approved by MTO as a result of a recommendation passed by OFSC clubs at their AGM asking for a no cost permit for Ontario’s Snowmobiling Family Day Weekend.

What is the purpose of the 2015 Try Our Trails Permit?

One purpose of the 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit is to invite new participants, former riders and out-of-province visitors to try OFSC trails at no cost. We also want to encourage all regular permit buyers to invite their families and friends to register for a 2015 Try Our Trails Permit, so they can Take a Friend Snowmobiling.

When Can I get a 2015 Try Our Trails Permit?

2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permits are available from Monday, February 2 for Ontario’s Snowmobiling Family Day Weekend only – and are valid only from 12:01 AM Saturday, February 14 until 11:59 PM on Monday, February 16, 2015 inclusive.

Where can I get a 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit?

The 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit are only available from the OFSC Online Permits website any time from 12:01 AM on February 2 to 11:59 PM on Monday, February 16, 2015 by completing the registration form and printing out a permit from the follow up email you will receive immediately.

Why do I have to get a 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit online?

Besides being the simplest, quickest and most convenient way for anyone to obtain the 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit for immediate use, there is one other very important reason that the 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit must be obtained online:

Permit Required – Even though there is no cost for this new permit, Ontario law still requires that a sled entering OFSC trails for recreational snowmobiling must display a valid permit or be subject to a penalty. So anyone who wants to try OFSC trails on Ontario’s Snowmobiling Family Day Weekend requires a trail permit on their sled, regardless that it may be obtained at no cost.

What is the process for obtaining a 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit?

The process for obtaining a 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit is exactly the same as if a snowmobiler were going online to buy a permit, except that no payment is required and the permit is obtained immediately. The reason for using the same method is that this is the process that complies with MTO requirements for the OFSC to distribute their trail permits, and it has worked very well for the past two seasons.

How does someone obtain a 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit?

The 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit can be obtained at the OFSC Online Permits website. Please review the following instructions on how to obtain the Try Our Trails Permit online:

  • To register for a No Cost Try Our Trails Permit please create a new account (or login with your existing account if you are a current online permit purchaser).
  • Select the district and club where you plan on snowmobiling.
  • Confirm your personal information, enter your sled information and select the Try Our Trails Permit from the drop down menu provided.
  • Be sure to read all terms and conditions and check the appropriate boxes to continue through the form.
  • When you have successfully completed the form, click the “Proceed to Payment Gateway”.  Since there is no fee for the Try Our Trails Permit, you will not be asked for credit card information (if your order only consists of the Try Our Trails Permit).
  • You will be given the option to print a receipt showing that no fee was paid.
  • Your Try Our Trails Permit confirmation will be sent to you by email immediately. Please review the instructions and then print your permit (either in colour or black & white) and affix it to your sled.

If you require assistance please contact us at:  contactus@ofsc.on.ca

How do you affix a 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit to your sled?

After you print out the permit in either colour or black & white, you must affix it to the sled to which it was assigned. The permit must also be and remain clear and legible in case you get checked on the trail. Because the permit is printed on paper with no adhesive backer, we are suggesting these jerry-rigged methods for affixing to your sled:

  • Put it in a clear plastic packing slip envelope from an office supply store. These have adhesive backs.
  • Laminate it and tape to sled.
  • Affix to sled with clear packing tape that will allow it to be seen and also protect it from the elements.
  • Place it in a ziplock baggie and tape to sled or attach to top inside of windshield with alligator clip.

As backup, we also recommend that you print out a duplicate copy to carry in your pocket along with the required permit registration paperwork.

In addition to a 2015 No Cost Try Our Trails Permit, what else do you need to legally ride OFSC trails?

Riders must also carry a valid driver’s licence or Snow Vehicle Operator’s Licence, sled registration, proof of insurance, and follow all the rules and assumptions for safe OFSC trail riding.

 

Happy Ontario Sledding!

 

WCSTA Working Together with Ottawa Fire for Improved Safety

WCSTA working with Ottawa Fire Services to make locating riders on the trail faster and easier

West Carleton Trail patrol co-ordinator Scott Hamilton meets with the rescue snowmobile at Stn 63 in Constance Bay, providing them with up-to-date maps

The West Carleton Trails Association and Ottawa Fire Dispatch have worked together to have our snowmobile trail maps online with fire dispatch.

This means that in case of an accident on the snowmobile trails the rescue snowmobiles of Ottawa Fire can be dispatched with greater accuracy. For example if a snowmobiler calls in that an accident is on trail number W17 the dispatcher can reference the trail location, and send emergency services to best location.

Just before Christmas West Carleton Trail patrol co-ordinator Scott Hamilton and equipment manager Paul Asmis met with the rescue snowmobile at Stn 63 in Constance Bay and provided them with up-to-date maps. Trail patrol is looking forward to partnering with the rescue crews during snowmobile events this winter.

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.