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They are all the same liars. Doesn’t matter what party.

Realized a few years back, with some careful planning, and not missing any appointments, I can make my 100th blood donation on the same day as my 50th Bday.

The problem isn't the passion, its the economy plain and simple. We have been duped into a mortgage poor slave nation because of Liberal and lefty nonsense. Canada has resources and little else. Instead of electing governments that work to supporting businesses that want to bring these resources to market we have elected Liberal goon squad after goon squad who bury us in debt instead of enabling us to make money. So we get what we have today which is generations of financial losers coming up the ranks. Our own children To think that so many parents of these children who are getting the short end of it AGAIN voted Liberal and voted for more of this debt nonsense with Carney. Stop being so blind Liberals have it wrong. There is no need for any of this

I have a buddy that wants to go. Always chirping that he will come and I can loan him a sled. I tell him buy a nice used sled for $7,000-10,000 and he says I can’t afford that. I have too far to drive….. I say sorry I don’t loan my sleds to friends. I will loan my sleds to the right friends who can afford to buy it if they wreck it. My main riding buddy and I will happily switch sleds any time. But if you crash it they take yours until it’s fixed. Just our deal

Lol, that's me, the other one is my wife. Feed scoop and a feed cart.

We all have our central banks to thank for “printing” or increasing (however you want to look at it) the total fiat supply by about 40% over the span of about 18 months during our recent pandemic. You can’t add more currency units to a monetary system that fast and not expect prices to rise especially if you have the same amount of goods. No man should be able to just print money that another man has to work for. They usually don’t increase the money supply that fast. But during times of economic crisis or warfare, it gives them an excuse to increase the supply and debase the currency. This has been proven time after time throughout history. The more they “print”, the weaker the dollar gets, and it’s not like our goods and services are becoming any better quality either to justify the increase in prices. I think we can all agree the newer stuff just isn’t built like it was years ago. Our dollar is shite, and the current prices on almost everything proves that, and unfortunately with this war going on, it’s giving them yet another excuse to print more and more money. Not to mention the US is $37trillion in debt and prints daily just to service the interest alone Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the printer will continue to print, and inflation will also continue until people just lose faith in the currency and ultimately, it fails. it’s not a matter of if the currency fails, it’s when.

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Home depot yesterday. Purchased 3 pcs of non vented soffit, 3 2x4's and 4 interior use electrical boxes with switches/plugs. $167 Even basic home maintenance costs are getting out of hand. If I had to hire the corresponding contractors at a minimum of $100 per hour plus service call/consultation fee's it would easily be $1000. And that is a conservative estimate. Our kids dont stand a chance if they dont have family that can afford to invest in their futures.

They are willing to pay whatever it takes - vs sleeping in tents on the street. That is the point People are "willing" out of necessity to pay double what they should be because there is NOTHING else available. Our government had a very heavy hand in helping create that particular portion of the situation

Blows my mind when I see folks that seem like they have their head on straight most of the time - go and blame The Feds for housing prices. Housing prices will follow what someone is willing to give for it. It is a supply and demand market. When the trend is going a certain way, it will continue that direction for a while, before swinging the other way again. It was the easy money from The Flue that seemed to start this trend for whatever reason. And "work from home" is certainly influencing housing further from the eppicenters, and raising values in rural areas, and especially lakefront properties. Just b/c you are willing to pay the new asking price, doesn't make it someone elses fault that you are over your head. Buy a rat trap the next time. .

One big issue that the younger generations face is growing up now with so many accepted and encouraged drains of the wallets! That have become like a necessity! Cellphone bills internet bills Tim hortons or Starbucks multiple times a day fast foods Uber Eats or Skip Uber itself Just so many more ways to easily spend little bits of your money these days.

I bought a 3 sled open Triton trailer from a guy i know about 10 years ago. Told me you could hold 4 with some juggling and setting some sideways. He was in Cochrane a year or two before I bought it, and got talking with some people in the hotel, and found out they lived close to him. Next day guy was sitting on his trailer when they came back from a ride. Wondering if there was a way to get a 4th on there. He was on a lake, hit someone, and ended up buying the guys sled right there on the lake, and now needed to get it home.

Well, in 10 years, there won’t be anything to work on except to change a battery!

I'm actually surprised people wouldn't want to work on older bikes - wouldn't those be actual "mechanics" - not part changers? Easier to work on too?

Just to give all of you an idea of what we are dealing with in our area because of the ice storm back in March. We try to go out every Wed and bang some more off. However, 6-8 guys and 5-6 hours later, we have managed anywhere from 0.5-1km of trail cleared each time. It will be tough to get it all done by the time snow flies. The struggle is real! If you can help the affected areas, it is appreciated!!

That’s a big milestone for the feed auger, turning 50 this year 👍

The bill 101 promise that we voted for was not what we were promised. We were promised tral permit enforcement and investment from the province instead we got next to no enforcement,lowered funding,intensive provincial control and interference,club emancipation,removal of groomers and more.

Another thing that has affected permit buying is, local trails. Once the OFSC made TOP trails their priority, several local trails, loops were closed, and the clubs were not allowed to groom them any longer. The Dub, Wawa area were heavily affected by this. It is a shame that several awesome trails were closed, left unmaintained. What is puzzling to me is some areas have lots of local loops, while others were told, no more. At one time Dub and Wawa were The Hub, for 4 directions of trails, with a lot of local, and multiple "day loops" available. Many locals only ride local, and do not tour. They ride to cottages, to fish, or maybe to the next town to get a bite to eat, or see friends. They do not see the value in the permits any longer. Most of our area is Crown land, with many logging, trapping, fishing bush roads/trails. So the locals just utilized those, and forgo the permit. I honestly dont blame them, some times, groups feel left out, and this is one of those times. Ski

The OFSC has tried to make it appealing and affordable, I’m afraid it hasn’t worked for reasons they cannot control. The reality that most can agree on is the sport is expensive, permit being one of the cheapest today is the point, that’s not changing, so come to terms with that and move on. stop trying to pretend it should be an inclusive sport, it no longer is. sorry, but that’s the reality IMO.

Unfortunately not all trail permit buyers are snowmobile fanatics who read snowmobile forums 12 months of the year and will pay anything to ride. Or buy $25,000 snowmobiles every couple years. There has to be a balance in order to get the local when convenient to ride from home sledders to buy when they might ride the trails a few times a year. For them maybe there is a monetary tipping point. Last thing anyone on here should do is post up negative comments and make judgement on another person based on financial decisions to buy a permit. Maybe it is a big decision in a retired guys life to buy a trail permit when he can ride 10 year old sled down a road allowance to the lake and fish and he can be happy with that. Not everyone is as financially secure as most of the guys reading and commenting on this forum. Part of the problem with this sport is the cost and making it an affordable package to attract the new and hold the old riders In my mind to survive the trail system needs the revenues from the on the fence to buy permit riders buying also.

This is one issue with short term management. Just like Wall Street only cares aboot the last quarter, or they may replace the CEO, the country only really cares aboot how we are dooing today. How many voters want to suck-it-up-buttercup? Most will vote for the can kicker b/c that makes today more better.... Unsure if there is ramifications later or not. Average Joe does not run a for-profit business. When you have a longer term management team, like China, Russia, Japan (?) - then you can accomplish longer term projects. .

We can solve this we just need to turf the Liberals pronto and start pressing the go button on resource development. Even then, we have a lot of work to do and we cant let much get in the way of this. We've had more than enough obstructionist radicalized idiots steering the boat into the bottom of the ocean. We need some serious stewardship and teams of solid support staff and companies to get us moving upwards. We also need to draft new laws preventing politicians from using any debt at all. They can only use last quarters taxation intake for next quarter and thats it. Enshrine into law a debt retirement plan as well. Then its really how fast we want to accomplish this. Then we build a sovereign wealth fund like Norway. This will take time yes for sure but think of the mids of our children and future generations how they will see Canada and the pride they will have for this great nation vs the Liberal despair and dystopian world they are creating. Its so damn obvious its literally insane that we are not doing this. The sell is easy. The goals are achievable and reasonable. Its all those total a-ho Liberal boomer voters to blame. Wake the heck up and snap out of it the Liberals and NDP trains are completely off the tracks barrelling down a mountain side with no soft landing ahead

Just part of the Trudopes legacy.

on the above - did you happen to see permits on the sleds.....maybe some guilty parties........lol. I did not get out this year really, so I cannot comment, but in the past, encountering those types of folks was a rare thing, not the norm IMO or what generally make up the sledding demographic.

In my opinion, snowmobiling and boating have become victims of the times we live in. There was a time when taking a walk around town meant you had time to spare. It was social. Now it seems, folks rarely speak to one another or even smile and make eye contact. I stopped a couple times this past season where a group had pulled off the trail and was met with a feeling of intrusion and mistrust. Made me want to rooster them on exit. There used to places on the shorelines where boaters gathered and snowmobile clubhouses were parking lots. We used to make a point of stopping at all our local club shacks to socialize and I still do just out of habit, but rarely do I see a single sled. Not saying it's like that everywhere or all the time, but something is missing. I also notice the young guys that started out riding got married, mortgaged and made a family, have left all toys behind. I have to wonder if snowmobiling will still be around as they become a mature family and financially able to pick it up again. My kids all have young families and old sleds kicking around but have no desire to invest $$ in it.

I know there were a few others that have mentioned their kids, you, @Blackstar and @oldslowsledder come to mind, I am sure there are more that I am missing.....I know there were a few other members that had smaller kids that came out with them or had kitty Cats, etc.....it just seemed the two members I mentioned, you hear more about it, more often.....life, priorities and other things change, that affect that. I take my kids out with me, will they take up the sport as they get older, who knows, time will tell.....but having some exposure at a younger age, I hope increases that chance later on. Point being of course, there is not much new blood, no one is surprised of course, and I think it is the older folks that are more likely to take it up or return to the sport, but that number I do not think will out weight the number that are leaving the sport - just the reality of things.

Sounds like your buddy and my buddy would make a good pair 😆. Both run out of money mid week and be moucher for rest of trip. My hospital friend works for me part time. I could always hold his wages back if something goes south. So far he hasn't demsfed any equipment on farm. 👌

Person has to have some interest. My hospital friend hasn't been on a skidoo since early 1980's. He's excited to go and has holiday time to use. He's going to be shocked how much these things have changed. Hoping he don't bail once we start to price out gear lol 😂. Like most he seems to live pay cheque to pay cheque.

My long time farming friend has been out of it for a few decades. I was thinking about dragging him out too. This winter I am trying that and we see how it goes. Told my friend we are only going mid week Tuesday to Friday and don't ask me why 👌

The way I see it is that the only way to get new or more people involved is through us. That’s it. i just don’t see someone completely removed and ignorant to it seeing a sled go by and going out to get one. Anyone I have taken out has enjoyed it, but they don’t have cottages, and the cost to get in are just too much. You can suggest buying a cheap older sled, but most don’t want that, and most have 0 ability to turn a wrench and fix what they can. it’s a different landscape. Adapt or die

Well they charge you a diagnostic fee. then a charging fee to see if battery will charge. if that fails then they replace battery 😆.

Ya I should have been clearer. I suspect that Harley doesn't want to work on old bikes. But independent shops would for sure.

thanks for all your dedicated hard work. I would help but I have appointments on Wednesdays. We were hammered in Lindsay area and we have cleared some trail. We are waiting now until the fall to continue. The OFSC has so little money that they want some trails closed and groomers gone. How will that save money is beyond me. Jerry

Yup, saw Dover turnout was strong.

I disagree Harleys are more popular than ever. Dover was packed. Also i see more and more young people on a Harley VS a sport bike

Too bad about Rocky's. I bought my first bike at Rocky's original location on Wharncliffe Rd. in 1967. They were also a Honda dealer at that time and I bought a 450 Honda new for $1,000.00. I personally think the facination with Harley's is starting to fade not to mention effect of retalitory tariffs. A friend of mine runs a bike repair shop in London. For many years in the recent past Rocky's wouldn't work on bikes more than 5 years old. They referred those bike owner's to my buddies shop.

Yep too much debt. New owners. Too bad.

Sounds like there is a lot more reasons for failure there then just a soft market.

While myself and most others really appreciate your efforts, it is just WRONG that the OFSC (if they haven't already) has not gotten directly involved to supply mechanized machinery and operator(s) or at least the money required to clear all the affected trails. This is above and beyond what should be asked of the volunteers. Lord knows there is more than enough work to be done through a normal year. I sincerely hope I will be informed that the OFSC has been directly involved through the districts in dealing this unusual situation but unfortunately I will not be surprised if they haven't.

Its a provincial trail system. You have to have a sled licensed and insured. Make the yearly fee $100.00 and give the money taken back to the clubs. You cant have it both ways. Either its provincially run, enforced and under a rule of law thus properly funded or nothing and its a free for all. But to bitch about a trail permit under $400 in this day and age is ridiculous.

Don’t expect it to grow either, unless your plan is turn sled trails into e-bike trails.

$400 dollars who can afford that. I'm never snowmobiling again. I'm going to sell my $20,000 snowmobiles, my $10,000 dollar trailer and I won't have to spend $150.00 a weekend on gas and $200 on food. Never mind the $1000.00 I spend on maintenance on each sled per year..............and think how much I save on the $350.00 belts $400..................way too much money to spend.

My son won’t be a snowmobile owner. He’s talked about renting in Revelstoke but I doubt he will ever do that unless I’d go with him. The boomers grew up with sleds and have/had the disposable income to afford it. As they leave our numbers will drop. Go to a car show and look at all the grey haired car owners there. The numbers are dropping there too. Things changes.