ST. PAUL – The St. Paul Trailblazers Snowmobile Club continues to maintain a snowmobile trail network encompassing a large portion of the Lakeland region.
This trail network includes a 50 km trail from St. Paul to the North Saskatchewan River, about 70 km to Heinsburg, another 30 km trail to Ashmont, as well as trails that go toward Bonnyville and Cold Lake.
The club also maintains cabins to help ensure snowmobilers stay warm.
“We’re just a volunteer group,” explains Danny Smyl, president of the Trailblazers, adding that about 20 core members help with trail grooming.
“We also have to thank the private landowners like the Chamberland family. We cross their land base,” he says. “We also use the County of St. Paul’s closed road allowances,” as well as Crown land to build the trails.
“If it wasn’t for people like that to help us, we wouldn’t be able to ride,” says Smyl.
Asked how busy the winter season has been so far, Smyl says, “It’s not bad.”
“We still don’t have a lot of snow, but at least we have snow compared to last year when we had no snow.”
The club is also always looking for new members to join. Membership remains $80 a year before January and $100 after January, according to Smyl. That number hasn’t changed for many years.
Smyl explains the fees support the club’s operations, including insurance and maintenance. Some of the maintenance operations include signage, firewood, “and just making the trails are safe for everybody to ride on.”
By joining the club, members also automatically become members of the Alberta Snowmobile Association, allowing them to access and ride on trails maintained by other snowmobile clubs across Alberta under the Alberta Snowmobile Association’s umbrella.
“You can go to Fox Creek, White Court, or Fort McMurray,” he says, listing examples. “Their clubs do the same thing as we do.”
According to Smyl, the club connects its trails with other trails maintained by nearby clubs for continuity. “Because with snowmobiling, as you ride, you’re always trying to seek a destination - a place to go,” he says.
“That’s what we do . . . build trails for people to use.”
To join the club, people can attend the club’s meetings every first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the County of St. Paul meeting room. Membership is also available to be purchased at snowmobile dealers in St. Paul.
Smyl says the club is also hoping to host some family-friendly snowmobile events in the future.
Lately, it has been difficult to host events like rallies, he says, due to liability insurance.
“It makes it a little tougher,” Smyl acknowledges.
