Haliburton Highlands OPP says to only snowmobile on open trails. For now, that means none of them.
John Enright, President of the Haliburton County Snowmobile Association, says no trails in the region are open yet, and venturing onto them now is very unsafe.
“By riding a closed trail, you’re putting yourself at risk,” says Enright. “You’re putting the trail at risk, because private landowners won’t be happy. We’re just asking everyone to be patient. Winter will be here.”
According to Enright, volunteers are making steady progress on cleaning up after the holiday snowstorm. Despite warmer and wetter conditions this week, he notes that grooming only started around mid January last year, putting them well ahead of schedule this season.
“Put a spoon under your pillow, wear your pyjamas inside-out, and put a white crayon in the freezer, that brings snow,” he jokes. “What we really need immediately is cold weather, to get rid of some of this water. That would be optimum. And much more snow. We have to have a refreeze.”
If you’re keen to get out in the meantime, Enright says the association is always looking for volunteers.
“We need skill sets for everything, on and off trail, and that’s true of any club,” says Enright. “There’s a lot more to being a volunteer than bushwhacking and chainsawing. There’s all kinds of administrative tasks.”
You can sign up to volunteer at the club’s website. Trail conditions are updated live on the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs’ interactive trail guide.