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RIDE NY TRAILS ABOUT SAFETY EVENTS MEMBERSHIP FAQ PARTNERS CONTACT
The Official Publication of the New York State Snowmobile Association
New York SNOWMOBILER Online March 2018
Here’s to March Madness!!
ACTION NEEDED:
Support for Adirondack Rail Trail
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 2 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
ACTION ALERT
Submit Comments to Adirondack Park Agency
on the Definition of a Travel Corridor
Dear NYSSA Member:
Since 1996 the snowmobile community has been awarded a permit to maintain the Adirondack Rail Road Travel Corridor from Remsen
to Lake Placid as a snowmobile trail. Six snowmobile clubs maintain the corridor and we have advocated for
the removal of the rails so that the snowmobile season can be extended and other recreational users can enjoy
this route.
In 2016, the State of NY adopted a revised Unit Management Plan that called for the rails to be removed from Tupper Lake to Lake Placid. A great start for what
promised to be a world class multi use rail-trail.
Unfortunately, the Adirondack Scenic Rail Road sued the state and an adverse decision to our position
was made by the court. In part the court found that the current definition of a Travel Corridor did not allow for
recreational uses without a track in place.
Because of your letters, the state has not lost sight of its desire to create a rail-trail and on March 9th
the APA began a rule making process to amend the State Land Master Plan to change the definition of a travel cor-
ridor to explicitly allow for recreational uses with or with-
out tracks on a travel corridor.
A full description of the APA's proposed action can be
found at https://apa.ny.gov/.
There are two alternatives which we support: Alternative 4 and Alternative 6.
Alternative 6 is the APA's preferred alternative.
Alternative 4. "Revise Travel Corridors Definition and Guidelines to allow rail trail on any
railroad corridor owned by the State. "
Alternative 6. "Revise Travel Corridors definition and guidelines for management and use to
allow rail and rail trail use on the Remsen-Lake Placid Travel Corridor and future State-owned
railroad corridors with existing rails. "
Alternative 4 is likely to be rather controversial since it would apply to over 800 miles
of rail corridors that have been long ago abandoned. Some of these would travel through wil-
derness areas to which we are very unlikely to gain access. (Continued on page 3)
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 3 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
Alternative 6 has broad based support among all interest groups and is clearly the least controversial. It will provide access to the corridor from Tupper Lake to Lake Placid, keep our
current access on the rest of the corridor and ensure our access to the Saratoga to Tahawus
line should the state ever acquire it.
We have come this far because of the thousands of snowmobilers who have raised their
voices for the rail trail. It is time to raise our voices once again for the sport.
Please submit comments to the APA in writing or in person at one of three public hearings:
(Continued from page 2)
April 11, 2018
7:00 pm
Adirondack Park Agency
1133 NYS Route 86
Ray Brook, NY
This meeting will be broadcast live via the Agency's webcast system.
April 24, 2018
7:00 pm
The View
3273 NYS Route 28
Old Forge, NY
April 25, 2018
11:00 am
NYS DEC Offices
625 Broadway
Albany, NY
Written comments may be submitted to:
Kathy Regan
Deputy Director for Planning
NYS Adirondack Park Agency
P.O. Box 99
Ray Brook, NY 12977
Fax: 518-891-3938
Email - [email protected]
Please submit all written comments to the APA by May 7, 2018.
Your comments need not be long, you simply need to state
that you support Alternative 6 (or 4); and
THANK YOU!!
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 4 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
2018 SLEDNY EDUCATIONAL FORUM
& NYSSA ANNUAL MEETING April 20-22, 2018
Conference & Event Center NIAGARA FALLS
www.slednyforum.com
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 5 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
SNOWMOBILER Online
New York
Publisher: The New York State
Snowmobile Association
P. O. Box 1040,
Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040
Editor: Anne O’Dell
888-624-3849 x101
2017-18 Officers
President Rosanne Warner, 315-697-8130
Vice
President
Craig LaPlante, 315-854-6719
Secretary Erin Pittsley, 607-316-6587
Treasurer John Occhino, 845-225-3140
Staff
Executive
Director
Dominic Jacangelo, 888-624-3849 x104
Trail
Coordinator
Jim Rolf, 888-624-3849 x102
General
Manager
Anne O’Dell, 888-624-3849 x101
Membership
Helpline
888-624-3849 x103
Join or Renew Membership Online:
Our Website: www.nysnowmobiler.com
www.nysparks.com/recreation/snowmobiles
DMV, Register a Sled: NY Resident
DMV, Register a Sled: Out of State
CONTENTS
ACTION NEEDED: Support for Adirondack Rail Trail P. 2
President’s Message ..Rosanne Warner P. 6
From the Desk of the Executive Director ..D.Jacangelo P. 8
Hand Signals: Two hands are better than one! P. 9
Trail Coordinator Report ...Jim Rolf P. 11
An Experience while Grooming … G. Stinson P. 14
ARTA News P. 16
The Kids are Alright P. 17
Top Ten Reasons to Join A Snowmobile Club! P. 21
National News from ACSA P. 22
AD RATES
March Madness means trimming the overstory on Corridor Trail 4
to Perkins Clearing, aka Melody trail, for these volunteers from
the D.R.A.G. of Speculator Club.
...Photo stolen from their Facebook page.
MARCH MADNESS!
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 6 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
President’s Message: Snow!! It’s out there!! by Rosanne Warner, NYSSA President 315-697-8130 [email protected]
As many of you know, NYSSA works every month on legislatives issues that have an effect on the sport we all love –
Snowmobiling.
While out and about, I often get asked questions from members about where certain legislation stands so I wanted to give
all of our members a little update on the four most common legislations questions I get and where those issues stand.
Increased Registration Fees for Non-Club Members
Last year there was a request from clubs that we ask the legislature to increase the registration fees to non-club members. It
was thought by many that the cost difference between being a member and not being one was not large enough to make a
difference between being a member who participates in education and volunteerism and not being a member at all. At the
request of the clubs, NYSSA’s Government Affairs Committee discussed the issue and contacted some of our elected offi-
cials to see if the bill could be introduced. As of the March meeting, it was reported that the Legislative Director stated that
this was not a good year to introduce the legislation, for a number of reasons, one being the limited snow this year.
Vintage Snowmobile Registration S4454 / A3109
Vintage Snowmobile Registration is by and far the
most common question I receive from members.
NYSSA drafted a simplified version of a vintage
snowmobile bill exempting sleds manufactured be-
fore 1980 from registration. Vintage sled owners
would still be required to carry liability insurance.
This bill has been presented for 3 years with no trac-
tion. S4454 / A3109… Passed Senate 6-20-17 also
passed 6-15-16, but failed in Assembly.
At this time, we are asking vintage snowmobile en-
thusiasts to write to their legislators and urge them
to move the bill forward. Without your support, this
will continue to sit in limbo.
Youth Special Events Legislation A4503 / S136
Youth Special Events legislation was proposed sev-
eral years ago and if passed, would allow youth rid-
ers under the age of 18 to participate in certain or-
ganized and competitive events involving snowmo-
biles. In the 2018 session, the Senate bill, S136 by Senator Little has been reported from committee and is presently on its
third reading the Senate Calendar awaiting a vote.
Landowner Tax Credits S4258 / A5712
Landowner Tax Credits were proposed by NYSSA in an effort to bring some kind of value to landowners who open their prop-
erty for recreational snowmobile trails. This NYSSA believes would also assist in promoting landowner participation in the
creating of trails that promote our New York economy. The most recent report is that the bill has remained in the Tourism
Committee in the Assembly and in the Finance Committee in the Senate. It is believed that with the 2 Billion dollar deficit in
the state budget, this will not be moved forward this year.
These are the 4 most common areas of legislation that I get
but if any of our members have any questions on legislative
issues not listed, please feel free to contact me at:
Ride Safe and See You on the Trails!
Keep an eye on any bill, by searching here:
https://www.nysenate.gov/search/legislation
Photo by Jane Chaddock
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 7 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
ADIRONDACK POWERSPORTS
www.adirondackpowersports.com
APPOLSON'S
www.appolson.com
BIBBEN'S SALES
www.bibbenssales.com
BOB WEAVER'S MOTORSPORTS
www.weaverfever.com
BUCK'S MOTORSPORTS
www.bucksmotorsports.com
CAPRARA'S OUTDOOR WORLD
www.capraraoutdoor.com
CYCLE SHACK
www.cycleshackpolaris.com
DELLA MOTORSPORTS
www.dellamotorsports.net
DON'S POLARIS
www.donspolaris.com
EDELMANN SALES, INC
www.edelmannsales.com
EXCELL MOTORSPORTS
www.excellmotorsports.com
FUN UNLIMITED
www.fununlimitedpolaris.com
GAMBLE DISTRIBUTORS
www.gogambles.com
GRIFFIN MOTORSPORTS
www.griffinmotorsports.com
INGLES PERFORMANCE
www.inglesperformance.com
JAN-CEN AUTOMOTIVE
www.shopjancen.com
KUBECKA'S POLARIS
www.kubeckas.s5.com
LEISURE TIME
www.leisuretimepowersports.com
M&M POWERSPORTS
www.mmpolarisny.com
MADDIE'S MOTORSPORTS
www.maddiesmotorsports.com
MATT'S CYCLE CENTER
www.mattshonda.com
MENNETO POWERSPORTS
www.menneto.com
MOODY POLARIS
www.moodyspolaris.com
PIONEER MOTORSPORTS
www.pioneermotorsports.com
POLARIS OF RIVERHEAD
www.hondaofriverhead.com
POWERHOUSE MOTORSPORTS
www.powerhousems.com
PRECISION POWER
www.precisionpowerservices.com
PREFERRED POWERSPORTS
www.preferredpowersports.com
SCHOFF POLARIS
www.schoffpolaris.com
SSR POWERSPORTS
www.ssrpowersports.com
SPORTLINE POWER
www.sportlinepower.com
SPORTS UNLIMITED
www.sportsunlimited.com
T. NELSON SALES
www.tnelsonsales.com
TC SPORTS
www.tc-sports.net
TEIXEIRA'S POLARIS
www.texeiraspolaris.com
WAITE MOTORSPORTS
www.waitemotorsports.com
ZAMBRI MOTORSPORTS
www.zambrismotorsports.com
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 8 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
From the Desk of the Executive Director By Dominic Jacangelo, Executive Director [email protected] 888-624-3849 x104
A season of mixed blessings.
There is no doubt that this year has been a challenging snowmobile season for me. The last two snows of the season
which dumped good amounts of snow on the eastern to southeastern part of the state, left the west side with little snow
to run. There is certainly enough snow on this side to have me thinking of running up the hill to Grafton today and tak-ing a local ride for a change.
While the season has had its ups and downs, registrations are up over 3,000 past last year’s mark and NYSSA and club memberships look like they are up about 1,000 over last year. Those are encouraging numbers but they do make me
think how much more would they have been had we not gotten the repeated heavy rains. While we certainly lament the less than stellar conditions we cannot lament that this season has produce a far lower number of fatalities than last
year’s 24. Still five fatalities are too many. Most are the result of too much speed.
On the topic of “misery likes company,” I just came back
from a North East Chapter meeting of the American Council of Snowmobile Associations up in Pittsburgh, NH. Pitts-
burgh is only a few miles short of the Canadian border and
is the Old Forge of that state. When we arrived on Wednesday evening the situation was looking sad with
mostly icy conditions and little snow. Overnight and the next two days fixed that with a dump of up to eighteen
inches of snow which turned riding from passable to good.
Pittsburgh Snowmobile Club runs four Piston Bully’s to cover 240 miles and they make an effort to groom every
foot of trail double wide each night. They don’t quite make their goal but they certainly make the effort.
I certainly don’t promote going to other states to ride but if you ever wondered what the Adirondacks might be like if not for the limitation on trail mileage and width, this is a great place
to visit. Trails tend to be twelve to 15 feet wide with a brushed out zone that run mostly working forest land on woods roads. Registra-
tions run significantly more than NY’s registration but not as much
as Vermont and you do like NY get a discount for being a club mem-ber but are charged a premium for being a non-resident. Almost all
their state funding is spent on grooming. The club uses both club funds and RTP grants to buy a new groomer every few years.
Vermont, NH and Massachusetts all reported a modest decrease in membership and registrations as snow conditions have been worse
than ours.
Off-Trail Riding (NOT… Riding off trail)
One of the most interesting discussions which occurred during the meeting was “Off Trail Riding” not to be confused with riding off
trail. It seems as though many new riders are buying mountain sleds and are seeking places to go bushwhacking. These riders are young and tend not to be club members. This is clearly a new type of rider to the eastern part of the
country and challenges us all. Can we provide them this riding opportunity or is it beyond our ability to coordinate with
the private land owner we depend on? I am sure this is an issue we will be exploring over the next several years.
It appears much like last year that March may provide some good riding opportunities as cold and snow is in the near
term forecast. So get out and ride before summer is here.
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 9 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
Hand Signals: Two Hands are always better than one! By Dom Jacangelo
There has been a quite controversy taking place in the snowmobile community about signaling that a rider or riders are following. Should you take your hands off your controls to indicate riders are following? My ad-vice is never in a turn and never when you are uncomfortable doing it. And finally, two hands are always better than one.
So you still feel some desire to warn oncoming traffic that riders are following? The Rad Light may be an an-swer. At the Big East this fall, RoczToyz.com was kind enough to supply me with several Rad Lights to test out. It is a very simple device that shows either a Green Light or an Amber/Yellow Light. You display the Yellow Light to indicate that sleds are following and the green light if you are the last sled in line. The unit is relatively inexpensive compared to past similar products and installs without tools in minutes using the Velcro strips that come with the unit and your RCA type power outlet. The unit comes with a power lead but I found that a splitter and your existing outlet for you heated shield works fine. The unit uses very little power as it is LED based.
Several years ago I heard someone state that these lights were illegal since a green light may only be used on an EMT’s vehicle. My read on this is that since a snowmobile is not a motor vehicle as expressly stated in the Vehicle and Traffic law and that the prohibition is contained in Article 9, Section 375 relating to motor vehicles the restriction does not apply to snowmobiles. This understanding was confirmed by the DMV and does not seem to involve any other state agency.
Remember that every system has its weakness and it is the same for these devices. You can believe you are the last snowmobile in line and not realize that there are sleds relatively close behind you. Proving, that while not required, mirrors are a good thing! Or you can see the green light coming towards you and make assumptions about oncoming traffic. Always stay to the right!
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 10 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
2018
SUPER RAFFLE!
Arctic Cat ZR200
1 of 3 snowmobile grand prizes
Donated By:
Sun & Snow
Recreation
Arctic Cat dealer
Look for the
2018 SUPER RAFFLE tickets
coming soon to your local club!
2018 Arctic Cat ZR200
THANK YOU
To the
SADALLAH FAMILY!
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 11 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
Trail Coordinator Report by Jim Rolf, NYSSA Trail Coordinator 888-624-3849 x 102 [email protected]
TRAIL NEWS
Remsen-Lake Placid Travel Corridor UMP multi-use plan
The lawsuit from the railroad vendor against the NYS DEC, DOT, and APA was a major news item this past fall, and is
ongoing in that the State is appealing the Judge’s ruling against the State’s Unit Management Plan (UMP) to transform the northernmost section of the Travel Corridor into a Multi-use Rail-Trail between Tupper Lake and Lake Placid, where snowmo-
biles will continue to be allowed. One of the 3 major points that the Judge made in ruling against the State was his interpreta-tion of the term “Travel Corridor”, with the others being the Corridor’s historic preservation designation and 2 sections that
were not yet owned by the State. In perfecting their appeal of the Judge’s ruling, the State is undertaking initiatives to correct and/or to clarify the issues brought forth. Steps to secure full ownership of those sections not yet owned by the State, obtain
Parks’ approval to keep the Corridor’s historic designation for the design of the old railroad corridor, and to update the State’s
definition of a Travel Corridor are all well underway.
Recently, the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) presented within their monthly meeting agenda and subsequent vote to
approve a clarification of the term “Travel Corridor definition” within the Adirondack State Land Master Plan (ASLMP). The clarification amendment provides that a travel corridor is not just a railroad corridor and that rail-trail conversions as well as
snowmobile use is acceptable. There will be 3 public meetings on this ASLMP amendment as well as a call for letters of sup-port. Watch for this important CALL FOR ACTION email alert from NYSSA that will give all of the particulars as well as the
process to submit user-group comments. This new amendment includes a few alternatives which the State could undertake, with the favored alternative for the snowmobile community to include “redeveloping a segment of the Remsen-Lake Placid
Travel Corridor or any newly acquired rail corridors with existing rails into rail trails. Use of portions of the Remsen-Lake Placid Corridor for travel and recreational uses, including rail and snowmobiling, has existed since the corridor was classified. How-
ever, the lack of clarity within the definition and guidelines for management and use, specifically for the Remsen-Lake Placid
Corridor, prevented the removal of any segment of the rails”. This alternative would also mean that a proposed plan for the State to secure ownership of a railroad in Essex County which connects to Warren and Saratoga Counties would also meet the
definition of a rail-trail conversion, giving 88 + miles back to the system in those counties which were lost when the scenic train there started up back in 2011. Stay tuned for more info in the form of an email from NYSSA.
Heavy Snows
Over the past couple of weeks the weather went from “summer-like” with high temperatures in the 70’s for a good
portion of Upstate NY, to winter making its return in a big way! Heavy snows, especially in the eastern portion of NY put an incredible amount of strain on some clubs there to get out to open trails. Dealing with their own personal life issues such as
family, jobs, digging out their own homes & businesses, making sure their farm livestock (in many cases) were attended to as required, removing the heavy, wet snow from their own home and/or barn roofs, and then anything else that pops up in a
severe weather event like the one gave them on March 2nd. All of these important items had to be attended to before the club
volunteers could even think about taking care of the trails. And then when they got that opportunity, what did they find? Trees or large limbs were down EVERYWHERE, sign stakes that were standing in unfrozen wet ground were knocked down
from the winds and the snow banks to get to the trails were pretty big.
My point here is that there were some complaints that came in over the days right after the
storm wondering why the trails weren’t opened yet. In most of those calls that I received, the callers didn’t really think about everything else that was involved which may have left some club volunteers
from getting out to open back up in the timeframe that the clubs themselves even wished could occur. Most of the callers had a better understanding of the issues surrounding the situation, and the clubs
then stepped up to take care of their trails so everyone (including the volunteers who sign, build, and groom the trails) could get out to ride. Many times, callers complaining about clubs don’t truly under-
stand the plight of the club volunteers. I see social media posts pointing to the clubs’ volunteers ex-
claiming that “getting the trails in shape right away is what the club gets paid for” or suggesting “that’s your JOB, isn’t it?”.. THAT IS UTTERLY LAUGHABLE! Club volunteers have lives outside of their clubs, and others who may not help at all should really start looking deep down to comprehend that, respect
(Continued on page 12)
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 12 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
that, and step up to volunteer themselves. It would truly give most a different perspective on what is really the situation with
the trail system here in NYS.
Saying all of that,…yes, at times there are legitimate signage complaints about clubs that are then followed up on util-
izing the NYSSA Safe Trails Education Program processes. I don’t wish to discourage anyone from contacting NYSSA with a trail complaint if trails aren’t signed properly, because that’s what STEP is all about. And all signing complaints are taken seri-
ously and inspections are set to check into the complaint. Trail rides are also undertaken by me or other certified advisers, which more often than not proves that the signs are up and that the clubs generally understand the signing handbook guide-
lines. Many times, a few missing signs or incorrect signage is identified and passed onto the clubs to take care of them-selves. Most clubs are accepting of the findings and get right out to correct their oversights. No club WANTS to have
unsafe trails, in my experience speaking to most of the 231 clubs who are responsible for trail maintenance.
(Continued from page 11)
SLEDNY FORUM
Within this month’s online magazine you will find information about the 2018 SLEDNY Educational Forum and NYSSA Annual Meeting, being held in Niagara Falls, NY over the weekend of April 20th to the 22nd. As with any “business”
conference, attendees get out of what they put into it. I suggest each club request that their attendees go to sessions all day on Saturday, attend the lunch and dinner events, interacting with as many other club reps as they can to compare
notes on trail-related subjects as well as on important club organizational issues in order to gain new ideas and/or pass-on suggestions that work for other clubs. The networking that a convention like this offers is only as good as attendees want to take from it. There are MANY successful snowmobile club officials that attend the Forum each year and are more than willing to share their successes with anyone who asks. Take them up on that offer to better your own club!
STATE LAND NEWS
Adirondack Rail-Trail News
I have incorporated this heading’s news above within
the TRAIL NEWS section as there is a very important oppor-tunity for snowmobilers to become involved with regarding
the “Travel Corridor” designation since the Judge gave him opinion on that in his Court decision. I want to reiterate
here though as well, that we need snowmobilers to submit
their support comments to the APA right away (at the email address above) so NYS officials know where the snowmobile
community stands on the planned multi-use trail develop-ment on the northernmost section of the Travel Corridor.
Accepting and supporting Alternative #6 is the suggested option that snowmobilers wishing to give input on to the
State. Thank you again!
Snowmobile Connector Trail Lawsuit vs. DEC & APA
As reported last month, the previously Court-ordered
INJUNCTION that had been in place which stopped all com-munity connector snowmobile development and/or trail work
since the lawsuit was filed has been reversed. That injunc-
tion needed to be removed, so the DEC and clubs can final-ize and begin Adirondack snowmobile trail projects. We are
working with clubs and the DEC to help re-start the proc-esses in place to have he needed work done before next sea-
son starts.
American Trails International Symposium:
April, 2019
CONTINUED REMINDER: Syracuse, NY was
chosen as the “host city” for this every-other-year event which showcases trails, trail-building, sustain-
able trail workshops, and best practices for trail lon-gevity. This event will be held in April of 2019. The
announcement regarding The Empire Trail truly helped to bring excitement to this event being cho-
sen to be held in Upstate New York. The link to the
event is: http://americantrails.org/ee/index.php/symposium/2019 . I am a member of their Event
Planning Committee that will help with event set-up and tours in our area. The first planning meetings
have taken place and went very well with their staff
being very prepared and professional in every detail of the events program. There will be more meet-
ings leading up to the event; all held right near me in Syracuse or via conference calls.
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 13 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 14 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
AN EXPERIENCE, WHILE GROOMING ON TUG HILL By Gary Stinson, Barnes Corners Sno Pals
February 17th, 2018 started out like most other typical Saturday late-night grooming runs for our club, as it usually does on those nights my another
groomer operator and I set-out to tackle all the trails leading south and east out of Barnes Corners (commonly referred to as our Montague Runs). Things sure
changed though, in a split second!
Generally I groom the more southerly route trails, which takes me out to the Worth, Culpepper, and the Salmon River Roads. My turn around point where I
head back home is the gate at the Mad River Club. My counterpart’s grooming
route is more easterly, taking him out to the Tom Sawyer Trail as well as to Parkers, Flat Rock and Olin Roads. His turn around point is the Hook & Ladder
restaurant, where we try to meet each other as we head out for our runs.
The trails were beat-up really bad, as this was the first weekend of the schools’ winter break. Traffic was heavy and the trails consisted of large moguls made
up of sand-like snow. The drags easily flattened everything out, but the surface remained very “mealy”.
We met at the Hook and Ladder as planned. The place was full with standing room only, but we finally got a seat where we could eat. After our meal, we continued out on our separate runs. I finally made it to the Mad River Gate and started for
home. I still had to do Pitcher Road and then my plans were to back-track on the trails I had taken coming from Barnes Cor-ners, fuel up, and get home hopefully by midnight.
As I neared the end of Pitcher Road, my radio squawked and I immediately knew it was my grooming partner trying to contact
me. The reception was terrible but I thought I heard him say he “had a person under his drag”. I completed my run on Pitcher Rd. and as I came to the plowed portion of the road, I made straight for the Flat Rock Rd. intersection. I could not get
any response from the other groomer operator, despite repeated attempts to contact him. Flat Rock Rd. from Pitcher to Park-
ers Corner Road is not very long, and I could soon see the “glow” of the other machine’s lights reflecting off the snow. As I neared the last hill on Flat Rock Rd. just before the bridge and Parkers Corner Rd., I could see someone standing in the trail.
It turned out to be a State Trooper who had been transported back to area to investigate a snowmobile/Groomer accident. As I arrived, the Trooper explained to me that a snowmobiler had struck the other groomer’s drag, which resulted into what I
refer to as a “spectacular accident”.
The Accident: I am reasonably certain that the snowmobiler was traveling at a very high rate of speed when he hit the rear of the grooming drag. The force of the contact with the drag sheared one ski off completely and mangled the sled, which I
believe is a total loss. The driver was catapulted right up and over the superstructure of the back of our drag, so when he
came down he passed through the drag cutting blades and stopped only when he hit the snow being groomed by the drags. Yes, he was right into the business end of the drag and was being pulled along by the drag while the blades were processing
the moguls and smoothing the trails!
To clarify a bit in an attempt to explain the situation leading up to that contact, the groomer was coming down the hill towards the bridge. Operators have a period of time at that point when they are concentrating on hitting the bridge “square” so that
the moguls do not push you to one side or the other into the bridge rails. Once on the bridge, it’s generally a good opportu-nity to look back and check the drag’s position. Imagine the surprise the operator felt when he looked back and saw two arms
reaching up from underneath his drags desperately searching for something to grab onto. The groomer operator immediately
stopped the tractor and got out to check on his “drag passenger”. He dug the snow off of the guy and explained that he would help him out but he first had to raise the drag up by putting the wheels down. Once this was done, the sledder was
removed from his position under the drag’s blades.
The police were called and the State Troopers responded, being transported to the accident scene by a passing snowmobiler. By now, I had arrived at the scene and we soon hitched a chain to the sled and dragged it down to Parkers Corner where it
(Continued on page 15)
NYSSA Online Magazine
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2018 SLEDNY
Educational Forum &
NYSSA Annual Meeting April 20-22, 2018
Come join us at our end of year
celebration
in Niagara Falls NY!
Details: www.slednyforum.com
was loaded onto the back of the drag. Since the driver was injured, I loaded him into the jump seat in my groomer and
took him out to a waiting ambulance which had arrived and was stationed at the Montague Inn patiently awaiting the arri-
val of the injured party.
I learned the next day that he had suffered 4 cracked ribs, a broken left wrist as well as a broken left arm. He was ex-
tremely lucky, as in my eyes he could have very easily lost his
life.
I understand that he received two tickets for the accident. The 1st was for Imprudent Speed and the 2nd for Failure to
Yield to a Trail Groomer. In addition, as I suspected, his sled was totaled. When you consider his health issues, the sled,
and the tickets issued; it was truly an expensive night for this gentleman. In the end, the operator had been drinking, but
was not above the legal limit at the time of the test.
The lesson from this article would hopefully tell readers to
slow down and do not drink if you are driving a snowmobile. Always be prepared for others on the trails, being able to stop
before hitting anything. This accident could have been a lot worse, but the safety message I’d like to end with is to Ride Responsibly and with RESPECT for everyone else out on the trails. Get home safe after each ride!
Submitted by Gary Stinson, one of the Barnes Corner Sno Pals’ groomer operators
(Continued from page 14) Here are a few other signs you should take seriously when out on
the trail!
NYSSA Online Magazine
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Dear Adirondack Rail Trail Supporter:
The Adirondack Park Agency met last week to consider a proposal to amend the State Land Use Master Plan. This is in reaction to Judge Robert Main's ruling last year that the SLMP does not have a category of land use that provides for rail trails. The proposed amendment would create a sepa-rate sub-category of travel corridor that would allow for the continued construction of the Adiron-dack Rail Trail and potentially others.
The Adirondack Park Agency is proposing changes to the State Land Use Master Plan that will allow for rail trail construction on qualifying rail lines across the state. The primary target is the Adiron-dack Rail Trail between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake whose construction was halted by a court or-der based on the definition of a 'travel corridor'. Rail trails would now be a sub-category of travel corridor. More detail is in this article from the March 6, 2018 Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
Adirondack Park Agency (APA) will accept public comment until May 7, 2018. Three public hearing sessions will be held on April 11, 24 and 25, 2018. The full notice is linked here.
We encourage all Adirondack Rail Trail supporters to register their support for the Park Agency’s proposed alternative that will allow for conversion of any portion of the railroad corridor determined appropriate for a rail trail, pursuant to an approved Unit Management Plan.
Please address all written comments to: Kathy Regan, Deputy Director for Planning, NYS Adirondack Park Agency, P.O. Box 99, Ray Brook, NY 12977. Fax: 518-891-3938 Email - [email protected]
Please submit all written comments to the APA by May 7, 2018.
Thanks for your continuing support!
The ARTA Board
NYSSA Online Magazine
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The Kids Are Alright!
The Struggle is Real...James Oliver
Above: Photo by Lisa Brown,
taken in Dickinson NY
NYSSA Online Magazine
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P
hoto
by L
isa
Bro
wn
NYSSA Online Magazine
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NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 20 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
Niagara Falls, New York will be the site of the next Forum and Annual Meeting and of
course, the 9th Annual NYSSA Vintage Show. Have you thought about bringing your
favorite vintage sleds to show?
This year’s show will include classes for both original and restored snowmobiles.
9 T H A N N U A L N E W Y O R K S T A T E V I N T A G E S H O W
Vintage Sled Corner
1 Antique 1968 and Older (Original)
2 Antique 1968 and Older (Restored)
3 Trail Sled 1969-1975 (Original)
4 Trail Sled 1969-1975 (Restored)
5 Trail Sled 1976-1985 (Original)
6 Trail Sled 1976-1985 (Restored)
7 Trail Muscle – All Years (Original)
8 Trail Muscle – All Years (Restored)
9 Factory Race Sled 1983 & Older
10 Active Race Sled 1986 & Older
11 Custom Class – Any Year
12 Most Unique
13 Cutter Combo Class
14 Mini Sled Class
15 Forgotten Wonders
16 Delegates Class
17 Farthest Traveled
18 Best of Show
19 People’s Choice
Registration opens on Friday, April 20, 2018 and judging will be held on Saturday,
April 21st. Awards will be presented at the Awards Luncheon (meal tickets sold
separately) Class registrations will be $5.00 with a $20 maximum for an unlimited
number of sleds.
Thank you to all of the shows sponsors including Super Trax Magazine, Voss Signs and
JGB Enterprises, Inc. as well as all of the clubs and associations who have supported the
event in the past.
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 21 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
NYSSA Online Magazine
Contact NYSSA: PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040 * EMAIL - [email protected] March, 2018 - Page 22 TOLL FREE: (888) 624-3849 * FAX: (888) 317-2441 * www.nysnowmobiler.com
As the unified voice for NY Snowmobiling, NYSSA works year-round to promote
the sport and protect the trails needed for winter enjoyment. NYSSA is recognized
and accepted in Albany, across the state, and nationally as the organization that
represents the rights and needs of New York’s snowmobilers.
PO Box 1040, Pine Bush, NY 12566-1040
888-624-3849 / Fax 888-317-2441
E-mail: [email protected]
www.nysnowmobiler.com
NEW YORK STAT E
SNOWMOBI LE ASSOCIATI ON
Club Events are listed on our website: www.nysnowmobiler.com/events
Safety Courses are listed at
http://www.nysparks.com/recreation/snowmobiles/safety-courses.aspx
NYSSA Calendar of Events
April 20 & 21, 2018 April 22, 2018
SLEDNY EDUCATIONAL FORUM & NYSSA Annual Meeting
Holiday Inn Niagara Falls - 716-285-2521 Ext. 2 (Say you are with SLEDNY)
Niagara Falls Conference Center 101 Old Falls St., Niagara Falls, NY
May 19 , 2018 NYSSA Board of Directors Meeting Board meeting at 1 pm.
Rusty Rail, 3231 Seneca Turnpike, Canastota, NY
July 14, 2018 NYSSA Board of Directors Meeting Board meeting at 1 pm.
Rusty Rail, 3231 Seneca Turnpike, Canastota, NY
Aug 25, 2018 NYSSA Board of Directors Meeting Board meeting at 1 pm.
Rusty Rail, 3231 Seneca Turnpike, Canastota, NY
Sept 29, 2018 NYSSA Board of Directors Meeting Board meeting at 1 pm.
OnCenter, Big East weekend
Nov 3, 2018 NYSSA Board of Directors Meeting Board meeting at 1 pm.
Rusty Rail, 3231 Seneca Turnpike, Canastota, NY
Dec 1, 2018 NYSSA Board of Directors Meeting Board meeting at 1 pm.
Rusty Rail, 3231 Seneca Turnpike, Canastota, NY
(11 days after each BOD Meeting).
May 2, 2018
May 30, 2018
July 25, 2018
Sept 6, 2018
Oct 11, 2018
Nov 15, 2018
Dec 12, 2018
NY Snowmobiler Publication Dates:
www.slednyforum.com