The Moose Mountain Snowmobile Club has been active since the 1980s and has continued to provide a service to many over the years who enjoy taking to the well-maintained trail system.
Across the province there are approximately 60 clubs, which are all non-profit corporations run by volunteers. They ensure safe, groomed trails throughout the entire province. One could potentially ride from Gainsborough all the way to Candle Lake if they desired, so long as the snow was there.
Together the communities of Kipling, Windthorst, Corning, Stoughton, Kisbey, Arcola, Carlyle, and Kenosee Lake maintain a vast network of trails in the area. This includes both the 315 km found outside of Moose Mountain Provincial Park as well as the 124 km within the park. Though they maintain trails across these areas, the shelters and everything else in the park are taken care of by them.
Everything outside of the park, however, is their domain. They have seven shelters set up at various areas. All of the shelters are now new. They are a fair sized building, which are insulated, with a wood stove, and have solar-powered lights.
The trails themselves are maintained by individuals in each community. They put in thousands of volunteer hours each year to ensure these trails are up to provincial standards. On their 315 km of trail outside of the park there are about 31,000 field markers set out. Identifying stops, turns, and upcoming road crossings they are important in ensuring a safe but fun adventure out on the trails.
They groom trails, ride the trails once a week to ensure they are up kept while using their own machines and their own gas to do so. Many people enjoy the trails and it is because of these few that it is possible.
This year the three groomers have been out quite a bit as there has been lots of snow to work with.
The clubs mostly get funding through a percentage of the amount paid to register a snowmobile each year. It used to come heavily from holding poker derbies; but, thankfully the club is able to get funds through the registration sales as the volunteers associated with the club are not plentiful enough to necessarily hold events.
Though they receive funding through registrations they are forever thankful to people and businesses in communities that support them.
The funds used go towards equipment maintenance and fuel for the groomers, as well as maintaining their shelters.
For avid snowmobilers in the area more information on the club can be found at www.mmsnowmobileclub.com. There are updates constantly being published there.
Trail conditions can be found at www.sasksnow.com. Every club in the province sends in a report to this website and it is updated every Thursday at noon.
For people wishing to join the club meetings are held at various areas throughout the season, which can be found on their website. Anyone is welcome to attend these meetings and all are encouraged to consider joining the club if interested. Maps can also be found online or at a variety of businesses across the area.
