Free riding in Castlegar, come on over, BYOB.

moyiesledhead

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Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with guiding and filming in a managed area, it just needs to be done with the proper qualifications and permits which includes liability insurance.

But there IS something wrong with guiding without a commercial recreation tenure. It's illegal! Burns my azz! We pushed hard a few years ago for government to do something about this. What did they do? They gave all the illegal guides they could find a tenure.....many of them overlapping. Not one of them got fined! Government got their money, and created another problem in the process. :rant:

And I totally agree Wayne......cheap azz locals are a huge problem here too. We don't actually have much of a problem getting visitors to pay.......if we're up there at least. Locals go out of their way NOT to pay.
 

Team Pigeon

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Had a lot of pleasant, positive and constructive PM's the past few weeks, thanks for that friends.

Something else come to mind re-reading the string today: if you're handing over trail fee cash and you don't get an official receipt stamped with our logo handed back to you, then the Castlegar Snowmobile Association ain't receiving your money. We printed 250 sequentially numbered carbon copy receipt books at the start of the season just for this purpose.

SO no receipt means it ain't legit. Might as well give your money to some junkie bum on the street wanting to wash your windows. Or put that cash in the yellow lock box.

Our grooming is done for the season, the switchbacks on Goose melted off pretty quick and Ladybird is giving up just as fast having Atco logging and plowing into late January. So we'll try catch you next year eh haha!
Feel free to PM if you've got any concerns.
 

freeflorider

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Our grooming is done for the season, the switchbacks on Goose melted off pretty quick and Ladybird is giving up just as fast having Atco logging and plowing into late January. So we'll try catch you next year eh haha!
Feel free to PM if you've got any concerns.[/QUOTE]

Road is still in great shape up to 4 km +\- goose cr side, snow from there up. Parking is roadside so big trailers...not
ladybird side is awesome, can drive up a long way but I dumped on snow and ride up on the side around 7 km. very nice snow pack and great riding
cheers
 

takethebounce

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I didn't see this last winter.

Having ridden Nelson/Castlegar areas for several years I am always blown away that the club manages to keep it $10 on a honor system. I have always gladly handed over my $10, sometimes a $20 made it into the box because I didn't have change.

I have obviously talked to many locals though who don't pay as they feel entitled to ride those areas as they have been riding their since their balls dropped. It is also a little more unique than some of the other areas as groups of locals spend the night in the cabins, drinking and partying and when you get up their in the morning to drop in you are rather turned off from even going back to the cabin. Don't get me wrong though, its a small percentage of locals obviously that do this but it creates a larger negative perception.

Having family in the area affords me a lot of opportunity to spend time there. I look forward to the improvements the clubs continually do for the areas out there.
 

SavageCanuck

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Unfortunately we used too have the same problem in kelowna with people not paying. Since about 5 years ago are club started posting 2 people at the 2 different entrance points to collect. They use to be volunteers but now they are paid to collect. Some ass hats think it's their right to ride for free.I have a so so buddy that never buys a club membership and gets to the parking lot before the collection people show up.I try and embarrassing him in front of as many as I can, he's just a cheap ass MF.
 

Mantis

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Have to put in my two cents worth...I have been involved with the Castlegar club for several years and watched as it has grown to what it is now. I have volunteered my time helping to collect trail passes - mainly because of my love of the sport and partially out of frustration. I really enjoy meeting new members and putting a name to the face, helping unload/load, diagnosing dead sleds and just shooting the **** with fellow riders in the parking lot. Fortunately, most of the people I meet are extremely friendly and grateful for all the work that is done....then there is the few that bitch and whine about having to pay. It still blows me away after all these years to hear someone bitch...I am no longer involved with the club executive so it is quite simple now...If you don't want to pay, load up your sled and f*ck off. It is on rare occasions that it has come to this but I am past the point of wasting my time and energy on these losers. Trust me, I have shown a lot of patience and try explain the hours and money involved in running a successful club but when someone wants to get in your face and tell you that you have no right to charge for a trail pass or that it is highway robbery, enough is enough. You are right... It is usually locals that are the worst... They think that because they grew up in the area, they should be exempt from paying...but slam paying visitors for coming into their "area". My personal experience has been that the out-of-towners ( including U.S./Alberta /Sask etc.) are the most respectful and courteous and have no qualms with paying - they actually end up donating extra money towards the club. As it has been said before, I would much rather be out riding instead of sitting in a parking lot waiting to collect. I have always said that if everyone held their buddies accountable for joining a club or paying trail passes in other riding areas, everything would be much simpler without the need for parking lot "Natzis ". A couple years ago, the Castlegar club installed payment boxes at both parking lots and cabins to try make it easier for nonmembers to pay and to reduce volunteers having to man the parking lots. It is pretty disheartening to open them up at the end of the day and find them empty despite a full parking lot(special thanks to the "Sask boys", Josh W and all others who do pay -you know who you are). Not really sure what it takes to get it through to these certain few but if you ever have the chance, speak up and help them understand that it is the right thing to do. Thanks for listening....continue to support all the clubs you may encounter and be nice to the person in the parking lot - they're probably giving up riding time!
 
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