new situation

[gforce]

please be aware..trail pass situation has changed..not really my place to say but.....

 

[Summitric]

please be aware..trail pass situation has changed..not really my place to say but.....

??????????????????

 

[Bogger]

he is refering to the dissasociation with the ASA... Trailseekers passes will not cover ASA club trails...

??????????????????

 

[posnick]

now why would they go and do that? Its silly to buy a trailseekers pass and then another one to cover ASA

 

[Polarblu]

Is the trailseekers a big club with a something worth paying for? Not a dig, just wondering, the ones i have seen are not so much...... 10-15 people trying to make chicken soup from chicken shi!! . A decent club would need to have 200-300 grand input a year and actually do something to even get a 20 spot from me.

 

[Sledderglen]

President of club figures HER club can do better not joined to the ASA. Time will tell. Would be best to come back to the ASA

 

[TylerG]

President of club figures HER club can do better not joined to the ASA. Time will tell. Would be best to come back to the ASA

from their website

Trail Seekers Membership 2012/2013



We are looking forward to our new season as we are taking on the new direction of running as a total separate entity. The Trail Seekers Snowmobile Club decided to pull out of the Alberta Snowmobile Association effective March 31, 2012, due to serious concerns with the direction and management of the organization. We hope in the future we can reestablish our relationship.



We will continue to put our volunteers first, build trails and life time smiles & friendships with our continued support from our community, our sponsors, our manufacturers, our government partners and our fellow snowmobilers .

Our club will carry our passion of snowmobiling throughout our snowmobile communities

for years to come...



To ride our trial system you need to purchase

a Trail Seekers’ Membership.

**note a ASA pass is not valid on our trail*

remember this is ONLY for their trails, if you wish to ride other Alberta Trails you will still require an ASA Trail Pass

 

[Bogger]

So the burning question is..... 7 years later how has this decision worked out for the club?????

 

[TylerG]

So the burning question is..... 7 years later how has this decision worked out for the club?????

sure would be nice to find out wouldn't it?

 

[ferniesnow]

Sounds like the BC independent clubs. Those that don't belong to the BCSF. One difference here is that there is no Provincial Trail Pass, so each club is basically on their own other than the $36 membership fee that the BCSF collects from each member club.

 

[Bogger]

Sounds like the BC independent clubs. Those that don't belong to the BCSF. One difference here is that there is no Provincial Trail Pass, so each club is basically on their own other than the $36 membership fee that the BCSF collects from each member club.

The cost for a club to operate outside of the ASA umbrella is not feasible, it's difficult enough to sell trail passes for a provincially accepted pass let lone a pass which is only good for one 80km system. without the ASA a club needs to carry their own insurance, supply their own signage, and is not eligible for the 50/50 funding model for trail development and improvement.


They made a go of it for 3 seasons after leaving the ASA but eventually the $$$$ run out. It sucks because it is close to home and I would not need to trailer my machines, I could ride across the lake and pop out right onto the trail system. The trails need extensive work due to downed trees and overgrowth but it seems they have given up on this year once again and have no plans to clean up the area. problem with that is come next year there will be more work required and no time to get it done prior to the season so I assume they will be in no better situation next season. The area is only accessible from Nov 01, to April 30 with vehicles or machines so now would be the best time to get in there and prep for next year but the current executive seems uninterested.

 

[ferniesnow]

The cost for a club to operate outside of the ASA umbrella is not feasible, it's difficult enough to sell trail passes for a provincially accepted pass let lone a pass which is only good for one 80km system. without the ASA a club needs to carry their own insurance, supply their own signage, and is not eligible for the 50/50 funding model for trail development and improvement.

They seem to be able to do it out here. Golden, Castlegar, Sparwood, and Moyie are the ones that I know are independent. There are probably others. Both Golden and Castlegar have very functional clubs with medium numbers (Golden my even be considered a large club) and they operate cabins, groomed trails, signage, vendor shelters, insurance, etc.. Sparwood operates a cabin but no groomer and Moyie is a very small club trying to figure out how to get a groomer (no different now than when they belonged to the BCSF). Being non-profit, they are allowed to have lotteries, bingo, poker runs, etc.

I'm not saying it is good to be independent but they are doing it and some are doing it well.

 

[moyiesledhead]

Moyie is a very small club trying to figure out how to get a groomer (no different now than when they belonged to the BCSF). Being non-profit, they are allowed to have lotteries, bingo, poker runs, etc.

At Moyie we're actually money ahead after leaving the BCSF and paying for our own insurance. We're a dual snowmobile/ATV club. Imagine what we'd have to charge if we got involved with ATVBC as well. Having said that, we never would have left the BCSF if they'd proposed their failing provincial pass as an optional add on to a club membership. Having to charge hundreds of dollars for a membership would have killed our small club. We weren't about to let that happen. We're also shying away from grooming for the foreseeable future. Grooming is a double edged sword. Grooming makes the trail much more enjoyable, creating more traffic, requiring more grooming, which requires better equipment, which requires more money.....you see where I'm going here. Watched that play out as a Cranbrook club member for many years. At Moyie we maintain a large parking lot, and a backcountry campground, both as Forest Service Rec Sites, all open to the public at no cost. We're working on a warming hut/emergency shelter, also as a Forest Service rec site. Our focus is on improving things for everyone, not just members.

 

[Bogger]

Yah I've heard the pros and cons of the BC model I could be wrong but I think we are a little different here than in BC - An ASA seasonal pass is $90 and is good for all Alberta trail systems. As a club we sell passes, send the funds to the ASA then they return a portion of the funds to each club to cover operational expenditures. The amount kept by the ASA covers our insurance, signage, and project grants. I've been involved with the Alberta Beach club now for 8 or 9 years and I think the model functions as it should. Some clubs have large corporate sponsors, some just get by doing the best we can - but we all get by and provide maintained trail systems for families to enjoy.

This particular club has a prime location on a provincial grazing lease that has deteriorated due to inattention, lack of funding and club inactivity, it's sad is all. I'd like to see it re-established and eventually linked to the AB Beach and Drayton Valley trail systems.

At Moyie we're actually money ahead after leaving the BCSF and paying for our own insurance. We're a dual snowmobile/ATV club. Imagine what we'd have to charge if we got involved with ATVBC as well. Having said that, we never would have left the BCSF if they'd proposed their failing provincial pass as an optional add on to a club membership. Having to charge hundreds of dollars for a membership would have killed our small club. We weren't about to let that happen. We're also shying away from grooming for the foreseeable future. Grooming is a double edged sword. Grooming makes the trail much more enjoyable, creating more traffic, requiring more grooming, which requires better equipment, which requires more money.....you see where I'm going here. Watched that play out as a Cranbrook club member for many years. At Moyie we maintain a large parking lot, and a backcountry campground, both as Forest Service Rec Sites, all open to the public at no cost. We're working on a warming hut/emergency shelter, also as a Forest Service rec site. Our focus is on improving things for everyone, not just members.