HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1971-11-18, Page 25NEW Hurriciie, 644 CC's, 35 HP.
Lightning, 398 CC's, 30 HP.
Because it has to be better,
C-•••••,- •
267 Victoria Street
The most up-to-date stock of accessories avail able a' the
right price.
Snowmobile suits of all colors and sizes
We -have no used machines !Jut would l ikei to have your's.
ARCHER'S SALES & SERVICE
"WE SERVICE WHAT WE S
Highway. No. 4* S: CLINTON
"
That's how it happens. That's how Yamaha built the World
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the 1972 line of "better" snowmobiles at your local Yamaha
dealer.
Then it's ready for you. A
YAMAHA
It's a better machine
482-9167
International Survey Discloses
The snowmobile has made 90
per cent of Canada's dog teams
obsolete,- including those of the
RCMP. Trappers, Who once had
to set nets•under the ice to get
fish to feed their dogs, now can
travel 50 miles by pouring one
gallon of gas into their machine.
And besides, with dogs they could
make a little more than 25 miles
a day on "the trapline. With the
snowmobile, they can go 100
miles.
Here are some of the indus-
trial uses of the machine in
various parts of Canada:
-For transportation of feed
and mending of fences in Nova
Scotia, Prince Edward Island and
New Brunswick.
-Gathering maple sugar in
Quebec, as well as quick access
to the sick by doctors.
.- In' Ontarid, by the depart-
ment of lands and forests, which
uses 300 machines for various
aspects of department work, and
by Dell Canada, which uses about
• Rocket, 339 CC's, 25 HP.
Three great machines. From
fast to very fast. They're all
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And they're all on display in our
showroom. See them today.
ACCESSORIES '
• Speedometers
• Snowmobile Covers
• Merc Snow Suits
• Quicksilver Winter
Formula 25 Oil
MAKE YOUR MIND UP
ON A MERC AT
SEAFORTM
SPORTS and
MARINE
JIM HOPPER
USED
`69 Moth-Ski
28-hp.
available.
R.R. 2, Seaforth, Ont
527-0775
100 to check and patrol power
lines.
-In Manitoba, by cottagers -
like those in all provinces - to
reach resort areas and in Sas-
katchewan and Alberta, by cattle-
men to watch their herds.
- In British Columbia, by
game and other government de-
partments for surveys and by
hunting guides to take customers
to hunting areas.
In Ontario, the accessibility
to wider hunting grounds has
forced a shortening of the moose-
hunting season in the northern
part of the province.
Other provinces have not
limited hunting seasons because
of the machine, but all provinces
enforce a law which prohibits
hunters from shooting or even
carrying a loaded firearm in a
snowmobile. It is also illegal
across Canada to chase animals
in machines.
Although the outlook for the
snowmobile is optimistic,
dangerous use of the vehicle
resulted in more than 60 deaths
in Canada last year, including
35 in Ontario and 18 in Quebec,
the two provinces where it is
used most widely.
(Continued from page 7)
ThrOugh our survey we found
that a minimum depth of three
inches of snow is recommended
for` snowmobile operation.Trails
should be designed with a purpose
in mind, showing points of scenic
or historical interest. The topo-
'-'graphy should be varied to keep
the rider interested and on the
trail. The most popular trails
connected, towns, scenic lookouts,
or restaurants and gave a purpose
• to snowmobile trips.
To get the maximum return
from availablejand, trails shbuld
be designed for niultiple use such
as snowmobiling in the winter
and trailbikes, horseback riding
and hiking in the summer. Trails
should ' not conflict with other
winter sports like cross-country
skiing or snowshoeing. Not only
is this unsafe it also infringes on
the rights of others. We also
advo'cate the sensible zoning of
areas where no vehicular traffic
is permitted. These wilderness
areas should be respected by all
those concerned. -
Our study indicates that trails
should be at least ten feet wide
and run in only. one'direction.
We foend that even some very
wide trails had dangerous spots
at sharp curves if they ran in
both directions. To eliminate
possible head on cdllisionS, one-
way trails Should be the rule. If
necessary, on extremely wide
trails, the construction of a
median in the center can be an
effective means of dividing a
trail.
Width in trails may have to
vary in some cases because of
the terrain, but situations where
a snowmobile must attempt to
squeeze between two trees or
other fixed objects should be
avoided.
While the trail systems we
visited varied in length from
only four miles to 500 miles, the
average, and suggested trail
length, is 50 miles. The most
popular system designed was the
spider web, which in most cases
fit perfectly into the pattern of
old logging roads which were
utilized for the trails. Small
looped trails within a larger
system provided Suitable length
for all types of riders. For
instance, in a system where the
longest trail is fifty miles,
shorter trails of one, five, ten,
and twenty-five miles within the
longest trail Ure ideal. The
important thing, here is to make
certain a snowmobiler can easily
return to his original starting
point. The best areas had a sign-
in, sign-out system set up at
the start of all trails in order
to keep track of how many people
are out on the trail.
Markers should -be erected
to denote hazardous or sensi-
tive areas. Areas that snow-
mobilers should- stay away from
can be effectively, marked off
She's sitting pretty • in her
belted turtleneck sweater,
stretch pants, and borego lamb
boots fashioned for apres
snowmobiling and skiing fun.
with bright plastic flags or snow
fences.
The survey shows that it is
very easy to stray off a trail
when riding over an open stretch
of land,. and that finding the
place where the trail goes back
into the forest can be quite dif-
ficult. Make sure trails are
identified over long, open
stretches.
While to the uninitiated banked
curves may be considered safer
than flat curves, area operators
interviewed believe that banking
the curves encourages high
speeds while flat curves will
result in a reduction of -speed.,
Our study shows that banked Vr
curves should only be used to
protect snowmobilers from,a
sudden drop-in terrain or a fixed
or hidden object. Trails that
run adjacent to a sudden drop
in terrain, such as a deep valley
or a cliff, should be avoided as
trails tend to get drifted over
and side hitting on a snowmo-
bile becomes difficult. If re-
routing* is impractical,, the con-
struction of a fence or other
barrier between the trail and
the drop, will minimize this
problem.
Snowmobilers should not be
allowed to go - out on the trail,
system alone. We found that the
better use areas enforced a
,,Buddylsystem" rule, check-ins
and check-outs are advisable.
Both of these rules will cut down,
on the number of lost or stranded
snowmobilers.'
In the Province of Quebec, the
birthplace of snowmobiling; the
government is probably the least
active in snowmobile trail de-''
development of any snowbelt
government. There are literally
thousands of miles of undeveloped
trails in this Province.
More needs • to be done to
encourage use area develop-
ment throughout the snowbelt.
Economically these trail sys-
tems are a boon to the com-
munities in which they are
located. Virtually every area
contacted 'emphasized a new ec-
onomic prosperity which
occurred as an oa-growth• of
snowmobile activity. But this
is not the only consideration.
Trails are needsi to. insure
satiety, to safeguard the ,
environment, to protect the rights
of non-snowmobilers, and to give
those people'Who enjoy the thrill
of an 'afternoon's ride across
a• snow white trail a chance to
use their machines in a properly
constructed and maintained area.
104---THE HURON EXPOSITOR, SEAFORTH, ONT., NOV. 18, 1971
Snowmobiles Make
Dog Teams Obsolete
Thinking of a
SNOWMOBILE
Think of The
TORONTO DOMINION
the bank where people make the difference
W. D. STEPHENSON, Manager
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