 |
          |
K.S.A. Online Newsletter - March 2010 |
Association Update – by Mark Daniels We’re about to close another snowmobile season in the Yukon. It wasn’t a great year for snow. Other than a few light dustings, it only really snowed twice. I don’t think I started my snow blower since I wrote the last newsletter. Still, it was one of the warmest winters in memory so we had lots of opportunity to enjoy what snow we got. I met a great bunch of folks who were making their way from Michigan to Tok, Alaska to raise money for diabetes research. Of all the groups who attempt to ride up here from Outside, they were the most organized and best equipped. After riding from Michigan to northern Alberta, they ran out of trail and trailered their gear until they got to Whitehorse. They called me looking for advice when they hit town. They seemed primed for adventure so we sent them up the Canol Road to Ross River. It took them 12 hours to ride that 140 miles and they didn’t get into Ross River until 11 pm. You can read about their organization and their trip, including their Yukon adventure, at http://michcanska.com. The ride is the brainchild of an American Vietnam vet who got diabetes after being exposed to agent orange during the war. Speaking of helping others – Harris Cox has been extra busy this year. Not only did he relentlessly groom the KSA trails for a variety of users in the Whitehorse area, he also groomed the non-motorized Millennium Trail again this year. He took the time to set the trail for the Marsh Lake Loppet and the inaugural Chalet-to-Chalet ski event. This fun Rendezvous event saw participants ski from the Mt. Mac chalet to the Mt. Sima chalet. Both chalets supported the event and the organizer hopes to make this an annual thing. Harris also lent a track setter and his expertise to the Takhini Hot Springs so they could set ski trails out there. On Harris’ recommendation, the KSA donated an old groomer to Keno City to help keep their trails smooth. Harris also helped out the Yukon Quest this year. Always cautious on frozen water, Harris made me lead as we groomed the Quest trail from the White Pass train station in Whitehorse down the Yukon and Takhini Rivers to Takhini Crossing and back. A utility sled and groomer weigh a lot more than a dog team so we were confident the dogs would be safe on the river ice after we groomed it. Harris told me not to worry about breaking through the ice because he brought lots of rope in case he had to rescue me. I noticed when we got back home that he put the rope on the sled I was riding. Out of the blue one day, Harris called me from Yukon Honda and asked me to meet him there. It was pretty close to noon so I assumed he wanted to buy me lunch. When I got to Yukon Honda I got even better news. Rick Freeman handed me a cheque for $880 from BRP through the Ski-Doo Club Support program. This program started in Canada a couple of years ago and spread to the US. BRP supports local clubs by donating $10 for every member who fills out a form and drops it off at the local dealer. Last year, they gave us about $500. Keep an eye out for this program next year and let’s see if we can hit the limit of $1500. Every cent of this money buys fuel for the groomers.
Annual Charity Poker Run – by Mark Daniels On March 7, the KSA held our annual charity poker run. Snowmobilers care about their communities and donate over $3 million dollars to charity annually. The KSA hosts the annual poker run and donates the full proceeds to a different local charity each year. This year’s recipient was the Whitehorse Food Bank. Food bank president, Michel Bernier, and his wife joined us to thank the participants and see them safely down the trail. We again asked Keith’s Plumbing and Heating to let us use their shop on Burns Road to host the event. Even though it was fairly warm out, it was good to get out of the wind pre- and post ride. Everyone appreciated being able to sit down, relax, and enjoy the coffee and doughnuts donated by Tim Horton’s or a pop donated by Whitehorse Beverages. Harris, Rheo and I set out early Saturday morning to mark and groom the trail. Once again, we tried to set the route over Mt. McInytre to the Coal Lake Road. Halfway up Mt. Mac we ran into a nasty headwind, driving snow, and freezing rain. The freezing rain stuck to my face shield and reduced the already poor visibility to near zero. I lifted my shield to see better and immediately put it back down because the ice pellets stung my face and eyes. We continued to the top of Mt. Mac, hoping to break out above the clouds. No such luck. It was even worse at the VOR site so we turned around and headed back down to the Fish Lake turnoff, pulling out our stakes as we retreated. After a quick discussion, we agreed to use the old standby, the Jackson Lake Loop, as the poker run route. We then dropped down to Fish Lake and continued marking and grooming. The weather improved greatly and we were feeling pretty good until we got to the creek at the base of Haeckel Hill and found it wide open and a metre deep. I have never seen more than a trickle in that creek in the winter but it was gushing on Saturday and had washed out the ice bridge. We traipsed through the bush in a couple of spots but couldn’t find a way through that wouldn’t need hours of cutting. Reluctantly, we turned around and, once again, pulled out our markers as we retreated back over Jackson Lakes, Fish Lake, and over Mt. Mac to the haul road. Harris knew he didn’t have enough fuel to get the groomer back home that way so he bummed a jerry can off the locals at Fish Lake. It was 3 pm by the time we got back to the haul road and we were at a loss to find a route for the poker run. You’d think it would be easy to find a good route for a poker run in a place like the Yukon where you can ride just about anywhere. However, the trail needs to be a 40 – 60 km loop that anyone aged 6 to 66 years old can ride within a couple of hours. We don’t have many loop trails close to town; they’re mainly out-and-back. Rheo saved the day when he mentioned that a week prior he and his kids had ridden Pete’s Trail, a secondary trail that parallels the haul road from Mt. Mac to Mt. Sima. We added a short bypass trail that I like to take north of the Mt. Mac Road and set about marking and grooming our third route of the day. Pete’s Trail is a steep, narrow, windy and scenic route that most people don’t use because the haul road is much more convenient. Even some of the seasoned riders rode that trail for the first time during the poker run this year. There must be 1000 tight turns in that 7 km of trail. After 100 km and 7 hours of riding, pounding in stakes, pulling them out, shoveling in holes in the trails, cutting leaners, and grooming, we managed to eke out a 40 km loop for the run. The participants had a much easier time of it on Sunday, taking between 1½ and 2½ hours to complete the course. I’m always grateful for the generosity of the local business community. They donated over $3000 worth of goods and services toward this event. Prizes ranged from snowmobile apparel and tools to cook wear and a hand-made purse. The youngest participant (6) got a $50 gift certificate for Superstore that I’m sure she’ll spend on toys. The oldest (59) got a $50 gift certificate for Earls Restaurant. The top 3 hands got a choice of 3 prize packages, each worth about $400 and consisting of snowmobile clothing and accessories and a gift certificate for flights. Everyone else got a door prize. We don’t like to see anyone leave our charity poker run home empty-handed. The KSA doesn’t keep a dime from this event so the entire $795 we collected in entry fees will go directly to the food bank. Events such as these don’t happen on their own. Rheo Bedard and Harris Cox groomed and marked the trail with me. Harris also ran sweep and pulled out the markers after the run. Jim Connor sold hands, helped with the set-up and clean-up, and ran the door prize draw. Joe Wall sold hands, helped with the set-up and clean-up, and solicited most of the prizes. Karen Wall, Roch Fraser, and Phil & Janice Perrin staffed the checkpoints. Phil and Janice also helped with clean-up. Nita Daniels helped with the set-up and organized the prizes. If you’d like to volunteer for this event next year or if you’d like to help organize a different KSA event, please give us a call at 667-7680. Poker Run Donors & Supporters:
Safe Trailering – by Mark Daniels It’s spring, the time of year when many of us need to trailer our snowmobiles to extend our riding season. It’s important that your trailer is in good shape and that you operate it safely so that your snowmobile adventure doesn’t unexpectedly get cut short due to a breakdown, lost sled, or conflict with law enforcement. Having the right trailer for your needs is very important. It’s best to have a trailer designed to haul snowmobiles. There are a variety of new and used ones available locally. Snowmobile trailers are designed and rated to haul sleds. They come with convenient features such as ramps and anchor points for tie-downs. Many utility trailers are not well laid out for hauling snowmobiles and some of the smaller ones don’t have the load capacity to haul full-sized machines safely. My trailer has ramps built into the v-nose that protect the sleds while trailering and swing down for easy off-loading. The sun and cold tend to dry out and crack trailer tires. Even with proper inflation and good tread, tires will disintegrate over time and need to be replaced. Check for cracking and a chalky or glazed look on the sidewalls. Also, it’s a good idea to lubricate the wheel bearings and tighten the lug nuts at least once a season. Bearing Buddies are handy accessories that make it easy to grease the bearings. Directional signals and stop lights should be checked prior to every trip to ensure they are working properly. The connections often become faulty due to exposure to the elements. While on a trailer, a snowmobile should be secured with no less than three straps – one at 45 degrees from each corner of the front, and one at the back. The straps should be attached to a solid part of the sled, such as the bumper. Alternatively, you could use a tie-down bar for the skis and one strap on the rear bumper. I use the Superclamp tie-down bar. It’s quick, easy, and can be locked with a padlock to secure the sled to the deck. Most people I know don’t tie down the rear of the sled. Not only will the strap keep the track on the deck over the big bumps, it’ll keep the sled straight. A sled that bounces from side-to-side is more likely to work itself loose from straps or a tie-down bar on the front. At no time should a sled ever be hauled unsecured on trailer or in the back of a truck. You don’t want that 600 pound machine coming at you if you stop suddenly or run into something. There are many similar looking ball-hitches that are not the same size. The most common sizes for snowmobile trailers are 2 inches and 1 7/8 inches. Some heavier duty trailers may be 2 5/16 inches. Make sure that the ball is the same size as the coupler on the trailer. The size should be stamped on the ball and the coupler. Safety chains are required as a second means of attaching the trailer to the tow vehicle. Snap hooks are preferred to open "S" hooks that may fall out. The deck of the trailer should be level when coupled to the vehicle. This can be achieved by having the proper “drop” on the tow bar. Some tow bars are adjustable in height. Your tow vehicle must be rated to haul the weight of the trailer and everything on it. Never exceed the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) listed in your owner’s manual. You may need to adjust the air pressure in your tires to carry the extra weight of a trailer. Also consider the need for trailer brakes if you’re hauling any more than 2 sleds on a trailer. Your dealer will be able to advise you on your particular set-up. Having the right sized and properly positioned side mirrors is important because your mirrors are what you rely on for safe lane changing and keeping an eye on your snowmobiles and trailer. When towing, take your time and stop occasionally to check all of the tie-downs. Placing the back of your hand on the sidewalls of the tires on the truck and trailer will let you know if your tires are heating up. They should be warm to the touch but not hot. A hot tire may be under inflated and at risk of a blow out. While you’re stopped, also feel the hubs on the trailer. Like the tires, they should be warm but not hot. A hot hub is worn and at risk of locking up or falling off. Checks like these can catch issues early on before they become serious problems.
Other online editions of the KSA newsletter: October 2009 December 2009 January 2010 March 2010 |