One evening, right after we got our first 2021 snowstorm of the year here in Wayne County where we live, my wife received a text message from a friend of ours from church. The text said, “Sooooooo, my husband just bought two sleds! Maybe sometime we can ride together?”
Ray and Susan Kimble had both ridden snowmobiles when they were younger, but hadn’t been back on a sled in many years. They were excited to ride again and get back into the sport. Unfortunately the January snow melted before we were able to get together and ride with them. When we got more snow, we made arrangements to take them out riding on the A.C.E. Snowmobile Club trails. We also decided to invite another couple from church and their two college age daughters. Tom Bass had ridden and raced snowmobiles when he was young, but Amy, Taylor and Erin had never ridden a snowmobile. They were all very excited to go. Unfortunately Amy and Erin had a prior commitment and could not go that day.
On Saturday everyone showed up at the appointed time. After fitting Tom and Taylor with helmets and giving Taylor a short snowmobile driving and safety lesson, we were off and on our way. We started off at a leisurely pace, stopping a couple of times early in the ride to make sure everyone was doing OK. Whenever we stopped, Susan, Ray, and Tom would try to figure out where we were. We had an uneventful afternoon and everyone had a great time, enjoying the beauty of the winter woods and nature in general. Taylor said her mother and Erin were really bummed that they did not get to go. Susan and Ray had a great time and decided to leave their snowmobiles at our house to come out the next day to ride again.
I really enjoy taking new folks snowmobiling for the first time. Their excitement and smiles are indescribable. The following Saturday we invited all of them to go again. Tom was the one left out that day because he was working at the fire company’s ice fishing tournament. We as a group decided to go to breakfast at Dutton’s Diner in Tyler Hill, so we gathered to leave at 8 o’clock. On this day we had a couple of extra riders. The group included Arline and I, Susan and Ray, Amy, Erin, and Taylor, and my sister, Carla Komar, and my brother, Grant LaTourette. Amy, Erin, and Taylor arrived a little early, so we got them fitted with helmets and driver’s and safety lessons and we were all ready to go by the time the rest arrived. Amy said, “I am really excited and a little bit nervous.”
So the day turned out to be one of those rare February days when it’s cold and sunny with about an inch of fresh snow which sparkles when the sun hits it, giving us another great ride with lots of smiles. The Dutton’s Diner in Tyler Hill, PA, as the breakfast destination, left no one hungry after eating delicious fare.
Because we received lots of snow this winter up here in northeast Pennsylvania and the weather stayed cold enough so the snow did not melt right away, it was a golden opportunity for us to introduce newcomers and enjoy riders returning to the sport of snowmobiling. Numerous folks who hadn’t ridden in years drug snowmobiles out from the back of the barn and rode. After being locked down for 10 months, folks were glad to be able to get outside and do a fun activity. All in all, our area had a very good winter for snowmobilers.
