The joys of sledding

SnoRiders goes one on one with the president of the Pembina Driftbusters Snowmobile Club, Lyle Birne

Trails in the Westlock area
The trail systems around the Westlock area are mainly lined with snow-covered trees and bushes. Photo courtesy Cliff Bromberger

How long have you lived in Westlock?

I have lived in Westlock since January 1963 and I bought my first snowmobile in 1969.

What kind of snowmobile did you ride?

It was a Ski-Doo. Now I have a Ski-Doo and an Arctic Cat.

Who do you snowmobile with?

With my wife. She always like to ride double, but I bought another machine last spring because when we want to go out throughout the week it is nice to have another machine.

How long have you been the president of the Pembina Driftbusters?

I have been the president of the club for eight years.

How many members are in the club?

Last year we had 84 members.

Where would you tell visitors to go snowmobiling if they only had one day in Westlock?

We have our trail system about 25 kilometres north of Westlock. It is in the Long Island Lake trail system and it is well marked.

In your opinion how has the sport of snowmobiling changed?

It has more family involvement—we have seen that in the last 10 years. That is one reason we put the trail system in, for family riding and to keep people off of private land. We groom about 145 kilometres of trails. There are grandparents, grand kids, (and) singles. We also have quite a few people out of Edmonton that come out and ride, (as well as) lots of locals.

Does the club have any plans for the future?

This winter we are going to do some reconstruction of the trails because some trees are growing in.

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