Riding At The Lake 5th Addition!!!

Well Folks
While I still have your attention, and thinking of the great snow conditions we had this past season, I would like to plant the seed for next winter.
During the next 7 months I would like to hear from those who wish to become involved in a grooming association. This is not a snowmobile club, most of us out here at the Lake are Renegades and we come and go as we please, no problem with that. I would like the masses to get a little organized in some pre grooming events ie: a little trail cleaning, removing a few rocks from the trails, when I hit those with the groomer it lifts me out of the seat. Anyways you get my drift here. Everyone has there favorite area to ride, and the grooming started because it was SOOO rough to get to the spot, so if you have some idea's that could help, some muscle power, or rent us your strong kid it would be appreciated for the up coming season. You could PM me or stop by during the summer and we can get a few idea's rolling around in our heads for the future of Riding At The Lake.
See you on the Trails
Don

Well Folks
It's getting closer to Winter Prediction time!!
I have been looking at the moss on the eastside of the trees, the squirrel sh!t, the amount Pine cones on the Spruce trees and anything else that will give me a
B. S. answer
See U on the trails
Don

Winter is coming Don. Lets hope we have another year of groomable snow

Sledderglen said:

Winter is coming Don. Lets hope we have another year of groomable snow

Click to expand...

Funny how we have no problem finding "groomable snow".............

Hay Folks
well it's just about time to lay out the winter weather forecast, I will tell you now, no one will like this years forecast.
so by next week it will be here,
See you on the trails
Don

roadtech said:

Hay Folks
well it's just about time to lay out the winter weather forecast, I will tell you now, no one will like this years forecast.
so by next week it will be here,
See you on the trails
Don

Click to expand...

What you mean about that?

We find out next week lol

Well here we go

I have looked at several of the professional weather forecaster sites and the Old Farmers Almanac, they are all indicating a big snow year and cold, gee you think, this is northern Alberta anyone could figure that one and get it close. There are only a few things I look at and it indicates the exact opposite, there was years during the 90's that we would look out the window hoping the snow would come, no snow here at the lake, lots up in the May Tower, Wandering river area though, so we traveled, get your trailer serviced you will need it this year.
We will get about 2 feet this year but it will be slow coming and and most of it will be in February and March.
There will be some towards the end of October, sorry a teaser, and November will be cold with maybe 6 inches. December is a bust, not much for Christmas. Very first part of January will give us another 6 inches and then the normal freeze your butt for a few week stuff but no snow.

You all know this part of the show has been a total pile of B.s.over all the years I have been doing this so don't get too worked up over it. The only problem is I haven't been wrong since I started doing this, oh well I have a hoot doing it.
See you on the trails this year
Don

roadtech said:

Well here we go

I have looked at several of the professional weather forecaster sites and the Old Farmers Almanac, they are all indicating a big snow year and cold, gee you think, this is northern Alberta anyone could figure that one and get it close. There are only a few things I look at and it indicates the exact opposite, there was years during the 90's that we would look out the window hoping the snow would come, no snow here at the lake, lots up in the May Tower, Wandering river area though, so we traveled, get your trailer serviced you will need it this year.
We will get about 2 feet this year but it will be slow coming and and most of it will be in February and March.
There will be some towards the end of October, sorry a teaser, and November will be cold with maybe 6 inches. December is a bust, not much for Christmas. Very first part of January will give us another 6 inches and then the normal freeze your butt for a few week stuff but no snow.

You all know this part of the show has been a total pile of B.s.over all the years I have been doing this so don't get too worked up over it. The only problem is I haven't been wrong since I started doing this, oh well I have a hoot doing it.
See you on the trails this year
Don

Click to expand...

Well i sincerely hope that you are completely wrong for the first time this year

Hi All the boat leaves at about 1:00 pm on Saturday, I have a LLCOA meeting at 10:00am so hope I'm back by one. My neighbour was out this weekend and moved a few rocks, don't worry there's still lots more, see you on Saturday
See you on the trail
Don

Hi Folks just returned from my little holiday and it's TIME.
Well it's just about time we all start thinking about the 2013 2014 season. A very small group of MEN made the trip across the lake to remove approx. 100 very large boulders. You know the ones we have all been beating our sleds on for the last 20 years, they were easy to identify due to the marks from carbids and sled parts near them. So we thank that group from the bottom of all of are hearts!!!

Now the winter will soon be upon us even though I have not predicted the snows of last year we live in Alberta and it's coming whether we like it or not, and don't get bent out of shape over the prediction you all know it's just B.S. anyway.
The plan for his year's grooming will hope to be the same as last year. I put approx. 1100km on the Rhino packing and grooming last year, should be the same this season.
I'll pull out the tracks this weekend and go over all the bearings, etc. the groomer needs a little electrical work done to the lighting system, and I was thinking about adding a brush cutter to knock back some of the small willows, you know the ones that keep smacking you on the head.
So, all of you folks start thinking about pulling your machines out of where ever you put them and lets do a good going over, after last winters beating I'm sure they need a little TLC.
Have a great Fall season, remember the Hunters are out and about so wear something bright if your in the bushes.

See you on the trails
Don

Hi Folks
Well three fine young men showed up at the Lake last week looking for parts and ideas for snow packing of the trails at Fort Saskatchewan club area.
They spent their own money and time to make the trails better for YOU, remember the next time you see these guys, say thanks, it's what makes sledding better for all of us!!

Now there seems to be some activity on the Lake trails and it's not by me, the county multcher is over at the old gravel pit on the far side of the lake doing some cutting, hope it's not the start of a new pit,
that could put a our trail to the east side in jeopardy.
The new emergency access road is just about completed, I wanted to tell all of the guys planning on using it this winter for an avenue out of the lake that it is full of land mines, the contractor did a nice job finishing it but placed a lot of erosion control on the hills and it is littered with 2x2 stakes holding silt fencing, if it gets covered with snow and you drive through it with your sled it will wreck your track along with your day of fun, stay on the road and you will be fine.
Looks like we will get a skiff of snow this weekend, not enough to do much but it's the start to winter.
REmember Hunting season has started here at the lake use caution when in the bushes.
Started both sleds today, felt good, there's nothing like filling your lungs with Fall snowmobile exhaust smoke, at least it's not 2 stroke smoke any more!

See you on the trails soon
Don
55 Days until Christmas

Hi Folks Just a little bit of Lake News, the lake should be frozen over by morning, - 12 here the last few nights, get them ready it's coming!!
Now for the bad news, the county was over on the far side of the lake and brought in the mulcher when it was wet, so the trail from the Figure lake road to the old pit has been rutted to a point of non repair,
That guy that runs the trail groomer has got his work cut out for him this year.
See you on the trails
Don

See you on the

Too Much Snow

Hey Folks
Well I'll start with the good news, the north end has about 2 inches of ice, walked out a few feet, held me up but heard it cracking around me. The not so good news, it snowed all night and covered over the ice which will now insulate it until it gets real cold.
So if you plan on coming out bring a shovel, and remember this wet stuff can kill you, use caution when lifting and pushing this stuff.
I will be installing the tracks on the Rhino on Sunday, its a big job but you know what's ahead when the tracks go on!!

So we will see you on trails
Don

Hi Folks
Well it stopped at about 4 inches, not bad for the first dump, I got the packer out for it's maiden run I still remember how! The Rhino is running great and will be tracked up tomorrow.
The area is looking like a post card with the fresh blanket of the white stuff, every year at this time I start thinking of putting a snowmobile club together and then I slap myself and then I feel much better. But this year I will do something I haven't done for quite awhile, and that is offer guided trail rides on the groomed trails and beyond once a month. during the winter. It will be open to the masses, family riding, no booze, wiener roast at one of the local trappers cabins, yes ladies there will be a biffy, I'll do my best to keep it in the 100k range, we will leave by 1030 and be back to the Lake by four. There is always questions on this type of ride and I will answer it here, the speed will be around 30 to 50 km/h so the little kids will ride with mom or dad, -15 is the min temp, make sure your machine is serviced, and yes the poor guy at the back will eat a lot of 2 stroke smoke, so we spread out over a good distance and have a couple of qualified riders with radios to run mid and tail end. I've seen as many as 40 plus machines on one of these rides, the more the (merrier) or crazy. So we will see how the fall progresses and go from there.
Have a safe Day
See you on the trails
Don

roadtech said:

Hi Folks
Well three fine young men showed up at the Lake last week looking for parts and ideas for snow packing of the trails at Fort Saskatchewan club area.
They spent their own money and time to make the trails better for YOU, remember the next time you see these guys, say thanks, it's what makes sledding better for all of us!!

Now there seems to be some activity on the Lake trails and it's not by me, the county multcher is over at the old gravel pit on the far side of the lake doing some cutting, hope it's not the start of a new pit,
that could put a our trail to the east side in jeopardy.
The new emergency access road is just about completed, I wanted to tell all of the guys planning on using it this winter for an avenue out of the lake that it is full of land mines, the contractor did a nice job finishing it but placed a lot of erosion control on the hills and it is littered with 2x2 stakes holding silt fencing, if it gets covered with snow and you drive through it with your sled it will wreck your track along with your day of fun, stay on the road and you will be fine.
Looks like we will get a skiff of snow this weekend, not enough to do much but it's the start to winter.
REmember Hunting season has started here at the lake use caution when in the bushes.
Started both sleds today, felt good, there's nothing like filling your lungs with Fall snowmobile exhaust smoke, at least it's not 2 stroke smoke any more!

See you on the trails soon
Don
55 Days until Christmas

Click to expand...

Wow, you are 100% right about that new service road....It is absolutely littered with 100's of wooden 1x2 or 2x2 stakes that would do track damage.....I wonder why they left them sticking out so much??

Definitely a good place to stay away from for sure - Thanks

Hi cat
This is something I will bring up a lot in the thread this winter, I don't think 2 feet of snow will save your track if you drive over those stakes.
Something I will be reiterating this winter on here is PLEASE drive your sled on the right side of a groomed trail, I promise you the ride will be better and it saves the grooming. IF everyone runs down the middle the trail gets the moguls in it twice as fast, if you run the right side the trail only gets half the traffic and will stay smoother for a longer time. If you remember running on the narrow trails how quick the moguls appear, anyways please do your part, stay right on any groomed trail.
See you on trail
Don

Hay Folks
The tracks are on, all went well, thanks to Brian for all his help, a four hour job took two and a whole lot easier on my new knee.
Did some ice depth testing today, had the rhino and me out there that's about 1700 lbs and the ice depth is about 4 ins just off the shore about 50 feet out.
We need -10 for a week and it will be safe to cross at 8 to 10 inches.
Then we can get some snow for packing
See you on the trails
Don

Hi Folks
Well I'm not sure what you folks got for snow but we received about an inch over the last couple of days, and I can't be happier, the next
week's forecast is for quite cool temperatures and we will get some good safe ice out on the Lake because of that.
I'm going to do some ice testing later on today and will report back. I would think there is at least six inches and that will be good to venture out and start ice fishing, it's minus ten here this morning, looks like the sun will pop in and out all day.
So we will see you on the trails pretty darn soon.

I'm going to mention it one more time, thank you to all the folks that stopped at the house and along the trail and donated to Lake grooming fund, as I said I received approx. a thousand dollars last season and it surely helps me out.
When I go out fore the day I burn two pails of gas at around $50.00, plus the wear and tear for a winter of grooming, a set of Hub bearings, a belt, couple liters of Diff. fluid, two oil changes, two bogey wheels at $98.00, and the $22,000.00 for the tracked Rhino.
I enjoy the task of making a smooth trail but the donation helps me carry on for the whole season


For those who are not sure how it's done I'll take a minute here to explain.
It all starts with the ice being safe to cross and from there I put the Packer filled with five concrete deck blocks on the back of the Rhino and drag this back and forth across all the trails you ride on, at ten km/h, can you say BORRING, yes but that's the most important part because it sets the trail for the rest of the season. There is approx. seventy km of trails I groom so it takes along time to do. Now it is also very enjoyable to be out in the forest so it's not that bad. As the snow comes during November and December I continue packing the trails until the end of December and at that point the sleds start showing up and the packer is attached to the groomer and I start shaving the moguls that appear after the sleds start beating up the trails. I need the sleds out there running so I can see where I will need to pack and groom a bit more.
This is the Readers Digest version of my grooming season that will continue until April. I do my best to get out on Friday's to have it nice for the weekend,
sometimes you folks will see me out there in the evenings and I will go out until about three in the morning so it will set up and be ready for the weekend ride.
Anyway this is how I spend the money you folks donate to the Lake grooming fund, I appreciate it and I love riding on groomed trails, I'm sure you do too.
Many Thanks
See you on the trails


Don