Page 31 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 95

www.sportsenergynews.com Issue #95 December 2020 31

Tales from The Trails

“The work depends on the weather and land
By Casey Leger
access. Because much of the trail network
is on active farmland, sign installation must
his month, Tales takes a different wait until the harvest is complete and land
Tdirection and features the Riverside access is granted.”
Snowmobile Club. Founded in 1973
by a small group of enthusiasts from Keeping the trails groomed and
the Morrisburg/Ingleside area, the club operational is no small task, either. “Our
currently maintains 160km of trails located four groomer operators operate two large
between Johnstown and Cornwall, along industrial groomers with large drags to
the 401 corridor. process and compact the snow into a
rideable base,” Asquini says. “Grooming
“The trails are situated on both public and can occur at anytime but preferably at night
private lands and are operated under a land when traffic is lighter, and temperatures are
use agreement with each landowner,” says colder. It takes approximately 40 hours to
club member and volunteer, Peter Asquini. make one grooming pass over the entire
“With the seasonal nature of snowmobiling, network, and we strive for two passes per
the trail network is essentially built from week.
scratch each year by a team of 15 dedicated A typical Sunday morning breakfast in season. Photo Submitted
volunteers. Each fall the volunteers visit the This year, the club faces the additional
landowners to discuss any issues with the challenge of making sure appropriate risk,” he says. “You are outside, with a face network strategy called Flex Trails.
trail. Trails are inspected for any work that COVID-19 protocols are in place to covering and maintaining social distancing “Basically, the plan calls for riders to
needs to be done, brushing, removing dead ensure the safety of volunteers and riders while riding. Where it gets complicated restrict movements from high risk areas to
fall, bridge work etc. Any identified work is alike. “The most frequent question we are is when riders stop for fuel, food, or low risk areas to help prevent the spread of
then planned and scheduled for completion receiving from our members is if the trails accommodations. Riders will have to be the virus,” Asquinin explains. “The OFSC
prior to the first snowfall.” will be available to ride this winter,” says extra diligent when planning their rides to has mapped all the trails that cross health
Asquini. “Working with the district, the ensure that the services they require will be unit boundaries. Travel between health unit
The Riverside Snowmobile Club is very OFSC, and under guidance from the local available. That will probably mean making areas that are the same classification will
busy before and during their season. One of public health units, we have developed a reservations for meals in advance and not be discouraged. Where a trail crosses
the things the club is responsible for before plan that will allow for trails to be open this riding in smaller groups to accommodate from a high-risk area to a low-risk area,
the trails open to the public is the annual winter.” the pandemic regulations for restaurants,” that specific trail will show as closed and
installation and inspection of the regulatory, he explains. riders are urged not to travel on those trails.
safety, and informational signage. “This The rider experience however could We will be monitoring the situation closely
process ensures the safety of riders over be quite different, according to Asquini. In cooperation with provincial health and will consult regularly with public
the course of the season,” explains Asquini. “Snowmobiling in itself is relatively low units, the OFSC has developed a trail
health officials as required.”
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