MT. Shasta Sno-Mobilers

Transcription

1 MT. Shasta Sno-Mobilers P.O. Box 341 Mt. Shasta, CA Snow Phone: (530) January 31, 2007 Ed Hatakeda, Recreation Forester Mt. Shasta RD Shasta-Trinity NF 204 E. Alma Mt. Shasta, CA RE: Mt. Shasta Sno-Mobilers Concerns and Requests as per the Tri-Forest Snowmobile Trail System, Shasta-Trinity NF Side. This letter replaces the 01/25/07 Draft letter it is the same. Dear Ed, The Club has discussed concerns with the Tri-Forest Snowmobile Trail System, Shasta- Trinity NF side at our January meeting. During the meeting we came up with a list of concerns and requests we wish the FS to address or be advised of. I was also asked to review our past meeting minutes to find items that have been overlooked or forgotten. This is a list of what we have discussed in the meeting and I have found in our past minutes. This in no way is a complaint letter, it is merrily a starting process on behalf of the Club to inform the FS of Club requests or items that the Club and the FS have let fall though the cracks. With the increase in snowmobile and non-snowmobile usage of the system, we need to get a handle on these issues and look to the future. Let me also say the Club knows it has been very frustrating for you to keep up with the ever-changing OHV Winter Grant Requirements and we appreciate your diligents. Funding is becoming more difficult every year to receive due to lack of funds and more areas fighting over them. We also are aware of cuts to the FS recreational programs that has limited any extras and cut existing programs. That s way it is imperative we use the OHV Winter Grant process to it s fullest potential. As always, the Club is here to do what ever we can to help you keep the snowmobile program going. We also urge you to look into the possibility of applying for OHV Summer (or Off-Road) Grant funds. This sport has also grown in leaps and bounds over the past years and this could be another funding source. There is a local Club called SCORR (Siskiyou County Off Road Riders) that is doing a great job of promoting their sport and could be of value in this process. These are not necessarily in any type of order or listed by priority. I know this list seems large, but several of the items are easy to take care of, others just need a status. President: Vice President: Treasurer: Secretary: Eileen K. Maier Dion Meadows Larry Braz Kale Riccomini

2 1. Grooming Issues: The last couple of seasons it seems we ve lost track with concerns to grooming. a. Val and Cliff are doing a wonderful job, but we feel that our volunteer groomers have not been utilized. Granted some of the volunteers have been working during the winter months and can no longer groom and Doc Elgin was undergoing treatments and could not last season, but Phil Carey, Russ Miller and Daren Valdez have been wondering why they are not being utilized. Phil Carey has taken FS chain saw training, CPR classes, and spent countless hours grooming, but he has no idea what his groomer status is. You have never reviewed him. Phil spends $30.00 and a day every year to get his CPR certification. This doesn t seem to matter now. If the volunteers were used, then funds would go further and the groomer could be out on the trails more. b. Last season we received mixed signals about grooming. Doc Elgin received an saying that the FS personal could not groom the rest of the season and that volunteers would have to take over. Yet, no volunteers were called in or used. Then Phil Carey finally got a call and he ended up taking someone with him that had never been on the groomer before. Then one weekend while there was a large group of us at Jack Rabbit Flat we noticed the groomer stopped on the trail across from the flat. When investigating what was wrong, we found there were two guys operating the groomer that had never been on it before. They said they didn t quite make it to the road management sign heading to Chuck s Snowmobile Park when they noticed they had less than half a tank of fuel left. They turned around and headed back. They had no idea there were two fuel tanks on the groomer. Then for some reason they had to get under the cab, but had no idea how to tilt it forward. Thank goodness Phil Carey and Doc Elgin were there. Then we heard from Val that the trail was so messed up she was unable to fix the damage. c. State grooming standards don t seem to apply any more. Weather conditions have a lot to do with putting down a good groomed trail. Grooming during the day when the sun is out does not allow the trail to set before snowmobiles ride over it. Trails are pounded out and don t last as long, thus more grooming needs to be done to keep up with things. d. Chuck s Snowmobile Park receives the most snowmobile use, but has the least amount of grooming. The backside of the Pomeroy Road produces big drifts during snow storms and is one of the most dangerous parts of the trail, but does not get as much attention as it needs. We would like to see a groomer over at Chuck s Snowmobile Park at least twice a week with snow permitting. We are asking the Klamath NF to help out with this too. We would also like to see a groomer shed at Chuck s Snowmobile Park, as this would make grooming to the Park much easier and safer for the groomers. The groomer shed would also be great during the beginning and ending of the season when snow conditions do not allow for the groomer to be used, yet Chuck s Snowmobile Park has plenty of snow.

3 e. Has the Mogal Master hitch been repaired on the groomer? It broke two seasons ago. We know that the FS groomers do not like to use the Mogal Master. It takes time to hook and un-hook, you need a football field to turn the thing around, and on some trails it s all you can do to get the thing through. But, the 19 Road between Pilgrim Creek and Chuck s Snowmobile Park really needs the Mogal Master used on it. Trails last longer, it takes the blade work out of grooming thus leaving a smoother trail and over all the trail is in better condition. Honestly we don t understand why FS personal won t use the Mogal Master if they are paid to groom anyway, it s part of their job. The volunteers don t have a problem using it. f. The Club had determined that grooming trail priority should be as follows. 1. The 19 Road between Pilgrim Creek and Chuck s Snowmobile Park, at least 2 times a week. 2. Ash Creek. 3. Trout Creek. 4. Cramer Springs loop 5. The M31 Road from the 19 Road to the Ski Park Hwy. And 6. The X-Mas Tree Farm. Areas 5 and 6 should only be groomed when the other areas are in good conditions. The X-Mas Tree Farm has not been groomed in several years; it s a hard trail to groom because of drifting and steep conditions. We still get permission from SP to groom through it every year. 2. Damage to the Pilgrim Creek Warming Hut: Last season holes were knocked into the walls of the warming hut. We were told that Dave Travison did not want it fixed. Phil Carey and Doc Elgin were able to get supplies from the FS and fix the damage. Now this year more holes are in the warming hut. Phil Carey said he could fix the holes, he just needs a couple sheets of Harty Board and some screws. Is this something that the FS could get for us? If not, the Club will take care of it. Then talking about the vandalism that goes on at Pilgrim Creek, is there anything the FS or the Club can do about it. Maybe a security system is needed out there. We understand how hard it is to catch someone doing the damage, but this has to stop. 3. Re-stain/Paint Pilgrim Creek Snowmobile Park Warming Hut: Can we get the supplies to re-stain/paint the warming hut? Club members are very willing and can do all the work. 4. Parking signs for Pilgrim Creek Snowmobile Park: Due to increased usage at the Park, it was suggested that parking signs that showed people how to park in the lot would help make room for all. 5. Wood storage for Pilgrim Creek using the groomer shed: It has been mentioned several times before about using part of the groomer shed for warming hut wood storage. Then the groomers could move wood to the warming hut while they are waiting for the groomer to warm up. If this is still alright, we d like to start by having a wood cutting day this summer and put wood in the groomer shed. 6. Closed Road signs on Military Pass Road: We think it s a good idea to place Road Closed signs on Military Pass Road so that uses know the road is closed ahead. From what we ve heard, bear hunters and 4x4 users come up the road and get on the snowmobile trail system from here. They have no idea they are not supposed to be there. If we get a sign, Club members could take it out there. 7. Tri-Forest Snowmobile Park parking permit: We have talked before about implementing a parking permit for the use of the four Snowmobile Parks in the Tri- Forest Snowmobile Trail System. These would be annual snowmobile park permits

4 that users of the parks would purchase to park in the improved parks. The funds for the permits would help out with road and parking area snow plowing and the maintenance of the facilities. With the increase of snowmobile, out of the area/state snowmobilers, x-county skiers, ATV s, family, dogsleds and rental sleds at the Snowmobile Parks we believe this is well worth looking into. Most other states have this type of system. And we have no problem spending the money for their parking permits when using their improved facilities. This would also help to insure that all users of the Snowmobile Parks are contributing to their upkeep. We seem to remember that there is a long list of items that must be done to start such a system, including having it approved by the County. But due to the ever more lack in funds to keep these Snowmobile Parks plowed and maintained, it s time we seriously look into the parking permit. 8. Portable Warming Shelters (8 x16 ): We are thinking of a light weight, portable warming shelter which could be trailered out to a snowmobile trail head, then drug out to an area by a groomer, let s say across from Jack Rabbit Flat. The shelter could have a small stove inside to provide warmth and shelter for those not too friendly days. Phil Carey has some wonderful ideas on these and got the idea from his snowmobile trip to Wyoming. 9. Rest Rooms across from Jack Rabbit Flat: The Jack Rabbit Flat area has become the largest meeting place for snowmobilers. Riding parties meet up in this area, visit, eat lunch, and play. Jack Rabbit Flat is approximately 13 miles from the nearest rest room. Rest rooms in this area, either free standing or portable would help cut down on the trail usage between the Park. It would also help to keep things a tad bit cleaner out there. Rest rooms were once approved for the area, but were not put in at the time to use funds in other areas. 10. Safely crossing the Ski-Park Hwy from the M31 Road: There has been concerns for years about snowmobile crossing the Ski-Park Hwy at the M31 Road. During heavy snow seasons the snow berms on either side of the Hwy can get rather high. It s very difficult to get snowmobiles down one side, safely cross the Hwy and up the other side. Several ideas have been mentioned in the pass, but they have been too costly to really implement. Snowmobiles have been instructed to cross down by the Nordic Center parking lot, but there is no easy way through the trees to get there. Do you have any ideas on how we can handle this problem? 11. Nordic Center Snowmobile By-Pass: I have spoke to Gitane Royce several times this season about the Nordic Center snowmobile by-pass. With some more signs and snowmobile education, I think this problem will resolve its self. It could be a little more confusing because the past couple of seasons the by-pass was not in good enough shape to be used and the Nordic Center just had snowmobiles using the M31 Road and staying to the right. Gitane has suggested that another by-pass be set up on the north side of the area for snowmobiles coming down off the mountain on that side. We have a date set for February 5 th to meet and discuss this possibility. Once again, thank you for all your time and efforts to keep the Tri-Forest Snowmobile Trail System up and running. Your efforts are greatly appreciated and enjoyed by all snowmobilers using the area. As always, if the Club can help or be of service in any

5 way, we are just a phone call away. Without you, this program would not be successful and would not continue to grow. To keep all of our NF up to date, I have copied this letter to the other NF offices involved with the Tri-Forest Snowmobile Trail System, since some of the issues are over lapping. You will receive letters the Club has sent to them also. Sincerely, copy Eileen K. Maier Eileen K. Maier President, Mt. Shasta Sno-Mobilers, Inc. 730 Greenhorn Road Yreka, CA mssc_eileen@sbcglobal.net Cc: Dave Travison, Recreation Director Jim Stout, Recreation Manger Mike Hupp, District Ranger Michael T. Kegg, Recreation Assistant