Great read!! Make sure you do your research before you go ride.

[Carbide]

$150 seems weak. Should be higher.

 

[03RX1-ER-LE]

$150 seems weak. Should be higher.

It seems effective, personally only have seen one riding without one and he got stopped at a check point on the trail. The fine is 3xs the amount of the sticker price so seems fair.

 

[cannondale27]

There is a issue I have seen it no doubt but there is a big difference in someone cutting corners on a trail and someone going off trail on land they don’t belong on. Two different types of riders. If you are a trail rider with a 137” you have a mountain sled from back 10 years ago. The trail riders cutting corners and hitting drifts off the main trail cause more crop damage than a Off trail sled in 4-5ft of snow. Also just last year dealt with one trail sled that went through arrow,stop ahead and 3 Chevrons to go through 4 strands of barb wire and land in field on other side of road. Not reported. No apologies and farmer was first to find it! Let me tell you we came within a inch of losing that trail and can’t say I would have blamed the farmer. It scared him and us badly. So there are idiots of all disciplines. No need to play blame game. Just join a club and help.

 

[RobX-1]

Someone going off trail on land they don't belong on regardless of the amount of snow on top of that land is still trespassing and could still eventually lead to trail closures. Sometimes, it's not about the potential damage that could be done but the simple fact the rider did not respect the property owner.

 

[cannondale27]

Someone going off trail on land they don't belong on regardless of the amount of snow on top of that land is still trespassing and could still eventually lead to trail closures. Sometimes, it's not about the potential damage that could be done but the simple fact the rider did not respect the property owner.

RobX of course you are right I never said that but its pure arrogance to imply like many have even here that its just the Off Trail guys causing loss of trails. Just look at any heavily used Trail especially through Farmland. By second weekend open almost every corner is cut that makes a 10 or 15 ft wide trail which could and does cause crop damage even under proper usage and good conditions into a 30ft area of crop damage sometimes. Not only is that damage real $ lost but its a slap in face to the farmer and those of us who put up the trail after asking the farmer for input. We always try to make trails as straight as possible for this reason. If theres a curve its there for a reason and many times its because the farmer specifically asked for it. Now how many farmers land do trails go through? Alot! There that covers my area which is mostly Farmland. Now I will say something I saw twice last season in UP. Taking a break I saw a group of 5 that went as far as I could see only touching the trail to cross it. Shooting into the woods 100ft or more and back across trail to other side same thing. Just thought wow everyone is going to see those tracks going off the trail. Stupid!

 

[stevewithOCD]

In our area I would just like to see more riders that actually buy a Trail Permit!!! I live close to an OFSC main trail and when I am out plowing my driveway I observe the sleds going by and I estimate maybe 10% of the sleds that go by have a permit displayed. In our area they quit the trail warden program a few years back and it has been abused ever since. The worst offenders are the 2 stroke "Racer Boy Wannabees" that are blasting down the trails late at night with their open can power loss exhausts.
If I had my way there would be gates on the private property trails that required a key card to access.
I have been a OFSC trail permit holder since they have existed and IMO they have severe issues that will eventually kill the trail network.

In Maine, our Club Passes are a voluntary donation.
I buy for 2 clubs & also try to go to their Sunday breakfast to kick in a few extra Shekel's.
I find the real Off Trail guys with huge paddles are actually NOT the problem & they ride the deep powder areas they are allowed to cuz they are terrible on the trails anyways.
It only takes ONE guy, but my findings are the CROSSOVER guys that watch the BRAAP vids that ride the trails 95% of the time tearing up the trails then shooting off when they want. Since they don't have the HUGE paddles & tracks, they trench to the dirt in a field.

Maine made all aftermarket exhausts illegal to try to stop agitating the Non-Snowmobile people.
I was talking to a Groomer in lower Maine. He only grooms 30 miles, but has 150 land owners. He looses 5 a year to noise or people going off trail.
He said his system will be DONE within 10 years!

On a POSITIVE note, the ATV market is growing keeping trails open all year bringing in new money so that may save snowmobiling.