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ENJOYING THE TRAILS: (L to R) Keith Hood, Ron Heron, Kelly Pawluk and Lu Crawford had an awesome time on their adventure in northern Saskatchewan. —photo courtesy Lu Crawford.

Earlier this year, the Minowukaw Trail Ryders Inc. from Candle Lake gathered in full force to sled on the northern trails in Saskatchewan. A tremendous amount of snow had fallen in the two weeks prior to the ride, which made for a solid track after the snow groomer had made several rounds.

The temperature was -10°, which was warm enough for the riders to be comfortable and cool enough for the sleds to perform well. The riders travelled through vast areas of wilderness that had been harvested by loggers, affected by fire burns or torn down by tornadoes. In each instance, where tree planting was evident, the scenery was beautiful.

The sledding trail wound through heavily forested areas, huge pine trees, young aspens, open fields, frozen ponds and rolling hills. The sledders found themselves travelling different speeds over a variety of terrain. Some of the dips in the trails were like water-skiing behind a boat on a choppy day. In areas of rolling hills, sledders would pull up on the highest point of elevation and view the countryside below, with its patches of young trees, open fields and river beds; one such area was in the Esker Bear country. The Minowukaw Trail Ryders started this 135-mile trip on the Rachelle Trail at Candle Lake.

This was a very picturesque ride for the young and middle-aged folk. The mild temperature and bright sun made for a great ride. A midday cookout was very enjoyable and relaxing, and the warm-up shelter was well equipped with dry, split firewood and folding metal chairs. Eating hotdogs and buns over a warm fire gave the riders a chance to exchange gossip and ideas.

Candle Lake has long been known as the snowmobile capital of northern Saskatchewan, stemming back to the early ’80s when the trails were being built extending in four different directions.

This year snow conditions were quite unusual in Saskatchewan. The northern areas had very little snow until mid-February. In midMarch, it snowed and snowed—then the snow groomer had a chance to do some real grooming on the trails.

The Minowukaw Trail Ryders were organized and incorporated in 2001. Although the membership is not overly large, the members are enthusiastic. This annual sled ride allows all members to associate socially at least once a year.

For more information about the Minowukaw Trail Ryders, contact Karl at 306-929-4619.

Have you been on any awesome snowmobile rides lately? We invite clubs and individuals to tell us about your sledding adventures. Send your story and photos to info@kpimedia.com or mail to SnoRiders West, Suite 100, 100 - 7th Avenue South, Cranbrook, B.C. V1C 2J4