Rice Lake Snow Drifters Newsletter Winter Edition Rice Lake Snow Drifters – 18th Anniversary A Word from Our President Rice Lake Snow Drifters, we’re on a roll. ● ● ● Inside This Edition: President’s Message …..1 Come Snowmobile …..2 Trails/Permits…..3, 4 Volunteering…..5 Thank You Landowners …..6 News …..7, 8, 9, 10, 11 We are all committed to bringing you the very best trail system we can provide. We have your need for safety, beautiful scenery, dining and accommodations in mind. Our club is making great progress on extending the rail line into Peterborough. In turn, we hope to provide local businesses with always needed customers and an awesome snowmobiling, skiing or cycling experience. Groomer operators are anxiously waiting for that first big dump of snow. See you on our trails! Elwood Ellis Executive: ● ●Ellis - 905-623-0002 ● President: Elwood Vice President/Trail Warden: Kevin English – 705-639-2009 Treasurer: Doug Luff - 705-295-4321 Secretary: Sherri Luff – 705-295-4321 Online Reporting System: Nathan Jackson at [email protected] Sign Coordinator: Doug Luff - 705-295-4321 Inspection Coordinator: Tom Irwin 705-696-3005 Volunteer Coordinator: Mary Martin – 705-696-3005 Permit Coordinator: Michelle Atkinson – 705-696-3005 Driver Trainer: Rachel Stillman – 705-931-1916 Director Executive Committee – Julie English – 705-639-2009 Directors: Donna Atkinson, Mary Ellis, Shelley and Aaron Palmer CONTACT US AT 705-295-SNOW (7669) OR BOX 125, KEENE, ONTARIO K0L 2G0 PLEASE SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO [email protected] FUTURE NEWSLETTERS AND UPDATES CAN BE SENT TO YOU ELECTRONICALLY *****VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.ricelakesnowdrifters.com for regular updates and information about our trails and what our club is up to***** COME SNOWMOBILE WITH THE RICE LAKE SNOW DRIFTERS Get Started with Great Reasons to Go Snowmobiling! 1. Quality Time with Family & Friends 2. Get Outdoors & Be Active -There’s nothing like a day of snowmobiling in clean air and fresh snow to keep you healthy, sharp and fit! 3. Escape the Daily Grind- Snowmobiling carries you away from worries and stress 4. Connect With Nature - Snowmobiling connects you with scenic places only accessible during winter…an awe inspiring wonderland just waiting for you! 5. Make Winter More Fun- Snowmobiling makes winter fun. So let your fun begin – Go Snowmobiling! The Rice Lake Snow Drifters’ area is rolling out its’ white carpet of snowmobile trails, welcoming you to great snowmobiling. Our groomed trails await you and will provide you with a day of amazing scenery and fresh air and of course a great place to ride. Check our website for snow conditions and trail updates at www.ricelakesnowdrifters.com Come see us this winter and discov er all the excitement and fun of snowmobiling! INFORMATION ABOUT SNOWMOBILE PERMITS A Snowmobile Trail Permit entitles you to access any available OFSC Trail, at your own risk, at any time during the winter. Trail Permits are required by law in Ontario. Permits generate the revenue our club needs to maintain snowmobile trails (signage, trail maintenance such as grading or resurfacing , redecking of bridges etc.), our recent purchase of a new groomer and to support trail projects. They are the only source of funding for trail operations. By purchasing a permit, each rider contributes to the cost of providing snowmobile trails as part of the OFSC User Pay System. To ensure that your permit money goes to the OFSC district , whose trails you ride most, it is important to buy your permit from a club in that district. Permits are still available. The cost for the season is now $260 for a regular permit and $170 for a Classic Permit. 7 day and 3 day permits are also available online only . Please contact Michelle Atkinson 705-295-4833 Don’t ignore this sign. Use of OFSC trails is at your own risk. Our club functions because of the willingness of volunteers, who work on trails, organize events and stay up to date on current happenings within our District and in the province. Without our volunteers our trails would not be prepared. This work begins a long time prior to the snowmobile season. This includes people working many hours to speak to current landowners to ensure we still have permission to use their trails, brush back, reroute if necessary, sign the trails, organize the selling of permits at events such as Sledarama and to ensure all equipment is in good working order for the season, as well as people organized to be groomers. It is the law that all trails be signed with appropriate signage to ensure the safety of all riders. Events such as the Elimination Draw and the Poker Run would not occur if our volunteers did not organize these. This occurs because we believe strongly that we need to bring our club together at fun events that promote the wonderful sport of snowmobiling. On the second and fourth Monday of each month volunteers attend meetings to keep the club functioning. If any of you could offer your time we would gladly welcome your help. Please speak to an executive member or attend one of our meetings. IF YOU HAVE SNOWMOBILED THIS SEASON ON RICE LAKE SNOW DRIFTERS’ TRAILS THANK A LANDOWNER. NO LANDOWNERS=NO TRAIL SYSTEM RIDE SAFELY ON OUR TRAILS REPORT ANY SAFETY ISSUES TO TOM IRWIN AT 705-696-3005 Please Respect Landowner Property By: Staying on the Trail Leaving Signs & Stakes Intact & Leaving Gates & Fences Alone Respecting the Equipment and Property That You May Pass By Avoiding Farm Animals & Pets Using the Trail for Snowmobiling Only ~ 4-Wheeling is Not Allowed! Using Trails ONLY When They Are Open Congratulations to our Turkey Winners! The landowners who won turkeys this year at a random draw at one of our meetings are: John Bischof, Tom Davidson, Bryan and Marg Nelson, Bill and Barb Bradley, Warren Craft, Larry Urquhart, Marc Habgood, Merle Hannon, Arlene Webster Funny but true. Many deer have been spotted on a number of our trails. Be aware and watch for our wildlife friends. RIDE SAFE! VERY VERY IMPORTANT Conditions on our trails can change quickly due to mild weather, freezing rain or rain. Always check our website at www.ricelakesnowdrifters.com for information about whether our trails are open. It is very important that you also check to see if the lake trail remains open. SAFETY is our top priority! Green means available Yellow means limited availability Red means closed We have purchased a new groomer to replace one of our older ones. Our trails will be kept in great condition this year with this new acquisition. News Annual Elimination Draw Held on October 25th We would like to congratulate the following winners at our recent Elimination Draw. A great evening was had by all at Elmhirst Resort. The winners included Angie McGovern, Kay Gravelle, Shawn Graham, and Pat Bennett who all received their $100 back. Lori Roche was the 198th ticket out winning $200, Barb Traviss was the 199th ticket out winning $300 and the grand prize winner was Jim Glenn who decided to take the cash prize of $6000. Congratulations to all the winners. It was a great evening and was as always very well received. Thanks to everyone for keeping our snowmobile club strong. The evening would also not have been a success without the support of our prize donators for our raffle draw. Please support if you can: Endicott Fuels, Three Roads Farms, Banjos in Hastings, Labatt’s, McIntyre Auto Wreckers, OtonaBEE Apiary, Marty Moo’s, Carousel Restaurant, Ritson Tile and Carpet, Stillbrook Riding Stables, Nelson’s Western Boot and Apparel, Trailers Plus, Todd Equipment, Old Railroad Stop, Atlantic Lifts, Rice Lake Motor Sports, and Royal LePage. Special thanks as well for donations from Mary Martin and Tom Irwin, Wally Ramsay and Sherri and Doug Luff. Projects Complete Staging area & Bridge Redecking in Hastings. The new staging area is located at the bottom of the 7th Line of Asphodel, beside the Trans Canada Trail. The swing bridge in Hastings has also had a beautiful facelift...just in time for the snow to arrive! These 2 projects were done with the support of funding from the Provincial Government and OFSC. The Hastings swing bridge was completed by R and J Machine and the staging area was completed by Drain Brothers. Driver Training C Congratulations to all students who completed the snowmobile driver training course on Saturday, December 20th and Saturday, January 3rd. Many thanks to Joe Steed and Rachel Atkinson for teaching the Snowmobile Driver Training course. We appreciate your willingness to volunteer and help foster a love of snowmobiling for our young riders. Rice Lake Crossing - The lake has been staked from Hiawatha to Bewdley. However pressure cracks continue to appear. We have closed it at this time. Stay tuned – we will be out marking the unsafe areas in the near future. Our great volunteers signing Rice Lake Family Day Weekend The OFSC is pleased to promote snowmobiling by allowing free access to our trails on Family Day Weekend to those snowmobilers who do not have a permit. More details are available at the OFSC website. www.ofsc.on.ca MANY THANKS TO OUR WONDERFUL GROOMER OPERATORS WHO DO AN AMAZING JOB KEEPING OUR TRAILS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE. WHILE WE ARE SOUND ASLEEP THEY ARE GROOMING THE TRAILS. AND FINALLY Hopefully the snow conditions will allow us to hold Two Poker Runs Cost $20 a hand. 50-50 take of the money brought in. On Saturday, February 7th ride the trails that day and come draw your hand at Elmhirst Resort in the Wild Blue Yonder between 12 – 5 pm Bring a non-perishable food item for the OSM Food Cupboard and draw an extra card. On Saturday, February 28th ride the trails that day and come and draw your hand at the trailer we will have set up at the new Staging Area located at the bottom of the 7th Line of Asphodel between 12 – 4 pm. Watch for signs on the Trans Canada Trail. We will be selling hotdogs, and sausages with all proceeds from these sales going to Easter Seals. Bring along a non-perishable food item for the Norwood-Asphodel Food Bank and draw an extra card. For Your Information: All of our trails are closed at this time. This means that they need fresh snow fall to make them rideable. The trails are bumpy and in certain sections bare. If and when the snow comes we will open them again and provide you with that information through our website. Driving on trails in this condition will damage landowner’s lands, fields and more than likely your sled. Please check the OFSC website or our website at www.ricelakesnowdrifters.com for updates on trail conditions. Please note that Trail #504 is not open at all this year. This is the trail from Rice Lake, through Peter Loucks’ and Fred and Jeannine Stillman’s property and to the rail line. Please do not use this trail. Happy Snowmobiling!!! Happy Trails!!! Groomer for Sale – Rice Lake Snow Drifters 390T Massey Ferguson tractor - asking $10k 4 cyl turbo, 95 horsepower, 2927 hours 12x4 speed synchro transmission Marcel grooming undercarriage and 9’6” drag unit Auxiliary fuel tank for increased range Popular model, can be converted to a farm tractor Spare unit, we want to sell quickly! Call Nate: 705-295-4545 Groomer for Sale – Rice Lake Snow Drifters 390T Massey Ferguson tractor asking $15k obo 4 cyl turbo, 95 horsepower, 2700 hours 12x4 speed synchro transmission Hi-Line cab, flat floor, comfortable suspension seat, passenger seat, air conditioning New starter, batteries, track rubber and steel cleats Marcel grooming undercarriage and 9’6” drag unit Popular model, can be converted to a farm tractor Spare unit, we want to sell quickly MF 390T groomer for sale Nate: 705 295 4545 MF 390T groomer for sale Nate: 705 295 4545 MF 390T groomer for sale Nate: 705 295 4545 M F 3 9 0
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