GROOMING and RIDING at the LAKE

roadtech

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Well Folks it's time for season seven, are you ready?
Last year was one of the Lake's lighter snow seasons, I spent most of the
winter grooming rocks and grass. This year is not going to be a clone to last. The winter prediction
is getting closer, I promise you will like it.
Last year's weather was screwed up by a monster warm water BLOOB in the Gulf of Alaska, we need that to
move and all will be back to normal, (what's normal) who knows! Any way this will be a much better winter sledding
year.
Here's a couple of pics to get us started

See you on the trails
Don :cool:
 

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roadtech

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I have been asked for a map of the trails at the Lake for years,
since MY map has been worked on in my head for over thirty years that's hard to
put on paper, this map covers east west from hwy 831 east to hwy 855
and north south from the Thorhild Grazing reserve to the top end of the Big pipe line.
The best thing to do is come out here and get lost and have fun.
At the Lake we have approx. 1000km of bush trails, and about 80km of those are groomed, the Ski hill, great ice fishing,
and I will mark a 5km XC ski trail this year.
So the groomed trails start from the block 14 (Bullet)follow the Gold-Orange trail south and then east to the Big Pipe line
and then follow gold-orange trail west and north to Cricket lake, from the groomed trails you can head out on your own
and explore.

See you on the trails
Don:cool:
 

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roadtech

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Hi Folks
Well it's 115 days until Grooming Season
Before that time I will have to change out all the track bearings which have been
donated by a kind Friend of the Groomer, replace the front tires on the track pods to the new and improved version, add an additional
electric fan to force air over the tranny cooler,
change out all the fluids in the Geo and I'm thinking of building a blade so I can gather
snow from the trail edges.
Shrek is again this year donating a huge amount of time and effort in modifying the groomer platform,
along with several things that will come up.

The Geo was a huge improvement in comfort and quiet compared to the Rhino, so I should
be out there grooming for several years.

The Sledders of the Lake are the reason I do this, you are very generous in helping me with the costs
and you PICK UP AFTER YOURSELF, I have never had to pick up garbage or beer cans since I
started this little venture, Many Thanks to you, as you are responsible folks using and not abusing
Alberta's beautiful back woods.

See you on the trails
Don
 

roadtech

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Hi Folks
The Steel Bridge or Trailer Deck that was put in place across the creek at the north end of the creek is in need of a new deck. This is used by
many of us and someone will have a major wreck if not repaired. Thought was if we could get a good price on new or used 3x12 get a work crew this Fall and
fix that little problem.
Anyone with enough planking or a place to get some please speak up.
the bridge is approx. 50 x 8.5.
Plus I can't cross the bridge with the groomer until it's repaired
See you on the trail
Don :cool:
 

roadtech

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Hi Folks.
This speaks for it's self
See you on the trail
Don :cool:
 

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roadtech

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The Geo has about 80 hp and the Rhino has 30 plus,
the Rhino did a great job, but looking at the driveline on both, the Geo is so much tougher with
automotive running gear.
Don
 

roadtech

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I did some modifying today and can now add a snow plow
to the front of the Geo, this will assist in grooming and collecting snow from
the trail edges.
See you on the trails
Don :cool:
 

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roadtech

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Hi Folks
Well it's time to put my two cents into this winters weather prediction.
I have heard that winter is going to be warmer than normal, an El nino bomb is going to stop the snow from
coming this year, and a few more comments that make it sound like the province of Alberta has moved
south of the 49th. Sorry folks if you think this is going to be an unseasonably warm winter you're
mistaken.
The snow will come, it will be 40 below in January and the snow here at the Lake will be as good if not better than four years ago.
You may or may not have heard of a "Hudson Bay Chinook", by the time this winter is over you will know what I'm
talking about. The H.B.C. is weather from the northeast Artic, this will effect our winter in Alberta this season.

Now the snow will be here in two weeks, the end of this month is going to be miserable, wet and cold.
October will be sooo nice.
November will be so dam cold, on the 25th it will be -25 and about 10 inches of snow by then.
December is still cold not much for snow until the 15th 18 inches for Christmas.
January, is not going to be nice until the end of the month.
February and march is always the same, the most snow lands here at the lake in late winter.

Now you know this is all BS, but, the weather here at the lake is like Arizona, just 50 degrees cooler:cool:

This time of the year is so great at the Lake do your best to get out and visit your favorite Fall spot.

See you on the trails
Don
 

roadtech

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Well folks it's time to start the "Call for Winter" I picked up a nice load of fire wood yesterday, the winter is gauged by the size of your wood pile. :rolleyes:
I installed an extra electric fan in front of the tranny cooler on the Geo, I noticed last year when we did get a dump of snow and I was pulling hard the temp rose
to over 200 f so I would pull over and take a 5 minute break, it would cool to around 100 and I would continue on. So after getting a fan off of Ebay for $80 It installed fairly easy
let it run while I was tying up lose ends and about 15 minutes of run time and it SH-T the bed already. Shrek if your offer still stands I could use yours please.
The big job will be replacing every bearing on the tracks, will start that job this afternoon.
I was out on a scouting ride Friday and the trails need some pruning but should be normal cleanup duties this year.

See you on the trail
Don
 
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roadtech

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HeyFolks
FYI the first flakes of the Fall hit the Lake this morning.

You will be lovin the snow at the Lake this year.
Don :cool:
 

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It's gonna be great then because last year was OKish. :ThumbsupMsn:

And have lots of boneless goose for making double cheese smokes to cook along the trail.

You have a muff pot on the GEO yet?
 
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roadtech

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Snochuk
You're a genius, never thought about that, I will add that to the list of Very important things to do.
Don
 

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Snochuk
You're a genius, never thought about that, I will add that to the list of Very important things to do.
Don

"Snochuk you're a genius"......careful Don....those types of words will make his head swell so much he won't be able to get his helmet on.....lol
 

roadtech

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Well Folks I have held off long enough, 55 MORE DAYS UNTIL SNOWMOBILING AT THE LAKE!!!

See you on the trails
Don :cool:
 

roadtech

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Well Folks
This is a first for me
On Saturday October 10th I have planned a work bee, normally I do most of the Pruning myself
but time is starting to catch up on me, so if your interested on volunteering your time it would be appreciated.
There is a section of trail I groom but it is too tight for he Geo so I need to clear some of the bigger willows back,
now it's a section of trail that takes us to the old black tub. it's about 3/4 of a km long. If you look on the map on the 1st page it is just above the
location where is says Grazing reserve. it will be about an hour quad ride to get there, there's no mud this year and most of it is road and trail riding
Bring a saw and a friend.
Leave my place at 10 and be back by 330 - 4
PM me if you would like to go.
Don
 
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snochuk

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"Snochuk you're a genius"......careful Don....those types of words will make his head swell so much he won't be able to get his helmet on.....lol

Got this bad boy yesterday so we wlil be OK on the trail for jerky, peperoni, and smokies.
20 yds with bow
 

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roadtech

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Well Folks
Spent the last two days rebuilding the tracks, changed out all the bearings, replaced 4 guide wheels looks like I'm
back in the grooming business for another year.
Needed to do some work on the track Walking Beams, the extra weight is showing up on a few parts.
Camoplast had updated their front tensioner, this was to stop derailing of the tracks and to help the guide tires from wearing, the old part was round and the new piece is
square, well worth the change if it works.
Hope this is the fix, I have replaced 6 tires over the last 4 years an the new and improved version is now 95.00 up from 75.00.
The main hub bearings are now being lubed by a Liquid grease , the new style tracks are lubed this way so I thought I would give it a try.
Here is a few pics of rebuilding process, if you own a set of S4 tracks make sure you are servicing these every year.

See you on the trails
Don :cool:
 

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roadtech

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Hi Folks
Well had a great day clearing the brush around the Lookout
Love my new Stihl brush cutter
See you on the trail
on
 

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