In the March issue of The Keystone Snowmobiler, I gave you a “Believe It Or Not” sentence. I mentioned that I saw three groomers from DCNR working on the same trail to make it good for us snowmobilers.
For the April issue, I have another “Believe It Or Not” sentence. Laurel Highlands Snowmobile Club was organized in 1972 when the charter members bought 20 acres of property. From 1972 to the present day, the same two men have been plowing the lot for us snowmobilers. I would say the majority of the property is plowed in the winter. These men are Mr. Bob Ainsley and Mr. Bob Nichols. Now get this, one of these men does not snowmobile any more, but he still plows the property. Thank you—-Thank you.
Our club is active 12 months a year. (except during covid-19) Meetings occur the second Thursday of the month at 8:00 P.M. After the meeting we have pizza, brownies, and pop.
Check us out at LHSC.NET and you can get an idea of what we do. Go to the 2021 calendar, and you can see what is going on. Our next big event will be April 10, 2021, at 9:00 A.M. This workday will be the annual Adopt A Highway. Correct–we pick up garbage. We will have the supplies you need including safety vests, garbage grabbers, bags, gloves, water, and lunch. Typically, we send a group down each side of Route 31 from our litter clean up sign near the club to the bottom, near the VFW. If there are enough volunteers, we send a second group to collect trash for the length of Tunnel Road. You never know what we might find while collecting the garbage.
It was fantastic having rideable snow conditions this year. When was the last time we had this many options to ride in Pennsylvania. Many of us took advantage of it week after week. A few hearty souls were still riding during the last of the meltdown. There have been mixed reviews as far as trail conditions. The Facebook pages have been helpful to us for making our decisions. Thank you to the moderators of the pages and all of those who volunteered information. As always, we hope that you get involved in your sport more than just riding. Join a club, join PSSA, and become involved. It is always the same people who come to meetings, come to workdays, etc. Voice your opinion as a group and not as an individual. When you go our facebook page some people said that DCNR is doing a great job, others say they are terrible. DCNR can only do so much with the money they receive. Pennsylvania registeration is $20 for 2 years or that breaks down to $10/year. This is nothing compared to New York. They get 100/year. In Michigan, they get almost $59/year for a permit. If there is a change that you want to see made, you can always bring it up to us in a meeting. You also have the option to volunteer and find out how to make the change. New volunteers are always welcomed with open arms. This has led to many lasting friendships throughout our club.
Until next time—stay safe, live life to its fullest
Jim Wilkinson and Shelly Buckles
