Times Advocate, 1997-01-29, Page 13First snowfall can cause people to dance
Doug Jones, director of the Pineridge Snowmobile Club gives his best poker -face impression
as he poses in front of two Ski -Doo Grand Touring sleds outside the. Snack Shack. The club
held.a poker rally last Sunday with 260 snowmobilers participating in the events.
By Chris Skalkos
T -A Reporter
EXETER I used to enjoy riding motorcycles. -
For nine years I experienced the freedom of
the open road, riding through the countryside
with the wind brushing past my leather jacket
and the rumble of a 750 cc motor beneath me.
Since Igave up my two -wheeled friends I've
missed the long tours I used to make ridingon '
back country highways during the summer and
craved the feeling of opening up the.threttleand
digging into a twisty road. .
I believed I would get another opportunity
again someday, but I never thought. it would
Come in the middle of winter. =
. Last Sunday I joined the Pineridge
Snowmobile Club on their poker rally and
received. a fix for my motorcycle cravings on a
snowmobile..
When I approached club members about
Writing a story ort snowmobiling.they directed me
to Paul Elder, co=owner of Eldec Enterprises, a
local Ski -Doo dealership_
Elder, who is an experienced .snow. mobiler and
an expert mechanic, immediately insisted I join
him for a ride on one of his sleds. I was hesitant at
•first. It's been years since I've been on a
•
snowmobile and my .past experiences of trying to
pull -start an aging Yamaha 440 to no avail, or
waiting to be rescued after burying the machine in
a snowbank, still haunts me to this day.-
However, Elder caught'me on a technicality,
insisting I couldn't truly write about •
snowmobiling on the Pineridge Club trails -
without experiencing it first-hand.
Two days later 1 found myself decked -out from
head to toe in a Ski -Doo suit and ready to
participate in:the Pineridge Club's much -
anticipated snowmobile Poker Rally on Jan. 19.
Elder provided me with a Ski -Doo Touring
SLE; a small and playful sled by industry
standards. I was glad to see this one was
equipped with an electric starter and a reverse
• gear. Elder was on a fullyioaded Ski -Doo Grand
. Touring 583. with a liquid -cooled engine.
Elder said the machines rolling off the
assembly line today are a far cry from the earlier
models that were prone to breaking down and
many come with such luxuries as hand and . •
thumb warmers; hydraulic disc brakes, dual
suspensions and quieter tracks; -
Some are geared for comfort and touring while
other high performance "muscle" sleds are
custom built for aggressive trail riding. However, -
the ride depends on the terrain and the type of
•
4
Stephen Central Public
School students enjoyed the
snow last Tuesday at their
winter carnival. The event in-
cluded a giant ski race and
snow relays as well as tobog-
gan and snowshoe races. `Pic-
tured above in forefront are
Lea Mudge and Amanda Year-
ley.
snow the machine has to cut through. This, said
Elder, is what sets the Pineridge Club apart from
the rest. .
The club employs two large groomers with a
dual blade system that create a well-groomed trail,
suitable for a smooth ride. •
"It makes a big,difference in the quality of the
ride," said Elder adding many snowmobile -
enthusiasts travel,a great distance to experience.
the Pineridge groomed trails. With a 3,000 kin trail
system running as far east as Seaforth, north to
Clinton, west to Bayfield and as -far south as
Thedford, the Pineridge Snowmobile Club is the
second largest club in the Lake Huron Region.
Club Director Doug Jones said club
membership is up this year, estimating there wert
more than 1000 permits sold_this season. He said
snowmobiling is becoming more popular because
of the many clubs snowmobilers can join and the
vast trail system throughout the province.
"It's making a comeback," said Jones adding its
popularity dropped.off in the mid -80's. "But now
-it seems:that it's becoming a. family sport. More
families are spending their holidays touring the
countryside on sleds." - -
Fred Elder was the club's inaugural president
when it began in 1978 and incorporated two years
later to become a member of the Ontario
Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, (OFSC). This
year, Jack: Brintrtell is president and heads the
executive body Of 18 volunteers. '
Fred said last Sunday's poker rally was a highly
anticipated event because warm spells and rain' ' -
had postponed the event•for the past two years.
Organizers said 260 people participated in the •
rally, purchasing a total of 424 hands in a "share
the wealth" prize
(similar to a 50/50
draw) with proceeds
going back into the
club.
The object of the
rally was to stop at
five checkpoints
and draw a card'in
hopes of building a
winning poker hand
by the end of the
run. -
Snowmobilers
gathered at the first
check.point, the Snack
Shack located on the
main trail owned and
run by Fred Elder and
Wayne Shapton in
. cooperation with the
Pineridge Snowmobile
Club.
After a hof breakfast, sledders purchased the
number of hands they wanted to playand then hit
the trails. At each checkpoint they would stop to
draw; cards. Comradery runs high among -
snowmobilers as they talked about their
machines, shared a few jokes and compared poker_
hands while sipping a hot drink inside the chalet:.
My'riding partner, Paul Elder, was the butt of a..
few jokes as his seven card hands (the maximum
number allowed) seemed to be duds while he
collected a seriesof low -numbered cards..I had
already picked up a pair of aces and a king on one
of my playing cards and thought I was on my -
way to building a winning hand:
But the joke was on us as Elder completed a -
full house with three 3's and a pair of 9's at the
last checkpoint to win the $100 first prize. --
Elder didn't even think about keeping the
money and promptly gave it back to the club as'a.
donation.
However, it was the act of getting from one
check point to another that was the real objective
ofthe rally as individuals, couples and families
travelled in long conveys,- waving as they passed -
'each other on the trail.
The weather couldn't have been better as the
rally took place under a clear blue sky. The sun
shone brightly. through the trees as we.made our
.day through trails that took us through a series of
wooded lots and open fields.
Growing comfortable with my machine, I
couldn't help but lean into a few curves and open
up the throttle across the open fields. A
combination of the tranquil easy-going ride
peppered with the odd rush of adrenalin made
me realize how similar sleds are to motorcycles
and how much fun snowmobiling canbe.
Paul said owning a snowmobile is a growing
recreational activity because it's a sure way to
beat the winter blues.
"If you have a sled you ld4 forward to winter.
When snowmobilers see the first snowfall they
start dancing," he said.
With an open invitation to join Paul -on
the Pineridge Snowmobile
Club trails every winter,
you can bet I'll be dancing
too. •
Snowmobilers Mamie
Hoggarth; her
daughter
. Stephanie, 8,
and Ben
Bennewies
inade the :
poker rally a
family day
on the
trails.
1
RENTAL
tree
at the
TOOL &
RENTAL
STOP
WEEKEND RENTAL SPECIALS
WALLPAPER STEAMER $20.00
ORBITAL FLOOR SANDER $32.50
CARPET SHAMPOOER supplies extra $30.00
Pick up Sat. 9 a.m. and return Mon9 a.m.
TOOL SPECIAL
Milwaukee 5" PALM SANDER
Reg. $110.00 SALE $89
CLOSED FOR INVENTORY JAN. 31/97
center
EXETER 235-4441
PICK-UP
AND
DELIVERY
SERVICE
AVAILABL