Name: Marcel Dalpe
Lives in: Hudson Bay
Age: 51
Occupation: Owner/operator of Jackpine Cabins and service technician with a natural gas utility
Snowmobile club: The Hudson Bay Trail Riders
First sled: A red single-cylinder boa ski.
How long have you been sledding? I’ve been an avid snowmobiler since I was old enough to pull on the rope.
What is your current sled? I currently ride a Ski-Doo, but all the brands are building reliable machines. The technology of the snowmobile has evolved with huge refinements in comfort, reliability and fuel economy, which has made it an easy choice for families to enjoy the winter sport.
Where are you originally from? We moved from western Saskatchewan to east-central Saskatchewan and that’s where our eyes were opened to phenomenal trail systems. We didn’t have that on the western side of the province years ago.
What is your favourite riding area? I would have to say my favourite riding area is our trails that go to the north and our Wildcat (Hill) Provincial Park area, up towards Bankside Lake. It’s the highest elevation on our trail system and would probably be the northernmost spot. It’s where the snow is usually the deepest.
Where do you want to ride in the future? We’ve done some trips down to Cooke City, Montana, and we thoroughly enjoyed the mountain riding and the amounts of snow. It’s a neat vacation; we’ve done it a couple of times. We’re hoping to go again—it’s hard to find time, but we’re hoping.
Can you describe your riding style? My riding style is probably 50/50—50 per cent on trail and 50 per cent looking for the deeper powder off-trail opportunities.
What is it that keeps you coming back, year after year? I think just because of the fresh air and camaraderie and the freedom that you feel when you’re riding a snowmobile. I guess for us it’s so easy because we don’t have to trailer anywhere. We can just jump on our sleds, and they’re parked in the garage and we drive them right out.
