K.S.A. Newsletter - January 2010

Association Update – Mark Daniels

Well, we finally got some snow.  Things were looking pretty dismal in December when it seemed like everyone in the northern hemisphere but us was getting snow – even places that normally don’t get any.  The groomers are now going full tilt to keep the trails in shape.  Groomer operators are at a premium so please let us know if you have some time to spend smoothing the trails, particularly if you live in the north end of town (Porter Creek, Crestview).  Also, please call us if the trails you ride are in need of some attention.  We don’t have the resources to check all the trails all of the time so we rely on the users to let us know if there are any problems.  Likewise, we rely on trail users to report current trail conditions so we can post them on the KSA website to inform everyone.  Please drop us a call or e-mail after you ride.

International Snowmobile Safety Week (January 10-16) was punctuated by a number of snowmobile-related deaths across the Snow Belt.  The usual factors were at play: alcohol, excessive speed, thin ice, and/or nighttime riding.  Remember, it’s only a great ride if you live to tell about it.

I attended the annual Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site Winter User Group Meeting in December.  This is the committee that oversees the winter recreation strategy for the Chilkoot Trail and Log Cabin parking lot, best known locally to snowmobilers as “non-motorized weekends”.  It appears as though some non-motorized users have complained about the schedule and have asked for a review of the agreement.  There is a provision in the agreement for periodic review and we plan to have that meeting in the spring.  Please send me your comments and any stories you have (good or bad) about your experience with the current winter recreation strategy and with other users of the area.

We’re again trying to get a bridge installed across Wolf Creek on the main Trans Canada Trail.  The KSA and others have made several unsuccessful attempts over the years to build a permanent crossing over Wolf Creek.  A bridge would keep wheeled traffic out of the creek bed in the summer and would make the winter crossing a lot safer and more convenient.  It would also help our grooming operations.  Our groomers can’t cross the creek now due to the steep banks so we have to trailer them past Wolf Creek to groom to the south.  A bridge would allow them to groom continuously from Whitehorse to the Annie Lake Road.  A bridge of this size is a massive undertaking for the KSA and our partners.  We’re in the bridge design phase now and, if things go well, we hope to have the bridge in place this summer or next.  Stay tuned for updates.

In November 2009, the legislative assembly of the Yukon agreed to form a select committee on the safe operation and use of off-road vehicles comprised of representatives from all political parties.  The committee is supposed to conduct a public consultation regarding the use of all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles.  They will present their report and recommendations in the 2010 fall sitting of the legislative assembly.  This could potentially lead to a new set of regulations governing snowmobile use.  Please keep an eye out for this consultation and take the opportunity to be heard.  You can also call the KSA or your MLA if you want to voice your concerns.

Ice Fishing The Hard Way – Phil Perrin

So it’s that time of year again when Mark Daniels asks me to write an article about some things I know very little about with a few added pieces in areas where I have some expertise.  I’m sure Mark finds this exercise as entertaining as I find it frustrating.  The beauty of this for the reader is that you can hopefully learn from my experience (good or bad).

Given the recent snowfall, we will have a few more areas accessible for snowmobiling than we had earlier in the season when we were testing the durability of our machines by hitting those rocks that we hit every year.  I recently took advantage of the newly fallen snow to take an ice-fishing trip.

I spent the better part of my weekend doing that old ‘I should have done that in the summer’ routine with all of my winter equipment.  For those of you who don’t know, one of the areas I lack expertise is in equipment maintenance.   I find it’s always helpful to ride with someone more familiar with the mechanics of a snowmobile than I am.  For example, I started up my snow machine to load it on the trailer only to feel a bump, bump, bump rhythm as the track spun.  Not being an expert on the mechanical side, I thought it might be dirt in the slider or a problem with the track.  I was quickly straightened out on the matter when my riding partner came into the back yard and made his assessment of the situation.   My buddy immediately advised me that the problem was not, in fact, my track or slider but rather my drive belt.  On opening up the hood of my machine, he was clearly impressed with the fact that I had a brand new spare belt in the belt holder.  Of course, the only reason I had the spare belt in the belt holder was because the previous owner had the good sense to put one there and it came with the sled when I bought it.  Needless to say, I didn’t reveal this secret to him but accepted the praise he offered.  Once we changed the belt, the bump, bump, bump went away but the machine did not appear to be idling properly.  My buddy indicated that this sounded like a case for spark plug replacement.  He pulled the plugs and immediately scorned me for their black and oily appearance.  He suggested I drop my skimmer and open the throttle now and then to “clean out” the engine.  I again accepted unearned praise for having two new, properly gapped spark plugs that were lovingly placed in the spark plug holder by the previous owner prior to me buying the machine.   My backyard mechanic quickly swapped out the plugs and the sled purred like a kitten. 

With the machine ready to go, it was time to load up my ice fishing equipment.  I was quite proud of the new power ice auger I had bought the previous year in Anchorage.  I was also quite proud of the fact that I had remembered to put gas preservative in the tank in the spring at the end of last year’s fishing season.  Wanting to be completely prepared, I took a moment to go through all of my tackle and sorted out everything that I thought I would want for the winter and replaced the line on a few of the rods.  I then proceeded to pack up all of my gear, including my ice skimmer and toboggan, and reminded my wife that she would need to bring a chair.  A mutual friend of ours stopped by and threw her gear in the vehicle and off we went on our search for fish. 

Now for those of you who are not aware, there are a number of excellent lakes in the Chadburn area.  We chose one and went off with our hydrographic map to find our supper.  Given all the preplanning that went into this trip, I figured we were a safe bet for a good day of fishing.  

We resourced the hydrographic map on the lake we were fishing and chose our spot; an area approximately 20 feet in depth near a 10-foot drop off.   I proceeded to pull out my Viper power auger, primed up the motor and started pulling away.  It started in a flash and ran for 10 seconds.  I tried again.  It started once more and ran for another 10 seconds.  Despite my efforts, I couldn’t get it to run for more than 10 seconds at a time.  I realized I forgot one key ingredient in addition to putting preservative in the gas and that is you are supposed to run the motor to get the treated fuel through the lines.  So, in short, the carburetor appeared to be clogged up. 

I then did what every good outdoorsman does when faced with a dilemma such as this - I had a tantrum, cursed at the motor, cursed at myself for not remembering to test it properly before heading out, then looked for somebody close to blame.   My wife was quite quick on her feet saying, “Don’t look at me. It’s not my auger”.  I thought maybe brawn could fix this dilemma so I proceeded to pull at the starter cord in the hope that the carburetor would fix itself.  After 120 pulls and a sweaty head, I gently laid the ice auger down with a toss of both of my hands and looked at my companions for some words of wisdom.  None were forthcoming and I realized I was going to have to figure this one out on my own.  One option was for my friend and wife to hold the auger and dance in a circle thereby creating the energy necessary to drill a hole.  My wife, though a fantastic salsa and tango dancer, does not do the auger trot and advised me to give my head a shake. 

Upon reconsidering my predicament, I realized the motor would continue to run if I pushed the primer while my friend maintained the throttle and my wife held the other side of the auger.  To everyone’s amazement, it actually worked and we were able to cut 5 holes.  It was, however, embarrassing as people walking by on the path on shore commented that they wouldn’t buy an auger that took 3 people to operate.  I heard another individual make a comment to the effect that there were schools for people like us where we could learn to operate the auger properly.  I, of course, took a deaf ear to all of this as we engaged in fishing.  I had to stand by my hole the entire time.  Although I told my wife to bring a chair, I had forgotten my own.  After I passed out the rods and began jigging I heard a snap of my line after only 5 jigs and my $7 crocodile lure drifted to the bottom unattached to my rod.  I realized in my hurry to pass out the equipment, the rod I kept for myself was the only rod I hadn’t changed the line on. 

I am sure if my buddy had been around he would have reminded me to change all of my lines and put a chair in the toboggan. This brings us to the crux of the story and its purpose.  If you’re going to own equipment such as snow machines and power augers, you’ll want to know how to maintain and repair them.  Or have a friend that can.  You’ll also want to plan and prepare for your outings by making sure you have everything you need and by testing your equipment before heading out.

BC Regulations May Affect Riding at the Summits – by Daniels

British Colombia has just enacted new regulations that affect the use of off-road vehicles (ORVs), including snowmobiles, on all crown land in BC.  The regulations are the result of several years of negotiations between user groups and the BC government and are similar to most other North American jurisdictions.  The KSA was not involved in the negotiations as they were internal to BC.  These regulations have the potential to affect our activities in BC, including riding at the Haines and Skagway Summits.

The new rules will be implemented over the next two years under the provincial ORV management framework.  They will address registration and licensing, helmet use, youth safety and environmental measures.  All riders operating on Crown land will require one-time registration with a license plate or decal for their machines.  Helmet use is mandatory, as is the use of lights at night. Age-appropriate safety measures and adult supervision will be required for young riders, though no minimum age is specified.  New standards for mufflers will minimize the noise impact and spark arrestors will reduce the risk of forest fires.  I don’t know yet how this new standard will affect the operation of “piped” sleds.

In BC, all snowmobiles will require registration and licensing at the time of sale and re-sale.  This will assist enforcement staff to identify non-compliant operators and hold them accountable.  A provincial ORV compliance and enforcement strategy will be developed, including an education component to help achieve voluntary compliance.  It’s not clear yet how registration will be applied to snowmobiles visiting from outside of BC.  We may need to get a non-resident permit or sticker to ride on BC crown land.  Insurance will be required to operate a snowmobile on a road or within the right-of-way.

Other editions of the KSA newsletter:

October 2009    December 2009    January 2010    March 2010