Signage Training – CORRECTION: Dec. 4

snowmobile-trail-signage

 

Who would have thought we would have this much snow stay on the ground this early in the year. I hope it stays until April. I had my first ride but didn’t get out of the yard.

Our Signage Training Course is being presented on December 4, 2018 at 6:00 prior to the regular Board Meeting at the Community Centre in Kinburn. If you haven’t volunteered to help sign some of our trails this is an excellent opportunity to find out what it’s all about!

Don’t forget that OFSC requires that all Trail Coordinators receive Signage Training at least every 3 years. There are a number of new people on the list this year that require training and others that need a refresher course. I hope to see you there.

 Also we have lost a few people this year and are looking for Trail Coordinators for the following sections.

A trail

Arnprior dam to RR29

W16

W11 to Galetta Rd

W16

Cannon Smith to Torbolton Ridge

W16

Torbolton Ridge to Buckrams Bay

W311S

CP rail Pakenham to Arnprior

 

If you have friends who snowmobile and would volunteer to help on one of these sections please let me know.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated by the Board of Directors and enjoyed by our club members. I thank you for your assistance.

 

Paul McDonald

St. Johns Emergency First Aid Course – Dec. 3

St. Johns Emergency First Aid Course - Dec. 3

St. Johns ambulance emergency first aid course image

St John Ambulance First Aid Course

Date: Dec 3 at Kinburn Community Centre 8:30 to 4:00 pm

WCSTA will offering a first aid course on Dec 3. Any of our groomer operators that are not already trained will be taking this course, and it is also a great idea for anyone who rides – especially in remote areas. This will be a one day St Johns Emergency First Aid course, geared toward snowmobilers and groomer operators.

The course will cover Emergency Scene Management, Shock, all CPRs (adult, child, infant), automated external defibrillator (AED), Severe Bleeding, Wound Care, Burns and Medical Conditions.  There will be additional discussion and practice on other topics that may be relevant to snowmobilers.

Cost of the training is $109, and the Club will provide a complimentary pizza lunch.

If you would like to attend, please email contact@wcstai.com

Signage Training Nov. 1, 2016

snowmobile-trail-signage

Sledding is just around the corner and early indicators are pointing toward a great sledding season this year!  In preparation for the installation of trail signage and markers, WCSTA will be holding its annual trail signage course on  November 1, 2016, 6:00-7:00 PM in the Conference Room* at the Kinburn Community Centre.  Correct signage is the cornerstone of the club’s risk management program and critical to safe sledding on our trails.  The trails cannot be opened until this important work is completed.

If you are new to trail signage this season: a) THANKS for volunteering; and b) please plan to attend this course.  Note that preparing the trails depends entirely on volunteers like you.  If you just want to help out but aren’t sure where to start, feel free to come to the training and we will happily pair you up with an experienced installer.

If you cannot make this training, or have any questions contact the director responsible for risk management at safesledding@wcstai.com

*The conference room is located at the southwest end of the building (closest to the soccer fields).  It is NOT the room near the bar nor the large hall.

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!

Trail signage course announced:  Nov 10, 2015

snowmobile-trail-signageSledding is just around the corner.  In preparation for the installation of trail signage and markers, the WCSTAI will be holding its annual trail signage course on  November 10, 2015, 6:30-7:30 PM in the Conference Room* at the Kinburn Community Centre.  Correct signage is the cornerstone of the clubs risk management program and critical to safe sledding on our trails.  The trails cannot be opened until this important work is completed.

If you are new to trail signage this season: a) THANKS for volunteering; and b) please plan to attend this course.  Note that preparing the trails depends entirely on volunteers like you.  If you just want to help out but aren’t sure where to start, feel free to come to the training and we will happily pair you up with an experienced installer.

If you cannot make this training, or have any questions contact the director responsible for risk management at safesledding@wcstai.com

*The conference room is located at the southwest end of the building (closest to the soccer fields).  It is NOT the room near the bar nor the large hall.

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.

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

OFSC Signage Course – Sept 23rd

OFSC Signage Course - Sept 23rd

 

trail signage

On Tuesday September 23rd at 7:30pm West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association will be giving an OFSC Signage Course, to run thru all the do’s and don’ts of installing signs, distances to install them at etc. We are being hosted by the Greystone Grill in Constance Bay.

If you’ve wondered about helping with signing our trails, and want to participate, please come and meet some of the other signage volunteers. If you’re already a signage volunteer, it’s a good chance to get updated on any signage requirements (risk management) changes, or refresh your memory!

Hope to see you then.