As spring approaches, ice has started to melt, and snowmobile trails have begun to close.
Steve Elliott, president of the Muskoka Lakes Snow Trails Association says the season was the best they have had in years.
“Our trails opened up on Jan. 16, which is quite early for us, and we just closed them so they were open for almost eight weeks,” says Elliott. “We saw a heck of a lot of traffic out there.”
Neil Vanderstoop, president of the Haliburton County Snowmobile Association says for them this season was “excellent,” adding they had over 140 landowners that allow them to cross their property during the season.
“We sold just over 1,600 seasonal passes, and then we sold another 150 multi-day passes,” Vanderstoop says.
According to The Haliburton County Snowmobile Association (HCSA), more consistent trail conditions were provided across its 370-kilometer network this season, thanks to even snow accumulation throughout the County.
“Over the next couple of weeks, HCSA volunteers are busy preparing for summer, removing more than 600 trail markers on 18 area lakes, closing numerous gates on private property, and tucking grooming machinery away for the summer,” say HCSA officials.
At the same time, Elliott says all of the industrial equipment like groomers and snowmobiles, need to be fully serviced before they go away for the summer.
He adds they are now working on removing signage, removing lake stakes and putting gates up to block ATV traffic.
“It goes on for a while before we can finally take a short little break,” he says.
Elliott says he thanks the landowners, local governments and businesses that support them every season.
“Without the landowners, our trails wouldn’t exist,” says “Snowmobiling brings in well over $120 million in economic activity every year to the Muskoka area,” shares Elliott.
