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Multi User Trail
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Mike Thomson CNTC
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Mike Thomson CNTC
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Mike Thomson CNTC
Written By Brian Sibbles OF4WD VP, Photo’s By Mike Thomson CNTC
You’ve heard it before and I’ll say it again, the only way to have a sustainable trail system in Ontario is through the joint efforts of all the trail users. Whether you ride a bike, ATV, 4X4, horse or sled it really doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you have a place to enjoy it.
In the past couple years, it has become apparent that everyone is starting to pull together – to let the past be the past, without bickering over who has the best sport or exclusive rights to an area. The volunteer person-power and money that clubs and organizations have must go further each year. We need to share our equipment and personnel assets for a brighter future with the best trails this province has to offer.
A perfect example of this is in the Minden area along the old rail trail stretching all the way from Fenelon falls right up into Halliburton called the Millennium Trail. While this is not an area 4X4 trucks can go, due to municipal by-laws and past issues with illegal dumping, it is definitely a crucial point of access and travel route for our friends driving ATV’s and sleds. Without this trail, those groups are isolated from the other trail systems in the province and are forced to trailer their rides to experience new places; where as in a 4X4, we just pull out onto the road and drive to the next trail, stopping at Timmies on the way.
So that being said why do we, the 4x4 community, care? We can’t use it, so why invest any time or money there?
This type of teamwork benefits everyone. If the ATV’s and sleds can get to other areas of the province, it generates additional business and tourism, driving the point home to the Ontario government that motorized sport in this province is a worthwhile investment. Trails become used more often and therefore more people are willing to buy passes and put money into these areas to make the experience the best it can be.
The OF4WD is a huge supporter of this model and when the Kawartha ATV Association (KATVA) came asking for help on this trail, we were more than happy to lend a hand. KATVA has been struggling with some very wet low lying areas, making the trail almost impassable and torture for the OFSC groomers in the early season. The cost to send a dump truck into the area was through the roof and not in the budget. A plan developed to dump aggregate at the trailhead near a main road and take it in using the OF4WD maintenance trailer that has been outfitted by amazing sponsors to the OF4WD.
October rolled around and OF4WD board of director Chris Muir and club member Mike Thomson, of the Canadian Nissan Truck Club, met up with the small group of KATVA volunteers. Using a rented bobcat and a small excavator they loaded the trailer at the road and towed the load of gravel into the trail, meeting up with the excavator. The weather was horrible with a rain/snow mix however it didn’t stop the efforts of the volunteers who were determined to fix this trail for the upcoming sled and 2013 ATV season. After two days of work, resulting in a mud-plastered truck and trailer, the trail was fixed. With a little dry time and some compacting over the winter this fix will last for years.
So I’ll finish off by saying this. Trail maintenance and access work is like a sports team. If every player (Organization) only worried about himself or herself, they would lose pretty much every game. We are no different, without each other our trail system will suffer and our sports will decline.
So what can you do to make the trails in your area better for everyone?
Can you volunteer some time? Can you organize joint efforts between user groups?
I think everyone has something to offer.