Snowmobile Information

Last winter our club had some serious conversations with a landowner who lives next to our trail system. He was fed up with night snowmobile traffic and primarily the noise. I listened to the person with empathy. Our trail system does not cross their property. One of their largest concerns was the loudness of some of the snowmobiles and lights glaring into their windows. We can all name a few people we know who put louder “pipes or cans” on to crank out more sound, to make the machine perform better and/or sound like it’s a rip snorting’ son of a gun. Unfortunately, this causes problems and someone from our club, primarily an officer of the club has to deal with neighbors concerns and solve the problems.

There are many times of late, that I wonder why on earth, members of our club or any snowmobiler for that matter, would jeopardize our trail system, by changing their exhaust for louder exhaust, racing past houses in town or speeding by houses in close proximity with the high beams on, glaring into ones home. Would we want that done to us?

Proper snowmobiling etiquette is what we are talking about here. As an HVR Manager, I for one am tired of patching up the goofy things snowmobilers do in our community. I don’t like talking to an angry landowner. This is not fun. Every minute spent diffusing an angry/fed up landowner (even one not on our actual trail system) is time not spent toward trail maintenance and grooming. Also keep in mind that each officer is a volunteer and each has a family and a full time job they are responsible for.

We have built a great trail system and one that many people enjoy. To keep it, we need everyone to be aware and respectful of what they are doing. The whole idea of snowmobiling in our community is being able to enjoy the resource that is right here at our fingertips. It is fragile at best and the trails can disappear at a blink of an eye. Landowners control the use of their trails, not the club. Think about this when you’re riding around, how fragile the whole system is and how a few unconscionable snowmobilers can ruin it all. Be a positive advocate for our sport. Pay attention to the signs that say QUIET ZONE, PLACE LIGHTS ON

LOW BEAM and RESIDENTIAL AREA. These all indicate it’s a delicate area and at anytime the landowner could say keep out because you can't follow your own rules. We sometimes are our own worst enemy. Pay attention to signs, use common sense and protect our trail system.