CALGARY SNOWMOBILE CLUB Snow Trails & Tales...Randall Callan CSC Internal VP Calgary Snowmobile Club...

Calgary Snowmobile Club – November 2020 Newsletter 1

CALGARY SNOWMOBILE CLUB

Snow Trails & Tales

November 2020

Introducing Your New Board of Directors

On September 22, 2020, the Calgary Snowmobile Club had its Annual General Meeting and Election for the new Club Board of Directors.

CLUB EXECUTIVE

President Darren Whitney

Internal VP Randall Callan

External VP Colin Norman (appointed October 20)

Secretary Ed Bertschi

Treasurer Larry Roman

CLUB DIRECTORS

Communications Director Murray Mowchenko

Destination Rides Director Matt Walton

Events Director (vacant)

Family Events Director (vacant)

Fundraising Director (vacant)

IT Director Wade Wallace

Membership Director Rachelle Callan

Safety Director Jordan Massey

Social Director (vacant)

Trails Director Scott Kjarsgaard

Volunteers Director (vacant)

Director at Large Cam Monteith

Director at Large George Jackson

NEXT CLUB MEETING – December 1, 2020 This will be a virtual meeting online – See Teamsnap/ email for details

Website: www.calgarysnowmobileclub.net Twitter: https://twitter.com/calgarysledclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Calgary-Snowmobile-Club-198646396814898/

The Calgary Snowmobile Club • PO Box 6982, Stn D, Calgary, AB T2P 2G2

http://www.calgarysnowmobileclub.net/

https://twitter.com/calgarysledclub

https://www.facebook.com/Calgary-Snowmobile-Club-198646396814898/


Club Membership vs ASA Membership The Alberta Snowmobile Association (ASA) is the governing body of all snowmobile clubs in Alberta including the Calgary Snowmobile Club (CSC). To be a member of the CSC you need to purchase BOTH an annual membership in the ASA, and pay your annual membership dues in the CSC.

Each ASA Membership is per rider and includes an Alberta Trail Pass. o ASA Membership fees are:

$80 per adult or teen rider 14 years old and up $40 per youth rider up to 13 years of age

o On the ASA Membership you can identify which club you would like the trails portion of the ASA Membership fees to go to. This is NOT the same as “joining that club”! Larger clubs like the CSC have their own separate membership dues to help cover the costs of renting facilities for meeting space, website hosting, banking, mailing, etc. that are part of running a larger club that draws members from several cities and nearby towns.

Membership dues for the Calgary Snowmobile Club are $20 per family. o If you are a family of one, the dues are $20 o If you are a family of 10 (2 parents and 8 kids under 18), the dues are $20

Around this time of year, ASA Membership renewals sent by the ASA start to arrive via Canada Post. Buying your ASA Membership this way only gives you an ASA Membership. It does NOT give you a CSC Membership. If you want to be member of the CSC after purchasing your ASA Membership directly through the ASA, you will need to contact Rachelle Callan the Club’s Membership Director and arrange to present your ASA Membership and then pay the outstanding Club dues of $20 per family.

The Club membership entitles the member to:

Attend Club Rides

Attend Club general meetings and functions (Horseshoe Tournament, Windup Party, etc.)

Receive Club newsletters, Ride Notices, Trail Maintenance events, etc. by email

Receive notice of dealer / sponsor discounts for Club Members (show your Club Membership Card)

Vote on Club initiatives and the annual Club Executive elections.

The Club membership dues (the $20) go directly to the Club and help cover Club-specific expenses such as:

renting facilities for our monthly general meetings and executive meetings

banking fees

mailing costs

web-site expenses/changes

etc.


Club Membership vs ASA Membership cont’d . . . To ensure that you purchase a Club Membership and not just an ASA Trail Pass, please purchase your Club Membership through any of the following options:

At a Club general meeting

From an Executive member

The Mail-in form at the end of each newsletter

The PayPal link on our website’s Join the Club page below: o http://www.calgarysnowmobileclub.net/calgary_snow_mobile_club_join.html o (NOTE: The PayPal option adds a $5 to $10 convenience fee to defray PayPal

costs)

The Mail-in form downloaded from our website’s Join the Club page: o http://www.calgarysnowmobileclub.net/calgary_snow_mobile_club_join.html o The Mail-in form has the option of ASA Youth Passes if you have children 13

years of age or younger who will be riding their own snowmobiles. Thank-you for your support.

http://www.calgarysnowmobileclub.net/calgary_snow_mobile_club_join.html



President – Darren Whitney

Hello everyone and welcome to the 2020 - 2021 sledding season. As I take over as President this year, I know that it is going to require a certain amount of flexibility as we continue to deal with Covid impacts on business and gatherings. That said I would like to list out my goals for the coming year:

1. Set up a virtual meeting capacity (skype, teams, google meet, etc.) to facilitate remote

viewing of general meetings.

2. More frequent high-level financial reporting to the club membership.

3. Selective commitments for the board to prevent “burn-out”

4. Focus on relationship building. This includes CSC to ASA, Government reps, Dealers,

Sponsors, Club Membership, Sister Clubs, etc.

5. Encourage continued support in any way to our home trail network. We have a fairly

small group of very dedicated people that would appreciate any help they can get.

6. Pursue any fundraising activities that we can manage this year. We know some

businesses and members have been impacted negatively by Covid so we may need to

become creative in order to find alternate sources of revenue.

7. Speed up the meetings – we have a basic requirement to cover off things at our

meetings but I do find they can drag out and become tiresome. I want to speed things

up and cover things off more efficiently and then move to a part “B” optional social

element.

Ultimately, we are all here to have fun and be a part of a community organization and as such I will do my best to facilitate that main objective. I am open to new ideas and suggestions from the executive as well as from the membership at large. I am excited to announce that after the adoption of the new executive and board structure we now have an additional 4 members helping out in some capacity. This includes Colin Norman as External VP, Ed Bertschi as Secretary, Matt Walton as Destination Rides Director and George Jackson as one of our two official Directors at Large. Additionally, Cam Monteith, who has continued to help the board officially and unofficially over the last few years is back in an official capacity also as one of our two Directors at Large positions. Any planned rides that we do this year will of course take into account the government guidelines for social distancing, group numbers etc. I have already seen a few emails going around about how to run Poker Rally Rides and similar large gatherings. At this time, it looks like these events can proceed with additional considerations such as staggered start times to limit the size of the groups at any one time in any one location. Also a big push is on to try to sort out online pre-registration and payment for these kinds of events. That said, I am sad to announce that the 50th Anniversary Jamboree has officially been cancelled. I will eagerly attend the ASA Annual General Meeting to hear any additional information and final decisions so that we can plan accordingly for our own events as well as our support of our partner clubs.


President – Darren Whitney cont’d . . . I will close by saying that I think the support we all get by being a member of a club could be even more important this year than ever. It provides social support, saves money when we team up on rides, helps keep us safe and more. I encourage the entire membership to be as active as possible to support one another while remaining as safe as possible. Looking forward to seeing you all this year,

Darren Whitney CSC President


Internal VP – Randall Callan Hello everyone, As your Internal Vice President I want to welcome you to another season of sledding. I hope everyone is ready and eager to hit the mountains. I would like to take in as many rides as I can with the club members hopefully getting to know one another a little bit better. As well, I would like to have flowing communication with anything that you may want to know or need to know, I can either help you with or find out for. Despite the COVID season we're hoping to be flexible with activities with both the rides before and after. In terms of the poker rally this year, we're hoping to keep that as portable as we can so we can fit it in this season as well. Thank you for your vote this year in terms of my position and again if I can serve you in any way let me know. Have a great time out there!

Randall Callan CSC Internal VP


Treasurer – Larry Roman Hi I’m Larry Roman the Club Treasurer. I was born in Calgary and have lived here for over 60 years. I have been snowmobiling for over 20 years. My father lived in the Columbia Valley and had some old snowmobiles which we enjoyed riding on forestry roads and trails in the area. This was the start of my passion for snowmobiling. I’ve had all makes of snowmobiles but not loyal to any one brand. I have been a Club member for about 14 years and joined to support organized snowmobiling. Most of my riding is in the CNP, Fernie and Golden areas. I am semi-retired as of 2 years ago and became Club Treasurer in November 2019 to get more involved with the Club. It’s been a bit of a challenge but I’m getting there. Hopefully we have a great year, pandemic and all.

Larry Roman

CSC Treasurer


Secretary – Ed Bertschi I was born and raised in Camrose where our family spent winters playing hockey, cross country skiing and snowmobiling. Mom and Dad’s snowmobiles were a 1966 Snow Cruiser, 320 Olympic, 250 Elan, a 294 TNT Silver Bullet and a 3500 Citation Ski-doo. Three years ago, I went to Cataract Creek and was impressed with the groomed trails and views. Shortly after that I bought a CSC membership and encourage other snowmobilers to come and enjoy the trails.

Ed Bertschi CSC Secretary


Communications Director – Murray

Mowchenko Welcome to a new season with the CSC. It promises to be an interesting one with all the challenges and impact of Covid-19. It will be important for us as a Club to clearly communicate and then practice how we can enjoy our sport safely under the constraints of Covid-19. I started my sledding career eons ago as a kid on the back of my Uncle George's SnoJet helping him to feed cows in Saskatchewan. My first sled was a previously-enjoyed 1979 Kawasaki Drifter 440. I still have it, and under the right snow conditions it is the most fun of all my sleds. I currently ride a 2011 Arctic Cat M8 with a number of suspension mods. I have ridden in many areas in Alberta and BC with my favourite riding area being (surprise) McBride, BC. This will be my 8th year on the CSC Board. I have created and published the Club newsletter since December of 2012, and managed the annual edits to the Club website. In more recent years I have also worked on projects like the Club’s OH&S Plan, and our communications with the then NDP government on the Club’s concerns about the closing of the Castle Area and others to snowmobiling. My goals for our public-facing Club communications are threefold:

1. To present the sport of snowmobiling as a legitimate and healthy outdoor activity that can be enjoyed responsibly and sustainably by young and old.

2. To build bridges not walls with those who don’t understand us. 3. To present the Calgary Snowmobile Club as an organization that embodies these goals.

I look forward to riding the powder and trails with all of you.

Murray Mowchenko CSC Communications Director


Destination Rides Director – Matt Walton Hello, my name is Matt Walton. I joined the Calgary Snowmobile Club in 2017. Over the next couple of years I started to get involved with trail maintenance and helping out with the Poker Run. This year I was nominated to be the Destination Director and am happy to be here. I grew up in a small village in southwestern Ontario. Riding through bush trails and ditch banging was how I learned about sleds. My first snowmobile was a 92 Yamaha Phazer 11. When I moved to Alberta I had not been out sledding for several years. In December of 2014, I impulse bought a 2014 Arctic Cal M8 LTD. I was instantly hooked again. Over the next few years I started riding Cataract Creek trails and made a couple of trips to Quartz and Gorman in Golden BC. It was a whole new world of snowmobiling. I then realized that I have tons to learn and experience. I look forward to fulfilling my role as the Destination Rides Director for the C.S.C and seeing everyone out on the trails and in the mountains. Stay safe and happy riding.

Matt Walton CSC Destination Rides Director


Membership Director – Rachelle Callan Hey everyone! It's good to be back kicking off the 2020/21 season with a strong executive that has lots of ideas and plans in store! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to hold down the membership director position for another year! Last season taught me a lot and while there were a few bumps in the road, you as members were patient with me and understood! I want to say thank you for the kind words and encouragement that some of you have expressed to me over the year. I really enjoy this position and the reassurance solidifies that! In terms of the survey that most of you filled out while filling out your trail passes last year, the information gathered will certainly help the executive this season when it comes to destination rides and volunteer help! I also wanted to share that while we understand the season might look different due to COVID, I still want to encourage members to attend meetings and purchase your pass in person. We are upgrading our Square so there will be less handling of one's Credit/Debit Card. Any questions in regards to Memberships and the precautions I'm taking feel free to reach out. Thank you!

Rachelle Callan CSC Membership Director


Director at Large – Cam Monteith Happy New (Sledding) Year Everyone and welcome back!!! For those of you who do not know me, or do not know me that well, I’m Cam Monteith and I am the one of the Directors at Large for the CSC. A bit of my background in relation to the club:

I joined the CSC in February 2014.

In 2016 I was asked to join The Board a fill the Safety, Search and Rescue role. I did

this for a couple of years but found myself later on acting in more of a DAL role than the

S/SAR Director.

After being actively involved in working with Scott and Murray to re-write and update our

bylaws, I now find myself filling the said role of a DAL.

My vision for this year (and likely for the next couple years!!):

To support all the Executive and Board Members for those who are in specific roles.

To support and liaise with all club members on an on-going and as-needed basis.

To liaise with dealers, club sponsors, and other agencies/stakeholders relating to our

club.

I’m hopeful that with all the challenges in today’s world that we will still be able to have a full, safe, eventful season. I look forward to meeting and working with everyone for this upcoming season. Regards,

Cam Monteith CSC Director at Large


Trails Director – Scott Kjarsgaard Cataract Creek Snowmobile Trails

Much has been ready at Cataract Creek Snow Vehicle P.L.U.Z. Snowmobile Trails in Kananaskis Country, for the opening of the trails come Dec. 1. My trusty Trail Boss, Darryl Lennox – Groomer Operator Lead/Extraordinaire, Walking Encyclopedia of Cataract, and man of many dreams/ideas/plans – has lead the effort at the maintenance yard and on the trails. Without his consistent communication, my job would be much more difficult. What you will find this year are some very important improvements to the designated snowmobile trails within the P.L.U.Z.


Trails Director – Scott Kjarsgaard cont’d . . . This year Darryl Lennox was able to arrange for a mini-excavator and bobcat to come out one weekend to make some needed safety improvements to the trails. That same weekend, the club rented a skid-steer, and great operator and club member/volunteer Mark Yanick utilized it for more needed trail improvements, ending up taking “the long way back to the trail head” and accomplishing more than planned. Please see the pictures for a taste of what was done this weekend.


Trails Director – Scott Kjarsgaard cont’d . . . August 30 weekend work:


Trails Director – Scott Kjarsgaard cont’d . . .


Trails Director – Scott Kjarsgaard cont’d . . . Another major undertaking was the clean up and organization of the Maintenance Yard itself. A “spring cleaning” was done with Randall Callan taking on the shop and area around it. The team also built a wood shelter – to protect and make accessing our supply of split wood much easier this year.


Trails Director – Scott Kjarsgaard cont’d . . . The equipment has been readied for this winter as well. This past weekend, Oct. 31, saw the groomer get its final go over and adjustments in advance of the snow.


Trails Director – Scott Kjarsgaard cont’d . . . Darryl Lennox, Darrell Belanger, and Dave Smith oiled, greased, tightened, welded, and what-not that unit, and she is good to go. These three also worked on the drag behind the groomer, to address an issue coming out of last winter. Darryl then welded up some spots on the packer-roller to take care some openings on it. Randall earlier got the club’s SWT sled up to stuff to begin the season, so now we await the snow.


Trails Director – Scott Kjarsgaard cont’d . . . Trails have had the “once over” – cleared of all debris and had what little garbage was found on them picked up. This was done by a group of individuals who I will name in my next report, as I do not want to forget anyone, and there were many. The trails also received some additional signage, mostly in the form of a number of new, steel posts with 5 to 7-foot blaze orange poles attached to their tops, to guide people (and the groomer) through the open forestry cut at the top of Cummings (right before Pasque Trail) and through the meadow at the north end of Oyster Trail. Look for them to help guide you through these areas if the groomer track is not that visible. There have been a number of new, small, traffic signs placed in strategic points along the trails, most in the south part of the system, as the north part was in much better shape as a result of Glen Gillis’ work of 2-3 years ago. On another note, we have received a $20,000 grant through the A.S.A., specifically for Trail Infrastructure needs. Our hope to have a safety/warming cabin in place this season at the very southwest corner of our trails (where Pasque and Oyster Trails Meet – where we have had the lunch for the Poker Run on a number of occasions). Secondly, outhouse(s) are on the plan, with hopefully two being in place by Christmas, if not sooner. Finally, working with Public Lands and Kananaskis Country, these funds allow us to set up an official signage plan and produce signs, to allow people to know where they are while on the snowmobile trails. This will encompass a number system like other designated trails on Public Lands, signage at all major trail intersections, and trail heads. This will take some time to get approvals and be installed, but our hope is to have some of the signage up before the winter is over. If you have any questions or inquiries, please contact me through my Club email – [email protected], and I will get back to you.

Scott Kjarsgaard

CSC Trails Director

mailto:[email protected]


Teamsnap – The New Way to Communicate Like the last 3 seasons, the Club will be using the phone app Teamsnap for Club Ride notifications and communications. The Calgary Snowmobile Club has purchased a license for the 2020 - 2021 year that will include access for all Club members in good standing for the upcoming year. NOTE: people whose Club Memberships are not renewed by January 1, 2021, will be removed from Teamsnap.

We use the Teamsnap calendar feature to show and update upcoming Club Rides and events. Members can show that they will be attending a ride by selecting “I’m going” on the ride in the calendar.

We use the Teamsnap chat feature to better coordinate before and after ride activities for members on club rides like where to meet for supper.

It is easier and much faster for us to update Club Membership about upcoming events and rides using Teamsnap than by traditional email. The app can be downloaded for free on iPhones and on Android phones (Google Play). All Calgary Snowmobile Club Members with valid email addresses registered in their paid 2020 - 2021 membership can join the Club’s Teamsnap for free. Another reason to join the Club! http://www.calgarysnowmobileclub.net/calgary_snow_mobile_club_join.html

https://www.teamsnap.com/


https://www.teamsnap.com




Teamsnap – The New Way to Communicate cont’d . . .

How to sign up for a Club Ride using Teamsnap: Choose the Calendar: Choose the Ride: Confirm you are going:

Choose “Availability” to see who else is planning to attend the ride.






Upcoming Events

http://zacstracs.com/ Box 903, Black Diamond, AB T0L 0H0 Canada. Tel: (403) 850-3042 Fax: (403) 770-8200

http://zacstracs.com/



Avalanche Safety Resources for the North

Rockies and other areas of BC

https://zacstracs.com/avalanche-safety-resources-north-rockies/

ZacsTracs has posted a summary of links on

their website related to snowpack and weather info for the North Rockies Avalanche Forecast region. This area is located north of McBride and Prince George and includes Pine Pass, Mackenzie, Chetwynd, Tumbler and the Kakwa.

These links are also useful for other areas in BC.

The listing of links is reproduced below for your convenience. (See the original ZacsTracs webpage for full details).

Avalanche Canada’s Forecaster’s Blog Avalanche Canada’s Mountain Information Network (MIN) Avalanche Canada – Online Trip Planner Avalanche Canada – Mountain Weather Forecast Avalanche Canada – Kakwa Weather Station Facebook – North Rockies Information Share Facebook – Summit Avalanche Consulting Facebook – Kakwa Sledding Info Powder King Ski Hill – Pine Pass Snow-Forecast.com BC Highway Cameras BC Hydro Automated Weather Station Data

https://zacstracs.com/avalanche-safety-resources-north-rockies/


https://zacstracs.com/avalanche-safety-resources-north-rockies

https://zacstracs.com/avalanche-safety-resources-north-rockies/#faq_001














http://zacstracs.com/Newsletters/552/northrockiesresources


Short list of RCMP Detachments in BC

The Calgary Snowmobile Club is not responsible for the accuracy of this information. Please confirm the numbers before your trip! http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/detach/en/find/BC

Chetwynd (250) 788-9221 New Denver (250) 358-2222

Columbia Valley (250) 342-9292 Pemberton (604) 894-6634

Cranbrook (250) 489-3471 Penticton (250) 492-4300

Dawson Creek (250) 784-3700 Prince George (250) 561-3300

Elkford (250) 423-4404 Quesnel (250) 992-9211

Enderby (250) 546-3028 Radium (250) 342-9292

Fernie (250) 423-4404 Revelstoke (250) 837-5255

Fort St. John (250) 787-8140 Salmon Arm (250) 832-6044

Fort Nelson (250) 774-2700 Sicamous (250) 836-2878

Golden/Field (250) 344-2221 Smithers (250) 847-3233

Grand Forks (250) 442-8288 Sparwood (250) 423-4404

Kamloops (250) 828-3000 Terrace (250) 638-7400

Kelowna (250) 762-3300 Tumbler Ridge (250) 242-5252

Kimberley (250) 489-3471 Valemount (250) 566-4466

McBride (250) 569-2255 Vernon (250) 545-7171

Nakusp (250) 265-3677

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/detach/en/find/BC


Sledder’s Backcountry Checklist: From ZacsTracs Sledder's Backcounty Checklist: http://zacstracs.com/faq/?c=rescue-resources

http://zacstracs.com/faq/?c=rescue-resources


Sledder’s Backcountry Checklist continued … From ZacsTracs Sledder's Backcounty Checklist: http://zacstracs.com/faq/?c=rescue-resources

http://zacstracs.com/faq/?c=rescue-resources


Club Sponsors


Club Sponsors continued . . .


CSC Club Rides

(2020 – 2021 season)

Club rides being planned for 2020 – 2021. The list below is a work in progress. It is strongly recommended that Club Members download and use the Teamsnap phone app to get up-to-date information on planned and spontaneous Club Rides and activities.

December 12 - 13, 2020 Golden, BC – Quartz Creek

December 19 - 22, 2020 Sicamous, BC

January 9 – 10, 2021 Corbin/Atlas, AB

January 30 - 31, 2021 Fernie, BC

February 6 – 7, 2021 Parson/Silent Pass, BC

February 12 – 14, 2021 Elkford, BC

February 20 - 21, 2021 Radium, BC

February 27 – 28, 2021 Atlas/Corbin, BC

March 4 – 7, 2021 Sicamous, BC

March 8 – 12, 2021 McBride, BC

March 20 – 21, 2021 Golden, BC - Gorman

April 2 – 4, 2021 East Glacier, Montana – Easter Feaster Ride

NOTE: Weekend rides and locations may change due to snow conditions

All riders must carry transceiver, shovel and probe to participate in club rides. We strongly recommend all riders have an AST I course at minimum.

https://www.teamsnap.com/


Club Board of Directors (2020 – 2021 season)

Board Position Name Phone Number

Email

EXECUTIVE:

President Darren Whitney 403-829-3885 [email protected]

Internal Vice President

Randall Callan 403-829-2886 [email protected]

External Vice President

Colin Norman 403-620-7610 [email protected]

Secretary Ed Bertschi 403-990-0674 [email protected]

Treasurer Larry Roman [email protected]

DIRECTORS:

Communications Murray Mowchenko [email protected]

Destination Rides Matt Walton 403-612-9641 prefer text

[email protected]

IT Wade Wallace [email protected]

Membership Rachelle Callan 403-971-8870 [email protected]

Safety Jordan Massey [email protected]

Trails Scott Kjarsgaard 403-560-6652 [email protected]

Director At Large Cam Monteith 403-875-4866 [email protected]

Director At Large George Jackson [email protected]


[email protected]

[email protected]




CALGARY SNOWMOBILE CLUB Snow Trails & Tales...Randall Callan CSC Internal VP Calgary Snowmobile Club...

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