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Sno-Skimmers News and Updates: 2/4/2009 - The DOC is going to ride our trails on Monday, February 9th at 9am from Bruce Crockett's house, at 154 Cumberland Road. There has been a "report" that our club groomer can't groom our trails and there has also been a question posed to the State about our trail milage. Please show your support for the club by riding along with the DOC.
1/18/2009 - Some e-mail updates from the MSA: To All on the Alert List - A couple of issues have bubbled up over the past few weeks that seem to be causing anxiety in the snowmobiling community. Both of these issues will be covered in the February issue of the Maine Snowmobiler, but given the number of calls and e-mails arriving at the office, we thought it would be a good idea to send out an interim update. ETHANOL - The introduction of Ethanol as a gasoline additive statewide has led to a lot of concerns regarding snowmobile engine performance and claims of severe damage to engines. Congress has mandated the use of Ethanol, and it will be unlikely we will be seeing a reduction of it in the future. It reacts very differently than regular gasoline with the biggest problem apparently being a relatively short period of time before it begins to break down. Unavoidable moisture in your tank is also a strong mitigating factor. Ethanol is also an outstanding solvent, so all of the gook that has accumulated in your tank over the years is now at least partially dissolved and working its way through your fuel system. Most problems are being reported from riders who topped off the remains of last season's ethanol-free gas with the new blend. In talking to the Snowmobile Manufacturers Association and a number of dealers, we have been unable to substantiate internet chat-room rumors of dozens of sleds sitting at dealers waiting for blown engines to be replaced. However if you are concerned, there are some steps you can take to avoid potential problems. Use your gas up each time you ride. The longer it sits in the tank, the greater the potential for problems. Several dealers have recommended using high-test when you fill up. The higher octane currently costs less than what we were paying for regular last season, and it may make a difference. It may also be helpful to use a fuel additive which can offset some of the ethanol induced problems. The most commonly mentioned ones are K-100, and Marine Stabil. Note that Marine Stabil is blue vs. the red that many of us are used to. You should absolutely avoid the use of conventional dry gas - it will only increase the effect of ethanol. You may also want to remember this next spring when you fire up your lawn mower, garden tractor, etc. The same problems may occur. INSURANCE - Many of you have been receiving calls from worried landowners following a television report Monday night regarding the American Automobile Association Insurance Company's (AAA) decision to cancel a landowner's policy because he allowed a snowmobile trail on his property. This is an isolated incident, and certainly not a trend in the way insurance companies are viewing trails. The landowner in question was quite angry and immediately switched companies, saving several hundred dollars to boot! Certainly most of you are familiar with Title 14, Section 159-A; Maine's outstanding landowner liability law, which for the most part prevents any liability claims against a landowner by persons who access their property either with or without permission for recreation or harvesting purposes. Unfortunately, AAA and their out-of-state insurance company choose not to believe in the protections of this law even though, as near as can be determined, only two cases have been filed, and both upheld the law. I have been told by Bob Duplessie, Maine's Recreational Access and Landowner Relations, that they are actively communicating with AAA in an attempt to educate them and time will tell as to whether they change their way of thinking. The good news is that just about every other insurance company in the state is fine with the law, and if any landowners do have a problem, the best advice is to look for another company - they may even find themselves saving some money. MSA WEB SITE - The MSA web site, mesnow.com, has been down since approximately 3:00 pm Thursday. as a result of a major hardware failure. We have been assured that the failure is unrelated to either ethanol or insurance issues. Our provider has been working through the night, and we expect to be back online as soon as possible. In the meantime thank you for your patience... Stay warm, Bob Meyers -- Maine Snowmobile Association PO Box 80, Augusta ME 04332 Tel 207-622-6983; Fax 207-622-7669 www.mesnow.com
12/30/08 - I missed the "paper" version with the article in it, but saw it online today. Pretty good article overall, she mentioned Val Halla as the clubhouse location, but our "clubhouse" is located behind the Town Garage on Drowne Road: | Snowmobile club ready to hit the trails | | By Sarah Trent (published: December 25, 2008) | CUMBERLAND — After a month of flirting with snow, local snowmobilers are finally up to their handlebars with it. And with 20 inches on the ground after storms last weekend, the Moonlite Sno-skimmers – a snowmobile club in Cumberland and North Yarmouth – can finally kick their operations into full gear.
While most snowmobile riders head north to ride, Sno-skimmers officer Shawn McBreairty said, local trails are plentiful, with about 30 miles maintained by the club in both towns. And those trails, he said, connect to those maintained by neighboring towns, making a network of safe, dragged, family-friendly and publicly accessible trails across much of the state.
In addition to maintaining bridges, cutting brush, dragging snow and signing trails and crossings, the club keeps up-to-date maps of all its trails and works with the towns and local landowners to maintain access.
While the manual labor is difficult, McBreairty said that access is the real issue the club deals with each year.
"Not everyone is a fan of snowmobiling," McBreairty said, and because of that, trails are disappearing. "When I was a kid, there were a lot of fields to ride in. Now, housing developments have pushed the trail network farther out of town."
The town has been helpful, he said, rebuilding the Turkey Lane Bridge this year to give safe access to riders and providing a clubhouse facility at Val Halla, where the club stores trail maintenance equipment. But it's private landowners that the club tries hard to keep happy, McBreairty said, since a huge percentage of the trail system is on private land.
While, thanks to cooperation from Central Maine Power Co., power line rights of way give snowmobilers a consistent access point, he said, "trying to get to the power lines is the issue."
The club's purpose is to stay organized, provide approved trails and hold its members and other local snowmobile riders accountable for their actions.
While the club can't police renegade riders who upset neighbors and landowners, McBreairty said, it can provide the access to keep honest riders honest. And it can groom trails that make sense for landowners – along only one side of a property, for example – to keep everybody happy.
The group's hope this season is to continue informing the community as well as increasing involvement. The club's 30 to 40 members volunteer their time to clear and maintain trails that get used by snowmobilers as well as snowshoers, cross country skiers and dog walkers. It's a shame, McBreairty said, that many people access the trails without supporting – through manpower or a $30 membership fee – the work that gets done.
Overall, McBreairty said, the Sno-skimmers are for people like him who just enjoy the sport and being in town – and appreciate a close, easy place to take kids and families out for a ride.
"I just enjoy getting out into the wilderness," he said, "into areas you couldn't normally see in winter."
Sarah Trent can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 108 or strent@theforecaster.net.
• FYI: The Moonlite Sno-skimmers meet every first and third Wednesday at Toddy Brook in North Yarmouth at 7 p.m. Information and trail maps are available at the Web site, moonlitesno-skimmers.com. |
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12/19/08 - Shawn had a nice sit down with Sarah Trent from the Falmouth Forecaster. I hope the story conveys the desire for the club to stay safe and organized and work with the local landowners to provide appropriate trail access this winter. 11/13/08 - The Forecaster may attend our 12/3 meeting and do a story on the club. We contacted them to see if they wanted to put the new Turkey Lane Bridge in the paper and Sarah Trent, a writer, may come and visit us. She may then put the story in the next edition of the Forecaster. (Be on your best behavior Mike!) 11/12/08 - Dropped off website links and signs to the Cumberland Town Hall and the Rec. Dept and also the North Yarmouth Town Hall. I hope they pass out the links when folks ask about the local maps, etc. We got one hit already from the North Yarmouth Community Happens website, so that's cool. I still need to figure out how to make the online map print clearer...it's still blurry for some reason. 11/4/08 - We have a new groomer for 2008/9! Here is is the "Monster" Mogul Master in the clubhouse: 10/23/08 - We should soon be on Channel 2, Cumberland Local Access for information on our meetings and work details. Look for it soon... 10/19/08 - The Town of Cumberland has been hard at work on the Turkey Lane Bridge. This bridge was in dis-repair last winter and we had no access from the main trail to Falmouth. With the help of the town, this bridge is now solid and ready to be used when snow flies! There will be rails added to the bridge as well and we'll have it properly signed before winter.
 View from Turkey Lane, toward Range Road 
View from the side (notice the improved stonework)
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