NEWS
April 29 2017
The Cramadog Annual General Meeting was held at Loggers Station House in Ardbeg with all directors in attendance. A number of members were on hand to review the year that was not kind to sledding, ask questions and listen to changes that is occurring in organized snowmobiling.
Anne Marie Lawlor stood down from her position as director with the club and we would like to thank Anne Marie for volunteering and her dedication to snowmobiling.
Thanks Anne Marie!
Ted Larocque volunteered to replace Anne Marie and was acclimated to the position. All other directors volunteered to remain as directors.
All participants were positive and definitely hoping for a better sledding season next year !
March 15 2017
I guess that is it! We were still hoping that it was not over but with the lack of new snow and with the past meltdowns there is virtually no hope of saying we will have trails to ride on again this season!
The Cramadog Snowriders would like to thank all our permit buyers who purchased permits this season thinking like everybody else that it would be a fantastic year with at least 10-12 weeks of great sledding and flat trails. However that was not to be!
WE can’t have three bad years in a row – so next year will be the year that snow and cold will start in November and end in early May!
We would also like to thank our business supporters including Logger’s Restaurant, Duck Rock Resort and Duck’s Nest Restaurant, Municipality of Whitestone and anybody else that supports the club that we have missed!
Above all we have to thank our hard working and dedicated volunteers that worked so hard to get trails in shape only to have Mother Nature wreak havoc and turn them to mush or wash them out.
The year started with about 4 feet of snow but we soon found out that with all that snow, there was no frost in the ground. Volunteers soon found that out pretty quick when they went out to check trails and found themselves hip deep in the swamp!
Finally we get things froze up, the groomer guys get things nicely groomed and we get a meltdown. Trails don’t get back into shape for about 2 weeks and they were in pretty good shape. D102C gets open on Thursday and another meltdown hits and we have to close that trail Monday due to washouts.
Temperatures hit +10C highs and above freezing temps at nights on Family Day weekend and we could not groom. Trails were busy and we were glad everybody could at least get a ride in that weekend.
So like we said next year will be the year we have November to May trails!
Hope to see on the trails next year!!
December 2016
Wow it has been a long time between updates! It has been an interesting year and extremely poor season last year. Let’s hope we get some cold and lots of snow so we can get those trails groomed with that new Husky we finally got last year.
Last year proved to be a write off with only about 4 weeks of sledding with only about 1 week of really good sledding on Cramadog Trails. We can only do better and with any luck and cooperation from Mom Nature we will see 10-12 weeks of grooming this year
Stay updated on the Cramadog Facebook page. It gets updated a lot quicker than the webpage !
March 2015
A little history on how CSC Trail 600 came into being one of the most heavily traveled trails in the Cramadog Trail system
January 10 2015
A New Year and certainly not like last year, some trails were limited available Dec 17. We didn’t even have much snow this year on Dec 17.
New Years eve brought snow and then suddenly we have 2 feet plus thanks to daily squalls. Whitestone staked Jan 5 and 6. Volunteers are having a hard time packing trails and some swamps again are refusing to freeze, likely due to all the rain and snow melt in November. Volunteers will carry on and hopefully we can get something open very soon!
Lots of snow on the lakes will mean slush and early travel may not be the greatest.
October 2014
Wow! Another year gone by and what a great winter we had last year. Trails open Dec 17 and didn’t close until April 3. Over 15 weeks of spectacular riding on some of the best rails in Ontario!
Depending on what forecast you look at it looks like we are in for another great winter. Glen tells me the weather goes in 7 year cycles and we are in year 2 of cold snowy winters – lets hope he is right on that!
Volunteers are out checking and brushing trails. Equipment is being tuned up so bring it on!!
We have a trail re-route this year – CSC Trail 600( Lake Trail ) is being moved from Auld’s due to a number of reasons. Those reasons include but not limited to some area homeowners not wanting sledders go through the property, speeding sledders along the road in Auld’s and other unspecified reasons.
Heading north from Ardbeg, CSC Trail 600 will now leave Gooseneck part way down and travel along an old logging road and connect with D102C at the big bend. CSC 600 will follow D102C to the Hogsback where it will go back onto Wahwahkesh and reconnect with the existing 600 and head north to Loring.
Trail maps and OFSC interactive maps have been updated
Please do not go on or travel on Auld’s propery as this will be called TRESPASSING and you may get charged accordingly.
Again the club this year has applied for a new groomer. A large amount of the club’s reserves have been allocated for the application and it is more important than ever to BUY WHERE YOU RIDE. Go online and save 30% before Nov 1. So lets hope the stars align and the trail’s committee sees the light and the CRAMADOGS get a grant for the new groomer.
December 26 2013
Hope everybody had great Christmas celebrating with family and friends and here is to a great start to the NEW YEAR with trails open til at least the end of April!
Looks like the season is off to an early start. We have C104D at LIMITED AVAILABILITY from Dunchurch to Ardbeg to TOP C . This is the earliest Cramadog has been able to open a trail in years. The big groomer has been Ardbeg to TOP C twice but we haven’t been able to get Ardbeg to Dunchurch yet due to some of swamps not freezing yet. We are hoping we don’t have a meltdown and the swamps freeze up enough that we can get more trails open and groomed with big blue!
The lakes got a head start freezing but have slowed down with all the snow. We are hoping to get them staked once we get a solid 10 inches of ice, hopefully in the next week or so.
Keep an eye on the OFSC map for updates!
October 1 2013
Hope everybody had a great summer!
It looks like summer is another one for the books. It was a little inconsistent and we can hope that winter starts early and stays late and be more consistent than we had this summer. A lot has been happening over the summer and although it was sunny and 30 degrees out there we were still talking and planning sledding and looking forward to the coming season! We are aiming to have the best trails in the district!
There are some changes happening in the OFSC which will affect everybody that rides the trails.
BIG NEWS
Falling permit sales and revenue has initiated a change in how the OFSC will be moving forward. A committee from various member clubs was formed to review and recommend changes to how the OFSC and the member clubs operate. To make a long story short and as a transitional effort to get sledders back into sledding and purchasing permits, the OFSC and member clubs voted on and approved this change at the AGM held in Markham September 19-21, 2013.
As a result FULL SEASON EARLY EARLY permits may be purchased online from OCT 1 to OCT 31 at a cost of $180 plus a one time shipping and handling charge of $7.50. Approval from the MTO has not yet happened and as today, online purchasing is not ready. It is expected that the MTO will approve this initiative by Friday Oct 4. So get ready to buy your permits early from Cramadog!
IT IS NOW A GO > PLEASE GO ONLINE AND SUPPORT CRAMADOG!
This change may also impact on Cramadog funding so it is important to indicate CRAMADOG SNOWRIDERS as the club you want to support!!
This is a great deal – don’t miss out !!
After OCT 31 permits will be $210 and after DEC 1 $260.
Another change – if a permit is purchased after MARCH 10 it will entitle the permit holder a permit for the following year.This initiative unfortunately was not approved by MTO at this time however it is likely to happen before the season is over! Stay tuned!
Buy your permits on line before OCT 31 and save!
When you buy online please make sure you indicate CRAMADOG SNOWRIDERS as the club you are supporting.
We are hoping to have Volunteers for the club onsite at the Duck Rock Resort and Whitestone Lake Resort to help you purchase your permits online. Times and dates to be posted here and on the Facebook page.
Watch for updates here or at ofsc.on.ca
Work and Projects
As noted the club has been busy over the summer and below are some of the projects we have been working on to improve the trails for your sledding enjoyment –
- Rehabilitation of the Mud Creek Bridges on D102C. Cribbing, railings and decking are to be replaced. The club has submitted an application for funding for this project. Cost is estimated to be about $30,000. These bridges are in poor condition due to the cribbing failing and must be fixed or the trail maybe closed or posted as limited due to teh groomer being too heavy for the bridges.
- “Syncovitch Swamp” Placing of geotextile fabric, granular and culvert to allow earlier grooming. Cost for this project is in the $30000 – $40000 range.
- Culvert placement on C104D near Dunchurch will allow earlier grooming and remove the big dip in the trail at this location.
An application for TDF funding from the Tourism Ministry has been submitted. No response as of yet. District 10 has voted to set these projects as the #1 priority for the district. We hope to obtain this funding to get this work completed this fall.
District 10 clubs are developing Tourism trails within the district. As we are part of D10, two of these trails will travel across Cramadog trails. A total of 7 tourism loops are being developed.
New groomer request!
The club has submitted a request to the OFSC to obtain a new groomer. Although the existing groomer is in pretty good shape it has proven to be not really suited for the Cramadog trail system terrain. District 10 has voted to set the Cramadog groomer request as the #1 priority. The request has been submitted for a Prinoth Husky. This groomer will be more suited for the terrain found in the Cramadog trails system. We are hoping for positive results .
Always looking for volunteers!! If interested —
CONTACT THE CLUB AT cramadogs@gmail.com
Spring news 2013
In April we held the Volunteer and Landowner Dinner at the Dunchurch Legion. There were about 60 landowners and volunteers in attendance to sit down to a nice roast beef dinner, following the dinner we handed out club awards and had some draw prizes.
Awards and Presentations for the 2012 -2013 season were-
Rex Gabriel – Rookie Volunteer of the YEAR
Rex seemed to be always there when needed and is now a director for the Cramadogs!
Rex was also the recipient of District 10 Rookie of the Year Award!
Glen Dadswell – Club Volunteer of the YEAR
Glen works tirelessly grooming the 600 trails and any other trail that needs work. Signing and anything else that needed done. He also built the 2 new relief stations ( toilets) at the crossover and at the Mag bridge
Peter Keck – Special Appreciation Award
Special presentation for all the work Peter has done in not only grooming but servicing and
fixing equipment and all the other work he has done over the many years he has been with the club.
Muriel Stiles – Appreciation Award
Muriel has been the club treasurer for 13 years. As I said she keeps telling me she wants to retire. Muriel has always been there to keep the books straight and with the many changes in reporting over the years this has not always been easy task. Muriel was presented with a gift of appreciation from the club and a big thank you for all the work she has done over the years. Muriel was also voted District 10 Volunteer of the Year Award!
Geoff Scanlan – Appreciation Award
Geoff took over the club about 9 years ago as president. Geoff has lived and breathed Cramadog for that long. There have been many changes in snowmobiling over the years and Geoff was there to meet them and above all always promote the Cramadog Snowriders. Geoff was presented with a a gift of appreciation from the club for the leadership he has provided over the years.
DRAW PRIZES
There were a number of draw prizes donated by local businesses and volunteers. Thanks to all who donated. The prizes were well received.
The OFSC has a Landowner draw for gas cards every year. This year Dale McDonald from Ardbeg won a Landowner $50 gas card from the OFSC.
YOUR CRAMADOG EXECUTIVE
As a result of the recent Cramadog Directors meeting, below are your officers and directors for the 2013-2014 season –
Cramadog Officer and Directors Positions
April 1, 2013 to March 31 2014
PLESAE NOTE – We still need a secretary of the club – if you are interested please contact us at cramadogs@gmail.com March 25 2013 The days are getting longer and warmer, that means winter is over and another sledding season has wrapped up. It was a tough start to the sledding season, early on in January we had some good snow, club volunteers started packing and dragging trails for the big groomer to start and we got whacked with a melt down that lasted about week and a half! Finally got some more snow mid-January and we started packing and dragging again. The only benefit of the meltdown was that it gave us a good base but the swamps were still not freezing. Trails were limited availability January 24 for a few days and then we were hit with another meltdown and trails were made unavailable for a few days. Finally we were able to start grooming on a regular basis in early February. Once grooming started C104D Dunchurch to Ardbeg to the Hydro- line was in great shape for the season. A different story on D102C to get this trail ready. There were approximately 50-60 large tree falls from above the Magnetawan Bridge to past the junction of D102C and 600. This meant a lot of work to remove the deadfalls and D102C was not available to mid – February. Once the trees were removed and this trail groomed, it was in great shape. Club trails 600, 602, 603, 604 were in great shape this year with 605 being probably the best we have ever seen. This trail has to be one of prettiest trails in OFSC District 10 winding through the bush and frozen wetlands from Whitestone Lake to Wahwashkesh Lake. All in all not too a bad season on the Cramadog Trail system. We were able to stay available or limited available until March 24, which is over 2 weeks longer than last year! We had to go unavailable because lakes have started to slush up from the warmer weather and mostly because the snow was melting! We also have to get the lake stakes off before the ice melts! Spring has sprung!! A great big THANK YOU goes out to the Cramadog volunteers, groomer operators and most importantly our permit buyers and local businesses who support the Cramadog Snowriders. Remember that if you buy where you ride, more dollars will be kept in the Cramadog Trail System to keep the trails in great shape. Please talk to all your friends and have them buy permits from Cramadog next year. As a volunteer organization, the club is looking for volunteers and right now there is great need for a volunteer to fulfil the role as Treasurer, This is an important role in the club, however this role will not take a lot of time out of your busy day! Visit our website – Cramadog.com, like us on Facebook and message the club to volunteer. Let’s hope next season will be a little longer – let’s say from November to April. See you on the trails next year and thanks again for supporting the Cramadog Snowriders. President and Directors Cramadog Snowriders
February 3 2013
So the groundhog saw his shadow yesterday. Gotta hope that rodent is wrong we haven’t really seen any winter yet. It has been a tough sleddin’ season so far. Not much snow in December . January started out not too bad, then a week or so of melt down. Weather turned around and we got a couple of good snow falls cold weather – things were shaping up. Then the last week of January brought almost 50 mm rain and + 5 temps. Now we have snow falling to the north and snow to the south but only a skiff around Dunchurch! Some of the swamps have been slow in freezing and with the weight of groomer, it may have sunk in a swamp if we had taken it out. That would not be a good thing! Nobody wants to spend 2-3 days or more and lots of dollars to get it out. It looks like most of the swamps will be solid enough to start grooming this week If the weather had held and the swamps had frozen quickly the groomer would have been out and most Cramadog trails would have been tabletop. Challenges so far this year not including the weather have been the number of trees down on D102C. We have had to cut and are in the process of removing about 50 large hard wood trees from this trail. This is taking a lot of work and volunteer time and hopefully we will be done this week and we can get the trail groomed and available for this coming week. Club trail 605 also had a number of fallen large hardwood trees. The rain caused a lot of standing water on this trail. A lot of it has either frozen or drained away and it is hoped we can get this trail available next week also. C104D is icy and hardpacked with a few washouts right now with some snow and hopefully some grooming the trail can be available for next week. It was also reported yesterday that the accesses to Wahwahkesh had open water for 20 feet. This trail will remain NOT AVAILABLE for at least a few days until the accesses freeze over again. So far like the last 2-3 years this year has had its challenges just like a lot of other places. Keep checking the website and the OFSC Trail Status Reports for the latest conditions. See you on the trails!
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| December 12 2012Geoff Scanlan has been President of the Cramadog Snowriders for 9 years and now after that 9 years, Geoff has decided to retire. However, I know he will be the first to volunteer and help the club to get trails ready, drag trails and do other volunteer work as needed for a new season.I would like to thank Geoff for all his hard work and dedication to Cramadog because without dedicated volunteers organized snowmobiling would not exist.Geoff has been instrumental in guiding and steering the club in the right direction through the many changes that have occurred over the last 9 years.Dave Matson will be taking over for Geoff as acting president until elections can be held.The club needs volunteers to step up and assist in positions on the club executive as well as trail help and other functions within the club. If you are interested please give any of the directors or Dave a call at 705 389 2752 or email him at david.matson@ontera.netRemember no volunteers = no trailsand as everybody knows – Cramadog trails are some of the nicest trails in Ontario.November 20 2012It’s nearing the end of November and warm weather is still here but it won’t belong until the cold sets in the lakes and swamps freeze, get some snow and start packing the trails. Let’s hope we get the cold first then it can snow ( a lot ) so the trails can get packed and then grooming can get started!Volunteers are working hard at getting the trails cleaned up of fallen trees and brushing, making some trails safer and getting everything else done that needs to get done before the snow gets here.Many thanks to volunteers that have worked hard getting us closer to having great trails this season!
If anyone is available Saturday or Sunday November 24-25, we would really welcome your volunteer assistance in helping clean up some trails around Ardbeg. If you can help please give Glen a call at 705 389 1639. Even an hour or two would be a great help!
October 14 2012 It’s October and I’m sure everybody is starting to think winter. Time to start waxing the sled and thinking about the coming season! It won’t be long until the cold weather is here to freeze everything up and then some snow and then what we have been waiting for since last Spring — snowmobile trails!! Although trails were closed in March, Cramadog volunteers have been working hard to get equipment ready, checking trails, some brushing and numerous other duties and work that goes into getting the season ready. Lets hope we get the cold first then snow so we can get our big groomer out early. We need a good freeze and then about 3-4 feet of snow to allow the big heavy groomer on the trails. A welcome addition this year is a brush bar that attaches to the drag to cut off those nasty “face slappers” that seem to pop up along our trails. Early on in the season the trails will be groomed using our fleet of Skandics and as the season progresses with adequate cold and snow we will have the big groomer out getting the trails into table top condition. Last season although short saw the Cramadog trails in great shape and with cooperation from Mother Nature the trails will be as good as or better than last year. Pray for cold and snow. Do the snow dance and we will see you all on the trails !!!
March 11 2012 Well that is it! The trails are closed for the season. The weather change has been phenomenal -calling for 10+ degrees for the next week which kind of impacts sledding. Ice will start getting soft trails turning to mush and the snow disappearing BUT this season although short was great! We got the cold weather and the snow and grooming done at the right times and the trails were in great shape while it lasted. Can someone say tabletop! Comments varied from “best they’ve been in years ” to “can’t believe trail conditions they are great!” Never had a complaint that I know of this year. Gotta thank the hard work from the volunteers to the groomer guys to the land owners for the efforts in getting the Cramadog trails in such great shape. Can I go as far to say that they were the envy of District 10. Maybe not but must be close! Have great summer- can’t wait til next year!
Feb 13 2012 Winter has finally arrived. Trails are getting groomed and most are in good shape. A little groomer problem has set back grooming D102C north of the Mag bridge but it should be in top shape by Friday night. It looks like it will be great sledding weekend! C104D groomed Dunchurch to Ardbeg Feb 12 and should hold up well if temps stay cold.
January 20 2012 We’ve finally got a little more snow and trails are slowly opening. Check out the OFSC Trail Guide for what is open and what is not open. Ice on Wahwashkesh is still NOT SAFE, please stay off until it is staked. Thanks to the hardworking volunteers to get our trails open in this very inconsistant winter! December 29 2011 OK it is late December and we should have lots of snow and the Club should have trails almost ready to open – but wait Mother Nature is not cooperating. Trails are ready to go once we get some cold to freeze the lakes and swamps and then lots of snow to get the trails set – so we have to wait but remember the snow always comes just a matter of time. Please play it safe and wait til we get trails safe to open. The OFSC website our Facebook page and the Cramadog website will be updated to let everybody know when trails are open and ready to go!
November 12 2011 Volunteer crews are out almost every day getting trails ready for the enjoyable rides once winter sets in. Brushing, improving sight trail lines, filling in holes in the trail, installing culverts, checking signs plus getting the equipment ready is just some of the work required before the snow hits.
Oct 18 2011 Looks like another great season is almost on us. The Club volunteers are working to ensure that you will have a safe and great ride. Here is some of the work done over the last year-
March 12 2011
THE AGM was held with 12 in attendance. A number of issues were discussed including grooming. It was noted that it was extremely hard this year to get the grooming done on a regular basis due to the number of mild spells and the groomer itself. The groomer is really not suitable to the terrain due to weight and type. We are trying to get another groomer that is more suitable to teh terrain however this will take time and money.
An election was held and the following are the Directors for 2011-2012
President Geoff Scanlan
Vice President Dave Matson
Secretary Geoff Scanlan
Treasurer Muriel Stiles
Permit Contact Geoff Scanlan
Volunteer Coordinator Brian Pollard
Landowner Liaison Dave Hodgson
Trail Patrol Mike Serre
Inspection Coordinator Geoff Scanlan
Response Coordinator Dave Matson
Signage Coordinator Glen Dadswell
ORS Data Entry Dave Matson
Web Site Coordinator Dave Matson
Trails Updater Geoff Scanlan
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