OK know that I have your attention. :augen41:

We all want to ride on smooth, flat, and wide trails right.
And we all bitch when the trails are in bad shape.

There is good news, we could have a better and better trail system, How!
Volunteer, that's right, if every club member volunteered 2 hrs of there time per season it would be amazing how much improvements can be made.

I just started doing Volunteer work over the last year or so, and let me tell you there is always some improvement to be made, or a re-route of a trail because a section has been closed by a private land owner due to (Many different reason's) ,or Bridges, and so on.

Out of the few work party's and a few club meetings I went to ,its always the same handful of people donating there time.
And IMO the people who are on the board of the clubs, its a full time job taking care of the behind the scenes politics involved to keep the trail system open not to mention the time it takes to get the trails ready for the coming season and then maintain them thru until the end of the season and then close them for the Summer.
:div20:

I admit I use to be one who would pay the $30 membership and then just ride and bitch that the trails could be better.
So I hope the little time that I spent helping out, in the much needed time to improve the trails will make a different.

Also believe it or not? it is a lot of fun, and I am sure when you ride a trail that you and maybe some of your friends or family helped create or maintain ,you will enjoy the sport a whole lot more.
And when you see the groomer go by you will appreciate his or her efforts for improving the trail you are riding on when he or she could be out riding themselves.

So if interested in helping out :help: get in touch with your club and make some plans to help them out in any way needed, I will guarantee this, do it one time and you will want to help out again for sure.
Spread the word and enjoy the 05/06 season.

:div20:
GTSE800

It's all common sense.
Take a look at the trail work pics on the OVSC website. Just a few guys taking care of our trails. All these guys have taken the time from other things they could be doing to do trail work. They'd love for you to join in.

Great thread gtse800. Thru the use of this forum and others like it we can get the work out. It takes a lot of work to maintain the trail systems. If the same people keep doing all of the work in time they will get burnt out. Everyone who rides needs to take the time and spend 1/2 a day with their local club doing some preseason maintenance. This would make a world of difference to their trails.

does this mean I'm off the hook for anymore work this year?

It would if everyone else would show up for a half a day!!!!

What 800stocker said.

Great thread. I try to work every Saturday for my club and have been doing so for YEARS. It's the same faces week after year. We can't understand WHY others don't come out to work the trails. But you know, when it comes time to ride, people can ALWAYS find the time. Isn't that interesting.

Well put! :div20: Glad someone else noticed, too few people doing far too much work! :banghead:

Here’s one for yea. Remember a couple of years ago when we had the ice storm. Trees were down everywhere. We had the same old faces (most AARP members) clearing trails for weeks. I remember one day, yes it was a weekend day, we had several tree across a trail. While we were clearing things, and group stop. We thought, great some help. But you know, what they wanted to know was how long it was going to take to clear the trail! They didn’t offer to help, just sat on they sleds and watched! Well you know, it seems to take us a VERY LONG TIME to clear that section of trail.

Don’t you love it!

Last January we were riding out in Wonalancet area (Papa Bowles pride and joy) and we came across a tree about 8 inches in diameter across the trail. We stopped to access the situation. We had four adults and four children with us. On the other side of the tree, just 20 or 30 feet away was a group of guys drinking beer and having a butt break on their brand new Yamaha's.

We proceeded to try to move the tree out of the trail so you could pass it. We tried to get them to help us but to no avail. (scumbags) After 1/2 hour of fighting with it we finally got it moved and we were able to proceed with our trip.

About a mile down the trail we came across a gruff bunch (redneck hillbillies) on a track truck. A couple of guys in back with clippers etc. and guys out front with chain saws. We later found out that they were from the RED NECK SLED CLUB!
They sure were doing a great job with the recovery of the trail system from the ice storm that had beseiged the area the previous day.

When we stopped for breakast we talked about the tree situation and no was bothered about giving up their time to move it. We know that the crew we saw on the track truck was giving up a hell of alot more than us and having a good time doing it!

We were bothered about the guys on the Yammi's leaving us without helping us, but they had to live with being the scumbags that they are!

I would say that I am honored to be friends with the bunch of rednecks that I spoke of earlier. I was fortuneatly able to meet them last spring and had the pleasure of joining their club. (OVSC) I am a Redneck in training now! ( still considered a flatlander for time being) Oh yeah to the people who think we are Rednecks, We have Slobbway, Mickydee's, and Drunkin dognuts. What do you have?

My reasoning for this little bit of humor is to show that it takes all types to get great trails. You can meet some awesome people and have a great time doing it.

Just my two cents worth and not my clubs opinion,

Freedom Rider

Just for the record,

I want to make sure the clubs recognize the folks who are starting to warm up to
the realization that there is more to snowmobiling than the membership/registration but still give something back. It may not be in labor but maybe in a bit of contribution of cash or joining multiple clubs etc. Sometimes we cannot always get out to help on the trails (I hope to still) but at least we join more than one club or throw some money to the cause etc. I am starting to feel guilty for not doing labor but at least I contribute to five clubs and have donated +200 to one in raffles and groomer donations. For instance I have ridden about 1000 mile on groomed trails and have donated +$400 in membeships/donations etc.. during that time. Let's have some fun too. You need to find multiple ways to get folks involved. I will do my part but...
Don't let this site get to be a guilt fest, it gets boring. After reading posts here for a while, I want to bail so ease it back a notch. We hear ya. :div20:

dave

Well for me its a 2.5 hour trip to lend a hand. But I try and make sure I do atleast one good day of work in the fall.

Saturday was the day. I spent the day working along with a couple of other guys clearing the trail from Twin to the base of the Cog. Few major trees down but mostly smaller ones that needed to be moved.

As for last year I spent a day in the middle of Jan clearing off cherry Mnt road that was hit with a big wind storm. I had on saturday taken my sled to the base and started up figuring I could do one loop on the limited snow we had. About 6-8 inches of snow. Got up to Cherry Mnt road and there were major blow downs. First one I came I saw someone had made if over so I went the same way(don't jump to conclusions just yet) figuring I could come back with a saw and clean up the mess. This was a large tree not easly moved by hand. Making my way I ran into two other people on sleds tring to pick there way down the trail. We lifted the sled over a few more blow downs and headed to get saws. I know where the equipment is kept in twin so I head for the gas station. Asked for some saws, gas and told them what we were going to try and do. They were going to get a groomer operator to help if they could, the operator could not find us so turned back. Give the trees a little push if you would after we cut them up. Well we worked for a few hours till the saws became dull and headed back down. Got back to station and was told if we wanted to meet there early am they would have a groomer ready to run and help us. I spent a the whole day riding around cutting trees up and clearing Cherry Mnt Moutn Cliton road and the base road. Pay off some sweet riding a few weeks later.

I am sure that you felt the rush of adrenalin and the great feeling of knowing that you made a difference! If people realised what an impact that they can have by just helping what ever way possible it will be a great season ahead of us.

Dave,

Please know that your generous donations to our club are very much appreciated and we know that your with us in thought. How did your surgury go? Hopefully you will be able to ride at the start of he season.

I don't think anyone wants this site to be a guiltfest, I feel that people are just getting antsy with how much work there is to have our trails be the best they can be with the resources that we can allocate on them. Sometimes we have money, no help and sometimes no money, plenty of help. It is just the way that it goes. The one constant is the camradrie that goes with doing something good for the snowmobiling public!

Look forward to riding the Mnt. Whittier trail with you this winter!

Freedom Rider

Freedom/all,

I would actually say ignore most of my last post. I should never be placed near a keyboard after commandeering the rum and watching the Pats game and then the rest of the Nascar race. Got one sweet hangover this AM for it though :doh:


I appreciate all the hard work that many of you do!!

Dave

Freedom Rider,

When we last spoke you had said that you had completed Chapters 1-5 of The Redneck Handbook. :beerchug: Your next assignment is chapters 6-10. :beer: There will be a test after chapter 10. If you pass (50% or better) you will receive your first badge. :div20: Oh I almost forgot if you’ve ever gone across the hall instead of across town for sex while you were growing up skip chapter 7

GTSE800,

Are you ready to do some trail improvements this Saturday? :banana: Anyone else want to :help: do some trail work on the OVSC trail system? I think OT needs some :help: on Sunday also. Here is a link to OT's project . :div20:

http://www.hardcoresledder.com/forums/inde...howtopic=105969

Yes I am ready to :help: do something. we are running out of time, 4 more weeks to go! Weather permitting.