- Staff
- #21
Work you helpful volunteers WORK. Not!!!!
Tyler I'm not afraid of a little work for a good cause. This isn't hard work just a fun way to help make the area better
Cataract Creek Snowmobile Trails offical thread 2016/17
- Thread starter Kaz Dog
- Start date
Work you helpful volunteers WORK. Not!!!!
Tyler I'm not afraid of a little work for a good cause. This isn't hard work just a fun way to help make the area better
- Staff
- #22
I would love to have a place for members to camp, similar to the Calgary ATV club. Typically the government is easy to work with for things like that.
I'll come out one day if no camping, two days if camping
Ill be camping this time also. Be there Friday night or Saturday Morning
takethebounce
Active VIP Member
For those inquiring about camping, Etherington campground I believe is open until thanksgiving for camping. Cataract maybe closed now? Usually it is only open until the September long weekend.
Highwood River tributary (cataract) are open until Oct 31. (for fishing)
I am working weekends all this month. My rotation doesn't favour me this month for helping. Sucks.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Highwood River tributary (cataract) are open until Oct 31. (for fishing)
I am working weekends all this month. My rotation doesn't favour me this month for helping. Sucks.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Teth-Air
Active VIP Member
If you camp in the staging area the fish cops come and make you pay for camping pass. Or at least that's what they did for us a few years back.
- Thread starter
- #25
The upcoming Trail Maintenance Weekend is organized by the Calgary Snowmobile Club, in conjunction with the Backcountry Trails Flood Rehabilitation program and the Alberta Environment & Parks Ministry. We have the support of our work from the Public Lands Department, the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry, and the knowledge of the district office of AE&P. We have made arrangements to cover all contingencies.
I say this so that people who comment "from the past" happenings will know that the club has worked hard for over 4 years to set up a way of conducting themselves in relation to the Public Land that is the Cataract Creek Snow Vehicle P.L.U.Z., with parking lots/Trailheads within A.E.&P's Public Recreation Area's, as well as the area being in a Forest Land Use Zone. It is not as easy a thing to think "we can go out there and fix/help/repair the trails-groom whenever we want". There is a frame work we work with, within the government structure, and it needs to be followed.
We welcome the general public to join us in our efforts, but really would like you to join the Calgary Snowmobile Club, or at the very least to buy a voluntary Alberta Snowmobile Association Trail Pass to help fund the winter grooming and off-season trail efforts on the trails. Your invitation and involvement happens under our insurance policy, that we have by belonging to the Alberta Snowmobile Association. Every thing costs money, you know this, as you own an O.H.V. or a O.S.V. (over-the-snow vehicle). Thank you for your time and effort.
As far as I know, the campground is now officially closed down for the season. We have arranged to camp their over Saturday night, with a few organizers going in on Friday night to set up for the work on Saturday, and Sunday. We thank those that will join us on Saturday and/or Sunday, your time is greatly appreciated.
I say this so that people who comment "from the past" happenings will know that the club has worked hard for over 4 years to set up a way of conducting themselves in relation to the Public Land that is the Cataract Creek Snow Vehicle P.L.U.Z., with parking lots/Trailheads within A.E.&P's Public Recreation Area's, as well as the area being in a Forest Land Use Zone. It is not as easy a thing to think "we can go out there and fix/help/repair the trails-groom whenever we want". There is a frame work we work with, within the government structure, and it needs to be followed.
We welcome the general public to join us in our efforts, but really would like you to join the Calgary Snowmobile Club, or at the very least to buy a voluntary Alberta Snowmobile Association Trail Pass to help fund the winter grooming and off-season trail efforts on the trails. Your invitation and involvement happens under our insurance policy, that we have by belonging to the Alberta Snowmobile Association. Every thing costs money, you know this, as you own an O.H.V. or a O.S.V. (over-the-snow vehicle). Thank you for your time and effort.
As far as I know, the campground is now officially closed down for the season. We have arranged to camp their over Saturday night, with a few organizers going in on Friday night to set up for the work on Saturday, and Sunday. We thank those that will join us on Saturday and/or Sunday, your time is greatly appreciated.
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- Thread starter
- #26
Just a quick not to say thanks for all the PM's, and that we have filled the need for volunteers for this upcoming weekends' Trail Maintenance. We will post pictures of what we are able to accomplish under the T.F.A. for the weekend.
- Thread starter
- #27
Activities for this weekend on the Cataract Creek Snowmobile Trails have been post-poned due to weather. We have decided that we do not want to be on the trails in these wet conditions, nor have to wake up and work in them. I will post again, in October, when we have rescheduled. Thanks for all the interest and support.
Is there actually going to be snow out there this year? My daughter is finally old enough to run a kittie cat behind me. Last year she did good out by sundre, but I would like to get her down on some trails in Cataract. Was anyone actually able to run a machine at cataract last year?
Eldereldo
Active VIP Member
Check last years posts, sounds like there were good times and bad, but the grooming helped a lot to hold snow.
- Admin
- #31
Eldereldo
Active VIP Member
I think the groomer was a test unit for a place in Calgary that was designing a new machine, so they just had to pay for diesel. And one of the members has a couple of drags that he would go out with and tow around with a utility sled. So nothing major, just some basic efforts to see how much difference it could make.
- Thread starter
- #33
Donnie,
Last year the best snow on the trails was from Dec. 1, to early February. There was plenty there for many great days of riding. We continued to ride from February, into April, but I will not lie, new snow was fairly scarce after the end of January, and led to the trails deteriorating. The best snow is always found on "the south trails"; Pasque, Cummings, Skyline, Oyster Excursion, and Fallers - through out the full season - as well as "in the north" on Baril Loop Trail and the western parts of Cataract Creek Trail and Etherington Trail there. Snow is always worst at Etherington and Cataract parking lot accesses/trailhead, and in the valley bottoms.
The Calgary Snowmobile Club Trails Committee has been working with various government departments on the snowmobile trails, support facilities, and trail head parking at Cataract Creek for four years now. Last year we started grooming what we could, and heard on this board when we stopped grooming for two weeks in March (because of lack of new snow and melt). Most, if not everyone I talk to, is anticipating a better snow year this year. I hope they are correct, but I will wait and see what nature brings us. Whatever comes, we know getting on it early (November, before the trail open) and packing it down is essential to having it stay longer and thicker through out winter, and we will do it.
This year we are expecting to do as much, if not more, snow grooming. This past weekend we were fortunate that a club sponsor stepped forward and addressed erosion damage on the system since the runoff and flood of 2013 and before. We are happy to say that approximately 75% of the trails have been re-graded now. In addition, the Backcountry Trails Flood Rehabilitation program has installed two, new, groomer bridges on Cataract Creek Trail. That is in addition to the two they installed last year, one on Etherington Trail and the other leaving the Etherington P.R.A. Campground (unfortunately, the Valley Bottom Trail is still not fully rehabilitated, and this great bridge is not yet part of our grooming activities).
We will continue to use this thread to highlight our grooming activities this year at Cataract. It is the quickest way to do so.
Thanks,
Scott
Last year the best snow on the trails was from Dec. 1, to early February. There was plenty there for many great days of riding. We continued to ride from February, into April, but I will not lie, new snow was fairly scarce after the end of January, and led to the trails deteriorating. The best snow is always found on "the south trails"; Pasque, Cummings, Skyline, Oyster Excursion, and Fallers - through out the full season - as well as "in the north" on Baril Loop Trail and the western parts of Cataract Creek Trail and Etherington Trail there. Snow is always worst at Etherington and Cataract parking lot accesses/trailhead, and in the valley bottoms.
The Calgary Snowmobile Club Trails Committee has been working with various government departments on the snowmobile trails, support facilities, and trail head parking at Cataract Creek for four years now. Last year we started grooming what we could, and heard on this board when we stopped grooming for two weeks in March (because of lack of new snow and melt). Most, if not everyone I talk to, is anticipating a better snow year this year. I hope they are correct, but I will wait and see what nature brings us. Whatever comes, we know getting on it early (November, before the trail open) and packing it down is essential to having it stay longer and thicker through out winter, and we will do it.
This year we are expecting to do as much, if not more, snow grooming. This past weekend we were fortunate that a club sponsor stepped forward and addressed erosion damage on the system since the runoff and flood of 2013 and before. We are happy to say that approximately 75% of the trails have been re-graded now. In addition, the Backcountry Trails Flood Rehabilitation program has installed two, new, groomer bridges on Cataract Creek Trail. That is in addition to the two they installed last year, one on Etherington Trail and the other leaving the Etherington P.R.A. Campground (unfortunately, the Valley Bottom Trail is still not fully rehabilitated, and this great bridge is not yet part of our grooming activities).
We will continue to use this thread to highlight our grooming activities this year at Cataract. It is the quickest way to do so.
Thanks,
Scott
- Thread starter
- #34
Tyler is correct here.
Last year the Calgary Snowmobile Club took on the grooming activities at Cataract Creek, and fully funded it from voluntary, annual A.S.A. Trail Pass fees that people paid either by joining the Calgary Snowmobile Club, Calgary Snow Mobile Club - Come and Join the Club, or by just buying an A.S.A. Trail Pass - and indicating your closest snowmobile club as the Calgary Snowmobile Club -
Anyone reading this post who likes groomed trails to ride on, and wants to ride on them at Cataract Creek Snowmobile Trails, please take the time and either join the club, or at least show your support of Snowmobiling in Alberta, and groomed trails at the Cataract Creek Snow Vehicle Public Land Use Zone and buy an A.S.A. Trail Pass. The "government" won't do it for us, so we will do it for ourselves!
Thanks!
Last year the Calgary Snowmobile Club took on the grooming activities at Cataract Creek, and fully funded it from voluntary, annual A.S.A. Trail Pass fees that people paid either by joining the Calgary Snowmobile Club, Calgary Snow Mobile Club - Come and Join the Club, or by just buying an A.S.A. Trail Pass - and indicating your closest snowmobile club as the Calgary Snowmobile Club -
Anyone reading this post who likes groomed trails to ride on, and wants to ride on them at Cataract Creek Snowmobile Trails, please take the time and either join the club, or at least show your support of Snowmobiling in Alberta, and groomed trails at the Cataract Creek Snow Vehicle Public Land Use Zone and buy an A.S.A. Trail Pass. The "government" won't do it for us, so we will do it for ourselves!
Thanks!
- Thread starter
- #35
Elderedo is bang on here.
This year, to date, will be continuing our grooming activities with two snowmobiles and drags. The club has made arrangement to purchase a used, newer Ski-doo SWT Skandic than one of the ones we had use of last year. The SWT's are more then powerful enough to pull the tow-behind drags we use, and they do an good job of smoothing the trails out.
If all goes as planned, we will also have access to All-Tracks prototype AT-20SG until Christmas, if they don't sell it before that. We have enjoyed a great, and very helpful, relationship with ALLTRACK INC. Their converted Forestry/Oil & Gas unit has proven very economical and exceedingly powerful for snow grooming activities, and we are lucky to have access to it, as we do not have the funds - yet - to buy one.
This year, to date, will be continuing our grooming activities with two snowmobiles and drags. The club has made arrangement to purchase a used, newer Ski-doo SWT Skandic than one of the ones we had use of last year. The SWT's are more then powerful enough to pull the tow-behind drags we use, and they do an good job of smoothing the trails out.
If all goes as planned, we will also have access to All-Tracks prototype AT-20SG until Christmas, if they don't sell it before that. We have enjoyed a great, and very helpful, relationship with ALLTRACK INC. Their converted Forestry/Oil & Gas unit has proven very economical and exceedingly powerful for snow grooming activities, and we are lucky to have access to it, as we do not have the funds - yet - to buy one.
- Thread starter
- #36
This past weekend, the club was happy to receive their T.F.A. (Temporary Forest Access) documentation, and engaged in erosion damage repair to:
1) Skyline Trail
2) Pasque Trail
3) Oyster Excursion Trail
4) the connector trail from half way south on Cummings Trail west over to the entrance to Skyline trail and then further west onto Oyster Excursion Trail/Oyster Creek.
5) the west end of Cataract Creek Trail from the new bridges in the middle and then north onto Etherington Trail and up and over the ridge to the new groomer bridge over Etherington Creek
6) the north portion of Raspberry Trail and finally
7) the central section of Cataract Creek Trail between Spray Lake Sawmill's (S.L.S.) bridge over Cataract Creek back eastward toward the parking lot, to where Cataract Creek Trail has been re-routed across Cataract Creek as a result of the new section of S.L.S.'s Lost Creek Road.
See the video below for just a small portion of the trail that was worked on:
1) Skyline Trail
2) Pasque Trail
3) Oyster Excursion Trail
4) the connector trail from half way south on Cummings Trail west over to the entrance to Skyline trail and then further west onto Oyster Excursion Trail/Oyster Creek.
5) the west end of Cataract Creek Trail from the new bridges in the middle and then north onto Etherington Trail and up and over the ridge to the new groomer bridge over Etherington Creek
6) the north portion of Raspberry Trail and finally
7) the central section of Cataract Creek Trail between Spray Lake Sawmill's (S.L.S.) bridge over Cataract Creek back eastward toward the parking lot, to where Cataract Creek Trail has been re-routed across Cataract Creek as a result of the new section of S.L.S.'s Lost Creek Road.
See the video below for just a small portion of the trail that was worked on:
Eldereldo
Active VIP Member
Wow, nice work, should make a big difference, especially during low snow to start off with smooth trails.
It's good to see the professional organization of the club and areas. For someone looking to go for a test ride or half day ride, will there be a donation box setup at cataract? I for one refuse to give money directly to anyone collecting on the trail.
I'll look into the Calgary Snowmobile Club or A.S.A. trail pass anyway, but as it is voluntary, for guests or non members, it would be easy to just drop a 20 or whatever whenever you use the trail. Just a thought.
I'll look into the Calgary Snowmobile Club or A.S.A. trail pass anyway, but as it is voluntary, for guests or non members, it would be easy to just drop a 20 or whatever whenever you use the trail. Just a thought.
- Staff
- #39
Donnie. This year we will have trailpasses available at a number of different dealers and repair outlets around the area. This money will be used to maintain update and improve the area. Trailpasses and club memberships go along way to improve the overall recreation of snowmobiling. Trailpasses give much needed finanicial support to run the trails and club membership gives local clubs more numbers to work with and to show how important snowmobiling is. These club members are also part of the provincial system which shows our decision makers how many snowmbolierts in the province are organized with the provincial organization which is working to make snowmobiling in Alberta better.
The Alberta Snowmobile Association gave us money this fall from the Trails grant program. Part of this money was used to help purchase a club utility snowmobile to maintain the trails as well as funds to purchase sign posts and trail maintenance tools such as chainsaws and a pole saw. Other money was also used to help fund the trail heavy equipment work that went on last weekend repairing the trails from erosion damage.
We would like to thank the Alberta Snowmobile Association for the assistance in financial support of our continued efforts in the Cataract Creek Snow Vehicle Area. These funds will be put to use on the trails to make them better for all users who visit the area. Summer hikers, horse users and mountain bikers as well as winter approved snow track vehicles will all see a difference in the area from these funds.
THANK YOU ASA
- Thread starter
- #40
Donnie,
A voluntary "payment" daily trail pass box has been talked about. It has been brought up within committee the last couple of years, but we are yet to move forward with the idea. There are a couple in use around the province by a couple of clubs, so their is some experience available.
The biggest concern for use of a donation box at Cataract Creek Snowmobile Trails' trailheads is security. The boxes currently used are quite secure, and not cheap. The second concern is getting Alberta Parks' "buy-in". While they have not been approached yet, there is a process to this idea on land (trailheads/parking lots) administered by Alberta Parks. As we have just begun to proceed down the "funding grants" path (first one is a success, as of this past week), we are addressing needs in a priority way. While fundraising and support from trail users is very important, we are pursuing Club memberships and A.S.A. Trail Pass sales currently. It is good to hear your voice, willing indicating that you would look for a voluntary donation box at the trailhead. Thanks.
Scott
A voluntary "payment" daily trail pass box has been talked about. It has been brought up within committee the last couple of years, but we are yet to move forward with the idea. There are a couple in use around the province by a couple of clubs, so their is some experience available.
The biggest concern for use of a donation box at Cataract Creek Snowmobile Trails' trailheads is security. The boxes currently used are quite secure, and not cheap. The second concern is getting Alberta Parks' "buy-in". While they have not been approached yet, there is a process to this idea on land (trailheads/parking lots) administered by Alberta Parks. As we have just begun to proceed down the "funding grants" path (first one is a success, as of this past week), we are addressing needs in a priority way. While fundraising and support from trail users is very important, we are pursuing Club memberships and A.S.A. Trail Pass sales currently. It is good to hear your voice, willing indicating that you would look for a voluntary donation box at the trailhead. Thanks.
Scott
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