It has been a ‘very frustrating’ winter for snowmobilers, according to Parry Sound District Snowmobile Club president Barry Wilkinson.
Fluctuating temperatures have created problems for club volunteers and led to less-than-ideal trail conditions.
“We have been very low on snow,” said Wilkinson. “The other big problem is the cold. We have a lot of water spots and a lot of inland lakes where you just can’t trust the ice thickness. (Georgian) Bay is almost open. Nobody is going out on that.”
While pockets of trails have opened, most of the 30,000-kilometre provincial snowmobile trail network remains closed.
“The permit buyers aren’t happy, they’ve put money out for insurance, for permits and everything else and they are not getting to enjoy the trails,” said Wilkinson. “On the other end of it the volunteers have to put in the same amount of work to get trails ready and they don’t have them. They are even spending more time trying to make do with what we’ve got. It’s very frustrating.”
The Parry Sound District Snowmobile Club manages a regional network of trails totaling more than 1,100 kilometers.
More information on the status of local trails can be found at ofsc.on.ca.
