Snowmobile group tracking storm damage to trail system

The province's snowmobile federation is still trying to get a handle on trail damage caused by the tail end of Hurricane Matthew last week.

The organization is looking for help from the public to find out the full extent of the damage, just ahead of a winter season that would normally have thousands of riders out on the T'railway.

General manager Ben Fitzgerald told the Corner Brook Morning Show that reports have been coming in about parts of the province's 3,300-kilometre trail system that have experienced washouts. But he says much is still unknown.

"Time will tell when it comes to the storm and what it's left us."

The provincial government shut down sections of the T'Railway last week, from Port Blandford to Thorburn Lake, and from Gander to Mary March Brook, near Millertown.

We're strongly encouraging people to send in pictures or anything they have, sort of to be our ears and eyes on the ground.- Ben Fitzgerald

Whether that could affect people's plans for snowmobiling this winter is left to be seen.

Fitzgerald said the focus right now is on the T'Railway, but vast expanses of back country areas also have snowmobile trails, and little is known about them.

"Hopefully as our members get out and about through the trail system, we can get feedback in ASAP as well. So we're strongly encouraging people to send in pictures or anything they have, sort of to be our ears and eyes on the ground."

Anyone who's observed damage to the trails anywhere in Newfoundland can email the information to info@nlsf.org.

A setback for repair efforts

Fitzgerald said it's important to remember that a great deal of work is done every summer and fall to prepare for the next snowmobiling season. And this year was no exception.

Fitzgerald says alder clearing and other vegetation control can only be completed at a rate of about a kilometre a day. Then there's the need for bridge re-decking and replacement, and the surface of the old railbed always needs grading.

Add storm damage to that, and Fitzgerald said it will take even longer to get trails the way the federation would like them to be before the snow flies.

He said after Hurricane Igor, it was February or March before the cross-island snowmobiling link was really put back together.

Sticker to ride

The Newfoundland and Labrador Snowmobile Federation has 13,500 members island-wide, and had its annual general meeting on the weekend.

Fitzgerald said, in addition to monitoring trails for damage, riders should also keep an eye out for the sale of snowmobile trail passes, which could start as early as this week.

Fitzgerald says that money will be put to good use, as there's already a plan to offer more trail grooming this winter across the trail network.

"We have $125,000 put aside for our membership which ... equates to one month's snowmobiling across our network. So it's not cheap to provide one month's snowmobiling, but we're excited to have an extra month contingency plan put in place this year."

As far as criticism of having to pay to ride, Fitzgerald isn't sympathetic. He said rates for this province's snowmobile trail passes are lower than elsewhere in the country.

"I don't think it's something that people really have a valid complaint, I think it's about buying in and keeping our product improved for everyone," he said.

"Having that groomed trail, whether it be for the average person who likes to trail ride, or to be able to access that beautiful back country that we have, I think it's paramount that we have that, No. 1, for ourselves but, No. 2, as a tourism product."