Molly Kulczycki started sledding with her dad when she was four years old. She’s since grown up, married a sledder of her own and is now the Alberta Snowmobile Association (ASA) representative with the Elk Point Trail Riders.
Kulczycki now finds her own inspiration to ride through her children. After taking a few years away from the sport, passing on the tradition of family riding has been enough to get her back on her sled.
“(My two kids are) really involved and they really want to get out there,” said Kulczycki. “They’ve become really interested, which kind of puts me in drive for them. My daughter likes it when it’s nice, easy trail riding. My son, you hit a little bit of a jump with him and he’s just in love.”
Alberta’s Iron Horse Trail runs through Elk Point and Kulczycki describes the community as outdoor-driven. Many residents of the town own snowmobiles and they’re friendly to respectful recreational riders.
With 15 members, the Elk Point Trail Riders are a small, tight group of riders. The club stays involved in the Elk Point community and always participates in the town’s Christmas Extravaganza. Members of the Elk Point Trail Riders have often helped local families experiencing hardships, such as illness, by raising money through initiatives like hotdog sales or 50/50 raffles.
“It’s good to be involved in your community,” said Kulczycki. “We’ve been involved in it for a long time. It’s just nice to get the community all together and to maybe get new members. People in the town see that, yes, there is this family thing you can do—and it’s fun!”
Thanks to the efforts of the Trail Riders and an engaged community, snowmobiling has a positive place in Elk Point.
