November 2004 Newsletter

WEST CANADA TRAILRIDERS OFFICERS:

Jim (Murph) Murphy (President) – 845-6509

Bill Garlock (Vice President) – 845-6304

Bob (Winger) McKerrow (Treasurer)– 845-1702

Dean Jones (Secretary)– 891-3446

MEMBERSHIPS

Membership renewals for the 04-05 season are now due. Please help support the club by renewing your membership today. Encourage your friends to join! The success of the club and the condition of the trails depend on the support of our members. Individual memberships are once again $20.00 and Family memberships are $25.00. Checks can be made payable to WEST CANADA TRAILRIDERS Inc. Please fill out the following information and mail it along with your membership fee to:

Dean Jones

748 Summit Rd.

Newport, NY 13416

Your renewed membership card will be mailed directly to you.

NAME:______________________________________________

ADDRESS: __________________________________________

CITY/STATE/ZIP: ____________________________________

PHONE: ____________________________________________

EMAIL: ____________________________________________

WHY BECOME A MEMBER?

On occasion we are asked “Why should I join a club?” and “What’s in it for me?”  Well each and every one of us has our own reasons for joining. However many snowmobilers don’t understand or care what it takes to keep the trails open and maintained therefore don’t feel the need to join. The simple fact that you are receiving and reading this newsletter shows that you care enough to join. Here are some suggestions given to me by fellow sledders when asked why one should join. Feel free to use them with friends, family, or anyone that feels joining isn’t important. A few might even be appropriate when relaxing at a local watering hole and listening to a “non member” complain about imperfect trails.

• What is the function of the club
  • Gain landowner permission for trails – 85% of trail mileage is on private land!
  • Applications and reporting to the state on trail funding
  • Brush clearing and trail widening
  • Bridge building and maintaining
  • Putting up and taking down gates and fences
  • Clubs work closely with landowners to meet their needs and keep trails open
  • Grooming
  • Fundraising to support the club
  • Posting trail signs
  • Purchase and maintain grooming equipment
  • Etc, etc, etc…..
• Did you know
  • That there are over 146,000 sleds registered in New York State
  • There are more then 9,000 miles of corridor and secondary trails groomed and maintained in New York by over 170 clubs.
  • In the past year groomers in New York donated over 34,500 hours of their time and groomed 172,560 miles of trails……at a speed of 5-8 miles per hour!
  • On average it costs nearly $500 per mile to groom and maintain every mile of trail you ride.
  • Registration fees only pay for approximately 50% of the cost of maintaining trails. Club and NYSSA fundraisers and memberships are necessary to raise the balance.
  • The cost of liability insurance is approximately $95.00 per mile.
  • Only about 25% of riders belong to a club and NYSSA!
  • United We Trail. Divided We Fail. Join a Club and NYSSA today!

TRAIL MAINTENANCE

Trail work has begun! Several members got together this past Sunday and with the help of Jason Bartlet and his dozer did a fantastic job installing culverts and smoothing over all the washouts on Bowie Rd. This will certainly improve the conditions on trips to Schuyler. There still is work to be done on the Bowie Rd. bridge. Thank you to all that helped out that day.

A new Bridge has been constructed on the Jones property to allow for Groomer access to the trail system. Many hours of welding and equipment operating by Ron Salm made this possible. Special thanks to him and to Mike Maine for the use of his excavator.

Please contact an officer if you have any free time to spare for trail work. There are no specific dates set at this time but if you let us know you may be available some weekends we will contact you when dates are set.

ANNUAL CLUB RAFFLE AND TICKET HOLDER PARTY

On September 25^th the West Canada Trailriders once again held the annual raffle and ticket holder party at the Middleville Fire Hall. The band Sweetwater provided the entertainment. A fantastic meal was prepared by Bill, Marla, Sue and Winger. The club would like to extend it’s appreciation for all those that helped out that day to make the party a huge success. Murph, Mike, Dean, Bud, Ron, Brian, Julie, and Mandy just to name a few and of coarse let’s not forget our bartenders that kept everything in order – Kris, Lisa and Steph.

A Chinese auction was also held with the help of Shelly. The Ace of Diamonds Mine, The West Canada Sport Shop, Moody’s Polaris, Walmart, Marla and Sue, Werthman’s Market, Carmella’s, Kuyahoora, and Main St. Restaurante were among the many friends and businesses that made donations to the chinese auction.

Congratulations to Nina Petkovsek and the rest of the raffle winners – see you next year!

SNOWMOBILE TRIVIA

Is Snowmobiling safe?

According to the U.S. Consumer product Safety Commision for the year 2001, snowmobiling had 40,746 injuries. Compare this to the 442,991 injuries for skiing and snowboarding for the same year.

How many miles of snowmobile trails are there in North America?

An estimated 225,000.

How much do snowmobilers in the USA spend annually?

Over $7 billion annually.

How much does the average snowmobiler spend annually?

Nearly $4,000 is spent each year on snowmobile related recreation, tourism and products.

How many sleds were sold for the 2001 model year?

208,592 worldwide, 140,629 were sold in the U.S., 46,973 were sold in Canada

How many (registered) snowmobiles are there in the world?

Approximately 2.7 million of which over half are in the United States.

How many full time jobs are generated by the snowmobile industry?

Over 75,000 jobs in manufacturing, dealerships and tourism related businesses.

WEST CANADA TRAILRIDERS WEBSITE

The website is still up and running. Input from members would be fantastic. There is a place for pictures, classifieds, stories, and just about anything else snowmobile related. The site can be accessed at:

http://westcanadatrailrider.tripod.com

Check it out and let us know what you think.

JUNE 2004 NEWSLETTER

A CALL FOR HELP

Recently I was having a conversation with a club member about trail maintenance and the amount of work our club will need to get done before the 2004 – 2005 riding season begins. This member, who by the way has been a club supporter for several years, made the comment “I’ve often thought about helping but figured that with as many members as are in the club and helping with the work there really wouldn’t be anything for me to add.” I very emphatically told him that he couldn’t be any more wrong.

Fact – 2003 Registered Snowmobiles in New York State – 172,000

Fact – 2003 -2004 WC Trailriders club members - 73

Fact – 2003 – 2004 average members attending meetings - 7

Fact – 2003 – 2004 members that helped with grooming and trail maintenance - 10

Fact – WE CAN NOT GET THE WORK DONE WITHOUT YOUR HELP!

During the months of August and September we will be scheduling “work parties” nearly every weekend. We do not expect everyone to commit every weekend. We do expect that most can commit to one or two days over that 2 month period. On page two there is a brief list of jobs that will need to be accomplished before the riding season begins. Please contact the club by email at tcat1999@ntcnet.com or by phoning one of the club officers listed on page two to let us know what dates you are available. We would also appreciate if any members with access to tools and equipment let us know what you have available for use as well.

I suspect by the amount of support we have received in the past that many club members are of the same misunderstanding as the member I was talking to. If you have ever considered offering your help, now is the time. We have a great trail system and hope that with the help and support of our members we can make it even better.

Work to be Done this Summer:

·        Bridge rebuild on Bowie Road

·        Bridge rebuild on Newport / Poland trail

·        Possible bridge rebuild on Newport / Schuyler trail

·        2 wash outs on Bowie Road (culvert pipe to be added)

·        Brush removal and trail widening on nearly every trail

·        Paint, electrical, maintenance on 1976 Bombi and Drag

·        Paint and maintenance on 1960’s Bombi

·        Paint 2 “Skandic” Drags

Club Officer Contact Numbers:

Jim (Murph) Murphy (President) – 845-6509

Bill Garlock (Vice President) – 845-6304

Bob (Winger) McKerrow (Treasurer)– 845-1702

Dean Jones (Secretary)– 891-3446

$100 Ticket Party

Get your ticket and mark your calendars! September 25^th is our annual party. The Middleville Firehouse will once again be the location. The party will start at 5:00PM with a buffet dinner starting at 6:00PM. The band Sweetwater will play through the night. As always there will be door prizes, a 50/50 raffle, a Chinese auction, and plenty of refreshments.

New Equipment

This summer the club has purchased some new grooming equipment. Along with our two Skandics, Polaris Widetrack, and Bearcat we will now be maintaining our trails with a 1976 Bombi pulling a 6’ by 12’ mogal master drag. We expect the grooming time on some of our trails to be cut nearly in half by the use of the Bombi. We’ve also purchased a 1960’s Bombi SW48. We will be using the SW48 during our summer trail maintenance and will be planning to sell it this fall. Anyone interested in purchasing the SW48 can contact one of the officers for details.

Newport Field Days Parade

Once again we will be “showing off” our club banners and equipment during the Newport Field Days Parade in August. The Bombi and a couple of our drags will need to be painted before the parade. Any members with special skills or painting equipment that can help out with this should contact an officer to offer their help.

Website

The club website is still up and running with some new content and features. It can be accessed at http:/westcanadatrailrider.tripod.com or by typing west canada trailriders in any major search engine. Stop in, check it out, and sign our “new” guestbook. Send us some of your pics, jokes, comments, etc. We will be happy to add them to our site.

Any Bike Riders out there?

Although not a club sponsored event, I’d like to take a moment to mention that July 17^th is the annual Clarence and Shiela Scholarship ride. This is a charity poker run held in honor of a couple of special people from our community that passed on at a young age. The motorcycle run leaves main street in Herkimer and with stops in Schuyler, Middleville, Herkimer, Dolgeville, and ends at the Salisbury Ridgerunners clubhouse with dinner and entertainment. Last year there were nearly 500 bikes that participated. Come join the fun!

Help, Help, Help

If it seems like this whole newsletter is based around one message, that’s good, because it is! We need the help and support of our members this year to make things happen. There is a lot of work to be done now and throughout the year. Please help where and when you can. Please don’t assume someone else will be there to do it. Have a great summer everyone.

February 2004 Newsletter

Officers

President James Murphy 845-6509

Vice President Bill Garlock 845-6034

Secretary Dean Jones 891-3446

Treasurer Bob Mckerrow 845-1702

Memberships

Membership numbers for the 03-04 season are nearing 50 members. We are pleased to see many new members have joined this year however somewhat disappointed that membership is down meaning many old members have not renewed this season. Our goal over the next several years is to expand our trail system. We need membership support to achieve our goal. Please take a moment to contact friends and relatives that ride our trail system or are past members that may be interested in supporting our club this year and in the years to come. The success of the club and the condition of the trails depend on the support of our members. Membership includes the monthly newsletter, club sticker, and of coarse the pride in knowing you are helping to promote our sport. Individual memberships are $20.00 and Family memberships are $25.00 Checks can be made payable to WEST CANADA TRAILRIDERS Inc. Please fill out the following information and mail it along with your membership fee to:

Dean Jones

748 Summit Rd.

Newport, NY 13416

NAME: ___________________________________________

ADDRESS: ________________________________________

CITY/STATE/ZIP: __________________________________

PHONE: ___________________________________________

EMAIL: ___________________________________________

CIRCLE ONE:            INDIVIDUAL $20.00      FAMILY $25.00

Slow Down Enjoy Your Ride

Dont get me wrong, I enjoy a day of aggressive but safe riding as much as the next guy. I think most of us love the excitement and adrenaline rush of racing our buddies across a field or lake or riding with a group of buddies pushing the envelope a bit. However theres another side to our sport that many of us miss out on unless we consciously think about it. Ive been incredibly lucky this year to be able to spend many days out riding with my 12 year old daughter Amanda. She is a very good, safe, considerate rider. She knows when to use caution, when to signal hazards to other riders in the group, and when and how to signal to oncoming riders. Because of her riding style Ive had many chances this year to Slow Down and Enjoy My Ride. Our outings normally run 60 80 miles and generally we stay in our area.   The Kuyahoora Valley has so much incredible scenery that we take for granted. Do yourselves a favor and take a day to get out for a nice leisurely ride and enjoy the sights. Ive put some additional pictures on the website and would love to include yours as well.

Annual Poker Run

This years Poker Run was once again a success. The weather cooperated well for the 50+ participants. Congratulations to Riley Carnwright who took first place with a fantastic pick of a straight flush, JulieAnn Jones who took second with four 10s and an Ace, and Russ Muthig taking third place. We would like to thank Russ for offering his winnings back to the club as a donation. The Irwin House was hopping with karaoke early on followed by the band playing for the remainder of the night. Those participants that stuck the night out on their sleds will Im sure remember their ride home for years to come as the temperatures dipped near 20 below zero that night. Thank you once again to all the participants and sponsors.

Outhouse Races

On February 14^th, the West Canada Trailriders participated in the annual Outhouse Race at the Salisbury Ridgerunners Club. We were proud to see Ron Salm lead his team consisting of  Kaleigh Salm, Bruce Petkovsek, Darrell Salm, and Eric Newman to a third place victory. We had a great time designing and building the outhouse which made it especially nice to see the team do well. Next year well go for the gold!

Ride for Missing and Exploited Children

 The 2^nd annual Fun Ride For Missing and Exploited children held on February 14^th was a huge success seeing nearly 700 participants and netting over $33,000 in donations. It was an event that the East Herkimer and Salisbury clubs should be extremely proud of as well as all of the participants. This is exactly what our sport needs more of in order to educate the public on the positive side of snowmobiling. The West Canada Trailriders participated as a group with nearly 20 of our members riding together as a group and displaying the club banners as we rode. Our club also supported the event by handing out bottled water and club information donated jointly by our club and Wal-Mart DC 6038. Thank you to Crystal and Julie Jones, Kaleigh Salm, and Kristine Massocco for volunteering their time. This years event will be marked in the Guinness book of world records as the Longest moving snowmobile line.

West Canada Trailriders Shirts and Stickers

                        New for 2003

We still have some shirts in stock and can order more if needed. Shirt order information can be found on our website at http://westcanadatrailrider.tripod.com . For those members that have requested sizes or colors that were out of stock, bear with us. We are negotiating with the printer for a fair price on smaller quantities, We hope to have them ordered soon. Sweatshirts are $25.00, Long sleeve shirts are $20.00, and T-shirts are $15.00. They are available in small, medium, large, X-large, and 2X-large. Colors available are black, white, gray, and maroon. There is a $3.00 discount with a paid 2003-2004 membership. We also have club stickers that are available for purchase at $2.00 each. The sticker can be made on a clear or white background. All proceeds go toward trail maintenance. Please contact any one of the officers with your order.

$100 Tickets

The 2004 tickets are printed and available now. This years party and drawing will be September 25^th at the Middleville Firehouse. As always people are welcome to pay for their ticket throughout the year. This year all ticket money MUST be in by September 13^th. NO EXCEPTIONS.

What it takes to Groom our Trails

Recently I had the occasion to overhear a local rider make the comment these trails are horrible why isnt anyone out grooming? Well on that particular day he was right. The trails were horrible as are most trails after the weekend traffic gets to them. Though I am not a primary groomer driver for our club, I have spent some time this year grooming and have the utmost respect for groomer drivers now that I understand what it takes. First, understand that our groomer drivers are volunteers as is true with most clubs. This means they are dedicating their time away from their families for no money to make the trails better for snowmobilers. Groomers operate at the earth shattering speed of 5-10 mph so just to groom our trail from Newport to the Schuyler Town Park takes 2 guys 3-4 hours. That is assuming neither of the sleds gets stuck which would be an oddity. Aside from the time it takes, that single trip from Newport to Schuyler takes approximately $20 in fuel between the 2 sleds. Depending on traffic, weather, temperature, and snow conditions that freshly groomed trail can be torn back up and full of moguls in less then 8 hours. It is also important to point out that the operator is not just sitting on the sled. Grooming takes constant attention to the trail ahead, the condition of the snow, the depth of the drag which has to be changed constantly, as well traffic both ways. He will pull over to let you by as soon as he is able, please be patient. It would be possible to go on for pages about the ins and outs of grooming therefore I wont go any further here. I will be posting links to grooming information on our website. It is very informative and worth reading. Please take the time. Next time you find yourself on some rough trails, please think about how you can help your local club with donations of time or money instead of condemning them for a poor job. Also please remember that all it takes to make a groomer operator feel proud is a simple thumbs up when you pass or a great job when you talk to them. 

New Grooming Equipment

We are in the market for a new groomer this coming year. Currently we are unsure if we will purchase another Skandic or try to move up to something larger. We are somewhat limited by the width of our trails but may be able to use a small enclosed groomer. Please forward any suggestions or leads on equipment to Dean Jones at tcat1999@ntcnet.com or by phone to Murph at 845-6509.

Website

Dont forget to check out our new website http://westcanadatrailrider.tripod.com . It is a making in the works and we can use your comments, suggestions, topics, and pictures to make it an interesting site for folks to visit. Please send anything you would like to see on the website to Dean Jones at tcat1999@ntcnet.com .

Safety Tip

As spring draws near and the trail get thin we all get tempted to spend more time on the lakes. PLEASE use good judgment and follow these simple rules to reduce the chance of an accident.

• Ride in groups. If you must venture onto the lakes do not go alone.
• Be educated. Ask the locals about the ice condition. Fishermen know the thickness.
• Use common sense. If your better judgment tells you to stay off then why chance it.
• If you find yourself on open water power up. Forward motion is your only chance of staying on top. Get on the throttle and stay on it until youre to safety.
• If you go through. Dont Panic. Let the sled go. Concentrate on keeping yourself afloat till help gets to you.