The Snowtraxx Snowmobile Club has been around since 1997 and is based in Foxwarren.
The Club is a not-for-profit that grooms and maintains 385 kilometres of trails from Birtle to Russell to Rossburn, and many areas in between. The trails are groomed weekly, and there are 50 members.
"There's a core group, and then some come and go," said Alan Butler, president. "It's a pretty active group. We normally groom about four to five thousand kilometres of trails per year. That includes all the signage on those trails."
Over the weekend, 50 snowmobilers from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and one from the United States took part in the Ride around the Mountain to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Snoman. The ride started last Thursday with minus 31, with the snowmobilers split into two groups of 25.
Riders passed through 14 communities. This included Dauphin, who, as a group, spent the night before returning to their home base. Riders also visited Neepawa, Grandview, and Minnedosa.
When the crew returned to Russell on Saturday, there was a feast, and many great stories were shared.
"It was good. It averaged about 600 kilometres in total for each rider," added Butler. "Saturday was better at minus 13. There were no accidents and no problems; that's what it is all about. Everyone had a lot of fun."
The Club has four groomer operators. They're responsible for maintaining the trails. Two operators are based in Birtle and two in Rossburn. If you have a snowmobile and are interested in what the Snowtraxx Snowmobile Club offers, Alan says they always welcome new members. You can message them on Facebook.
Butler said it's a great social outlet. They manage six shelters that are spread throughout the trail system. They're stocked with wood.
"It's an opportunity for people to get on their sled and go a long way or for a short ride," commented Butler. "It's a good way to enjoy the winter and make some new friends."
From an economic point of view, the Snowtraxx Snowmobile Club is a driving force in the region for local businesses.
"It's good for the communities. Many of the small communities in the winter months are stagnant; there isn't much going on," ended Butler. "Restaurants and service stations do very well with our snowmobilers. I believe they keep some of them open during the winter months."
The Club is also giving a big shoutout to the students at Birtle Collegiate who did the artwork on the handout bags given to snowmobilers during the ride.
