2025 predictions

[Strong Farmer]

10 hours ago, 1049 said:

 

Nice maybe it freeze up early and I can stop cutting grsss 🙏. 

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

15 hours ago, stoney said:

The “green” tree hugging folks…same ones that do not want forestry maintenance done, that help preventing extremely bad conditions…

 

How bad are the ones in QC - going to create issues for the season ahead?

Which on this topic, did the repairs end up getting done through the Gaspe region?

 

[Dave K]

3 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

 

A bunch of volunteers, on private land will have that repaired next weekend 

 

If it's municipal, it will take 2 years and be over budget.

[Sksman]

2 hours ago, Dave K said:

A bunch of volunteers, on private land will have that repaired next weekend 

 

If it's municipal, it will take 2 years and be over budget.

It’s QC tourism   Not Ontario  

 

Likely fixed already   
 

Not a bash on our clubs   Comment directed towards government involvement and different attitudes around tourism

[95rxl650]

Lack of volunteers coming from the last couple gens of riders also. The same ones that would rather trespass than get off their sleds to move a down limb. 

[Strong Farmer]

2 hours ago, 95rxl650 said:

Lack of volunteers coming from the last couple gens of riders also. The same ones that would rather trespass than get off their sleds to move a down limb. 

Some of these clubs don't want new blood. They complain they have no help blah blah blah. Then when you volunteer and ask them if you can do this or that they say we think about it and get back to you. That's that!  Now I just ride. Once my son gets older I have time to inquire again, by then might be no trails left here either. 
I pick up limbs no problem and we even move small trees if we can. Had beaver chop trees across trail over night before. So pick up and move back into bush. 

[scottyr]

3 hours ago, Strong Farmer said:

Some of these clubs don't want new blood. They complain they have no help blah blah blah. Then when you volunteer and ask them if you can do this or that they say we think about it and get back to you. That's that!  Now I just ride. Once my son gets older I have time to inquire again, by then might be no trails left here either. 
I pick up limbs no problem and we even move small trees if we can. Had beaver chop trees across trail over night before. So pick up and move back into bush. 

 

I agree with this to a point.    I have offered to volunteer several times to our local clubs and rarely get a response.    I think some of the old guys would rather complain about having no help than actually having help.   

[Spiderman]

22 hours ago, Sksman said:

It’s QC tourism   Not Ontario  

 

Likely fixed already   
 

Not a bash on our clubs   Comment directed towards government involvement and different attitudes around tourism

100%

[stoney]

5 hours ago, Strong Farmer said:

Some of these clubs don't want new blood. They complain they have no help blah blah blah. Then when you volunteer and ask them if you can do this or that they say we think about it and get back to you. That's that!  Now I just ride. Once my son gets older I have time to inquire again, by then might be no trails left here either. 
I pick up limbs no problem and we even move small trees if we can. Had beaver chop trees across trail over night before. So pick up and move back into bush. 

 

2 hours ago, scottyr said:

 

I agree with this to a point.    I have offered to volunteer several times to our local clubs and rarely get a response.    I think some of the old guys would rather complain about having no help than actually having help.   

ya, people get set in their ways at times and become blinded…..having something to complain about for some, make their day. 

But plenty of clubs too with the opposite perspective.

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

5 hours ago, stoney said:

 

ya, people get set in their ways at times and become blinded…..having something to complain about for some, make their day. 

But plenty of clubs too with the opposite perspective.

In our agricultural based area many times  a small weather window opens with little advance notice to get some work done. Having been trail boss in the past, I can tell you that when this happens there isn't a lot of time for calling around looking for short notice volunteer help especially on weekdays and it usually seems in our club to end up with 2-3 retired guys just going and getting it done. Not ideal but reality.

[stoney]

58 minutes ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

In our agricultural based area many times  a small weather window opens with little advance notice to get some work done. Having been trail boss in the past, I can tell you that when this happens there isn't a lot of time for calling around looking for short notice volunteer help especially on weekdays and it usually seems in our club to end up with 2-3 retired guys just going and getting it done. Not ideal but reality.

That sounds very realistic given those circumstances.

I also know of scenarios where people want to help, offered to help, but not well received…but as I also said, I know other locations where it is well received. 
Not a perfect system by any means with good and bad, like anything else. 

[yamadan700]

Come on up to my area!! We will embrace you with open arms!!👍👍

 

We had about 80 people check off the volunteer box on their permits last year. I think we had 3 total new volunteers show up for some work days. However, we do most of our work during the week. That being said, we did postpone a few work days to the weekends to see if we would get more volunteers. Didn't happen. 

 

We do have a decent core of yearly volunteers(8-10), of which 2, 3 or more do come out regularly.  We always put a mass email out to all that checked the volunteer box for most work days. Like PLC said, sometimes it's just easier to get the regular 3-5 board members out to get a job done on short notice. Our club put in close to 1200 volunteers hours last year. That's just actual time doing trail work, bridge rebuilding, brushing, signage, etc... This does not include driving to the trails, grooming, club meetings, meeting with landowners, sharpening chainsaws, etc... 

As Strong Farmer said, "Then when you volunteer and ask them if you can do this or that they say we think about it and get back to you. ".. For example, due to risk management and insurance, we can't just let volunteers run chainsaws unless they have taken a chainsaw course. We will pay for that training if they are regular volunteers. I don't know why the club didn't get back to him tho. Maybe the club doesn't have a dedicated volunteer coordinator due to not enough people on their board. Maybe Strong Farmer can fulfill that role. 👍

 

We have 8 guys on our board fulfilling 15 positions with 5 of us are wearing multiple hats and the same 5 of us do most of the trail work. 

I think the bigger issue is the lack of volunteers willing to step up to board positions. No board, no club. I'm the youngest by quite a few years at 57. We need more people to step up or it won't last. IMO, that will be the downfall of organized snowmobiling. 

 

Hope this sheds some light from my perspective.

[skidooboy]

For the record, El Nino  means, little boy, usually a warmer pattern. La Nina means little girl, similar warm pattern, not as aggressive. Guessing winter will be better but, it wont be a super winter like predicted by almanac's. I would be glad to be wrong but, historically, I am not holding my breath. Ski

[Spiderman]

Correct if I am wrong, but hasn't quite a bit of "red tape" now gotten in the way of just welcoming volunteers? 

 

[Strong Farmer]

48 minutes ago, Spiderman said:

Correct if I am wrong, but hasn't quite a bit of "red tape" now gotten in the way of just welcoming volunteers? 

 

My mom helps Habatit for humanity. They still use old fashioned hammer and nails because of insurance isssue using nail guns for an example. For critical stuff volunteers just position wood and a professional uses power tools to fasten it down. Pretty sad world no doubt. 

[stoney]

1 hour ago, Spiderman said:

Correct if I am wrong, but hasn't quite a bit of "red tape" now gotten in the way of just welcoming volunteers? 

 

Can’t speak for sledding, but our group has looked at helping out certain needs and some do require more hoops to jump through, so we tend to take the path of least hoops. 
 

When you help at the local soup kitchen/shelter monthly, can you just walk in and help or need to do some “checks” beforehand?

[yamadan700]

1 hour ago, Spiderman said:

Correct if I am wrong, but hasn't quite a bit of "red tape" now gotten in the way of just welcoming volunteers? 

 

 

27 minutes ago, stoney said:

Can’t speak for sledding, but our group has looked at helping out certain needs and some do require more hoops to jump through, so we tend to take the path of least hoops. 
 

 

Yes, red tape is a pain. 

 

On work days, we have a quick meeting beforehand with regards to what we want to accomplish and the safety factors involved, ie maintaining at least 10' perimeter from anyone using a chainsaw. We all print our names on a form and sign it saying we understand what is expected. We do this even if it is just board members who come out. Thee must cover thy ass!

I believe the OFSC has an umbrella insurance policy to cover volunteers when working with the club. Not sure what it entails tho. However, I believe you are out of luck when doing trail work on your own.

 

 

There are some locals who tackle trail work, ie downed trees, on their own and that eliminates the hoops, ie chainsaw certified, but it is at their own risk. 

 

Agree with Strong Farmer,  it is a "pretty sad world" we live in. No personal accountability. It's always someone else's fault. Therefore we must "go through the hoops".

[Sksman]

12 hours ago, yamadan700 said:

 

Yes, red tape is a pain. 

 

On work days, we have a quick meeting beforehand with regards to what we want to accomplish and the safety factors involved, ie maintaining at least 10' perimeter from anyone using a chainsaw. We all print our names on a form and sign it saying we understand what is expected. We do this even if it is just board members who come out. Thee must cover thy ass!

I believe the OFSC has an umbrella insurance policy to cover volunteers when working with the club. Not sure what it entails tho. However, I believe you are out of luck when doing trail work on your own.

 

 

There are some locals who tackle trail work, ie downed trees, on their own and that eliminates the hoops, ie chainsaw certified, but it is at their own risk. 

 

Agree with Strong Farmer,  it is a "pretty sad world" we live in. No personal accountability. It's always someone else's fault. Therefore we must "go through the hoops".

Your daily safety / planning meeting is no different than a construction crew is required to do on a daily basis.  Risk assessment and hazard identification.   
 

It’s probably better for all involved especially if you have some new or less skilled volunteers working on the projects that they be made aware of the risks on the site.

 

If a 10 minute safety brief or meeting can prevent an injury it is worth it in my mind.  It’s a pretty shitty feeling when someone in your crew is seriously hurt or killed in an accident.  

 

 

[CAT RIDER]

Well said !

[95rxl650]

My safety talk is simple. .......Your fired before you hit the ground.

Is this no longer acceptable by todays standards??

[Strong Farmer]

1 hour ago, 95rxl650 said:

My safety talk is simple. .......Your fired before you hit the ground.

Is this no longer acceptable by todays standards??

 I can't even pay people cash today because if something happens I have no comp coverage from wsib. 
I have same hoops as everyone else. 
employees even part time can be allot of work, since you always looking over you shoulder to see what they are doing.
 

[stoney]

Another observation regarding the coming winter….walnut tree has plenty of walnuts this year!

  

[coldfinger]

Our walnut and apple trees our briming , branches are snapping . Squirrels and deer are getting a good feed around here .  They say  fat squirrels means a cold winter . Who ever the HELL they are . 

[skidooboy]

Drought early on in mid Michigan, we have no walnuts on our trees at all. Been really dry in Dubreuilville this summer too. Water levels on all lakes and rivers are really low. The nice thing there... We havent had much blackflies, since Canada day. Ski

[Strong Farmer]

17 hours ago, skidooboy said:

Drought early on in mid Michigan, we have no walnuts on our trees at all. Been really dry in Dubreuilville this summer too. Water levels on all lakes and rivers are really low. The nice thing there... We havent had much blackflies, since Canada day. Ski

Just north end of mich that had a drought this year? Here in southern Ontario we have had more rain then any other summer I can remember. Coming down by inch each storm not by mm's we usually get this time of year 😎. Just need some more heat for crops to make it a good year