We are looking forward to a fantastic 2019/2020 season this year. Clubs have begun having their monthly meetings, and as they start gearing up for the upcoming season, what they need is volunteers.
Today we face new challenges—an aging volunteer base, and equipment getting older and needing replacement. There are hundreds of volunteer hours needed to maintain the trails every season; sometimes it is most of the same people doing all the work throughout the season. Please join a club, volunteer, go to a meeting and ask how you can help instead of judging the people who are trying their best to keep the trails open.
There is a lot of work required in our zone this year as we had a tornado go through our trail system. Summer was a bad one with lots of rain and high winds; the blowdown is disastrous for the zone. The volunteers will be hard at work within the zone clearing downfall, putting up signs and cutting wood for warm-up shelters. There is a never-ending list of preparing for the season.
The argument we hear all the time in our area is “I don’t ride on the trails.” Funny how it is that most of our trail system runs along the highway and links our little communities together. So the conclusion is that at one point or another, one must ride on the trail system.
Some riders are not aware of where their trail permit money is distributed. It is collected by SGI and put in the trail funding for the province, then it is distributed to the clubs throughout the province to maintain the trail system. Saskatchewan has the lowest trail permit fee in Canada. The trail permits are included in the plating of your snowmobile. All snowmobiles are required to have plates in Saskatchewan to ride on the trail system, any Crown land, and rural municipality or highway ditches.
Don’t drink and ride. Stay safe and we hope to see you on the trails.
