SNOWMOBILING Getting all revved up!

SNOWMOBILING Getting all revved up!

By Nadene Nicholas Twin Mountains Snowmobile Club

The dawn of a new snowmobiling season is fast approaching and the early November snowfalls have sledders everywhere chomping at the bit to get the new season underway. Sleds and trailers are all tuned up and ready to go and most riders have taken advantage of the preDecember 1st trail permit savings and have already purchased their trail passes.

Compared to the same time last year, early indications suggest that permit sales are up for the 2020 season, and this is great news as the 2019 season will be a hard act to follow. Although last season got off to a slow start in some districts, province wide the numbers were fantastic. The first trails of the 2019 season opened on December 7th, 2018 in District 2, right here in the heart of the Kawarthas. The overall Ontario riding season lasted 19 weeks, with trails in District 15 (Cochrane, Kapuskasing, Hearst area) being the last to close on April 25th 2019. Over the course of the 2019 season, 83% of Ontario Federation of Snowmobile (OFSC) trails were available for sledders to enjoy.

As is the norm, the OFSC, individual member clubs, and many dedicated volunteers have been working nonstop throughout the summer months to improve the way organized snowmobiling functions in Ontario, and to prepare for the upcoming season. One thinks of ongoing trail and groomer maintenance as the mainstay of preseason preparations, and they are, but many other initiatives have been going on behind the scenes in order to ensure and improve rider experience for the 2020 season.

The OFSC held numerous townhall meetings throughout Ontario this past summer in order to hear from local club representatives to better understand individual issues and assist with improvements at the club level. Groomer issues were looked at and decisions were made regarding the assignment of new grooming units, groomer redeployment, and other groomer priorities based on traffic levels, season length, known history, etc. Technological improvements were made in order to provide riders with the most up-to-date information in the most userfriendly format possible. The OFSC’s website was updated to include a club events page and safety information. Numerous trail segment changes were updated on the interactive trail guide (ITG), and many bugs have been ironed out. The mobile app now has enhanced features such as increased zoomability, streamlined updates, local club details included under trail info, and total kilometres of available trails. New to the app this year are profile add-ons, photos, in-app user feedback, and position sharing.

Perhaps the OFSC’s most exciting and long-awaited technological change for the 2020 snowmobiling season is the launch of the online driver training/safety course for operators who are 12 years of age and under 16, or 16 years and older who are not in possession of a valid Ontario drivers licence. While traditional in-class driver training sessions are still offered by some clubs and districts, online training is welcome news for many, especially those in more remote locations. More information on this initiative can be found at https://www.snowmobilecourse.com/canada/ontario.

Other exciting news items for 2020 include: -$500,000 in provincial funding for snowmobile trail maintenance announced by Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney at the OFSC AGM held in September 2019 -The launch of a new online OFSC apparel store with a portion of the proceeds going towards the landowner and volunteer recognition program -The availability of gift cards for the purchase of seasonal or classic snowmobile trail permits for the upcoming snowmobile season.

The 2020 season is shaping up to be a great one, not just here in the Kawarthas, but all across Ontario. Club volunteers have been working diligently to get trails and machinery ready for the snow, and new OFSC initiatives have everyone excited about the future of snowmobiling in the Province. If the November snowfall accumulation is any indication, riders can look forward to another 19 weeks of the best trail riding in Canada.