Attention skidooers

**wildWoman** · 03-12-2008, 05:25 PM

on the off chance that the odd recreational skidooer reads this - I just got back from re-setting our trail on the lake after some moron flattened all our trail markers.
Trails on lakes are marked by bush people for two reasons:
-most of the people who actually live in the bush have small, wimpy machines, not the RVs on paddle tracks that some of you other folks fool around on. Small machines need a maintained trail. In order to maintain it, we mark it with willow twigs so we can find it again after a dump of snow or strong wind. This is the only way out short of calling in a plane or chopper. By messing up trail markers or ripping up the rail with paddle tracks, you may cause a hardship for someone who's more than a weekend warrior, and you may also endanger lives.
-the markers are the only way of seeing the trail in flat light or snowy weather. People who live out in the bush sometimes need to go somewhere without having the luxury of waiting for a nice sunny weekend.

If you do't care about that, here are two reasons you hould care:
-a marked trail is safer for people not familiar with the area. People are welcome to use it as long as they don't rip it up. When I went out just now, I saw the tracks of a couple other not-so-smart skidooers who had stayed off our trail and in two spots had chosen to drive between islands. The ice there never gets thicker than a few inches because of the strong current underneath. I don't know how thickheaded people can be to drive on an icebridge a few yards wide with spots of open water left and right.
-most recreational skidooers go out under-equipped. If you're out on a good-sized lake without a compass and it starts snowing, you'll lose sight of the shoreline pretty quick. A housesitter up here spent hours doing doughnuts on the lake in a white-out, lucky for him it cleared up before he ran out of gas (carried no extra clothing, food or snowshoes). A marked trail you'll be able to see and it'll lead you somewhere where people are.

**Beo** · 03-12-2008, 05:30 PM

I hate skidooers, ATV's, and off roaders, they tear up the land and could care less.

**wildWoman** · 03-12-2008, 05:34 PM

Likewise...just didn't want to put it quite that way

**nell67** · 03-12-2008, 05:37 PM

Sorry you had to go through that WW,sad part is,people like that dont care about your safety,or theirs,or about the environment.

**trax** · 03-12-2008, 05:51 PM

fortunately, they are all such nice bright colors they really stand out against the snow. You know, for someone lurking in the trees with a high powered rifle. Kidding people, kidding (although it is at times a mighty temptation)

**wildWoman** · 03-12-2008, 05:58 PM

Oh sometimes I give in to temptation and let the dogs chase after them

Four large dogs whose heads come up to shoulder level of someone sitting on a skidoo always speed those guys on their way

Nice thing is that I know the dogs are perfectly trustworthy and harmless, unless somebody were to get personal with me, but of course those guys don't know it. Helps to maintain a bit of a reputation out here.
Anyway, usually we have less than a dozen skidoos come by over the winter, just this season it's been way busier than usual. Ah but you people are putting balm on my worked-up nerves, thanks