TRAILBUSTERS SNOWMOBILE CLUB, Inc.

Proudly maintaining snowmobile trails in northern Oneida County, New York, including north Rome, Western, 
Hawkins Corners, Lee Center, Stokes Corners, West Branch, Point Rock, Ava and into West Leyden.

   

 

2008-09 Trail Conditions Report Archive

Note: As a point of reference, the groomer barn is considered the mid-point of our trail system for north/south trail report descriptions. The groomer barn is located on Sly Hill, as shown on our online trail map. 

Note: As a point of reference, the groomer barn is considered the mid-point of our trail system for north/south trail report descriptions. The groomer barn is located on Sly Hill, as shown on our online trail map. 

Friday, March 27th. The Lee Center Trailbusters Snowmobile Club has officially closed their snowmobile trail system for the season. Although there remains some snowcover north of Stokes Hill, out of respect for our very generous landowners, the club asks that everyone stay off the trails. Motorized vehicles of any type, including ATV’s and dirt bikes, are not permitted to use the trail system during the offseason. Local law enforcement agencies have been contacted and any violators will be ticketed. The only exception will be for club volunteers who will be closing gates and fences and removing signs during the next couple of weeks. The Trailbusters wish to extend a thank you to all of the very gracious landowners who allowed the use of their land during this very successful snowmobiling season.

Saturday, March 14th.   A message from Groomer Coordinator John Beggs

We are very sorry to have to tell you that, at this time, the rain has ruined our trails to the point where we have got to stop grooming until or unless we get some more and pretty significant snowfall.  If we continued to groom, we would damage the machinery and the property.  We feel very badly that this has happened so fast because, it looked like we were going to have enough snow so that we would be able to groom and ride until at least the end of the March.  Then the monsoons came!  It seems almost impossible that, 3 weeks ago, we had almost too much snow to work with.  How fast things can change.  We sincerely hope everyone has enjoyed the trails this winter.  We have been able to keep our old machines repaired and keep them out on the trails most of the time with only small interruptions.  Hopefully, with the purchase of this "new to us" used PB 260 DW we will be able to maintain the same quality grooming program next year, or perhaps even better.  If anyone still tries to venture out on the trails, where there is enough snow, please be very careful of "washouts" and bare spots.  Be especially careful not to ride your sleds on landowner's property where there is bare ground.  Everyone needs to remember to show respect for the landowners and their crops.  PLEASE STOP AND THINK.       

Thanks again to our landowners for their continued kindness and cooperation.  We very much appreciate their help.

(Thank you John for your leadership in providing the club with the best trails ever!)

If anyone would like to help take signs, fences and guide stakes down, please give Neil Sestito a call at 339-2226. If Neil doesn't answer, please leave your name and when you are available to help on his answering machine and he will get back with you. This task can be a good time as you get to see our trails without snow while riding on our Polaris Ranger.

Tuesday, March 10th. We considered grooming the north end last night, but standing water on the trail put an end to that thought. Plenty of snow from Beartown Road north. South half is obviously cooked. Our newer groomer should be arriving Wednesday morning. We have a general membership meeting tonight at Lee Town Hall at 7:30pm. Try to make it if you can. 

Friday, March 6th. Mark Destito groomed to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and back last night. The forecast calls for some warm temperatures over the next few days. Unless we have some colder temperatures at night, grooming operations may be suspended for awhile. 

4:30pm update: I just got back from a short ride. Thin and some icy areas from Hawkins Corners to the top of Stokes Hill. Stokes Hill to West Leyden has good snow cover and is in great shape. Mark did an awesome job last night bringing snow in from the sides and you could tell he covered some areas multiple times. Thumbs up Mark! Point Rock trail has some stutters with good snow cover. The Lee Center trail is in good condition - a little thin in areas. Point Rock to Lee Center on Taberg's trail was good, with some areas of stutter and good snow cover. Southern Tug Hill trails have good snowcover. I did the short loop, Apple Mill, Bauer, Ziegler - all flat. Riding is still good and it was much colder up on the hill. We're not done yet. 

Owned - one newer Piston Bully! The machine checked out and Larry made the deal. Details on the groomer to follow soon. We now need your help more than ever!  Please see below. 

Thursday, March 5th.  Due to last nights meeting, no grooming was conducted. Everything is flat anyway!  The 7 day extended forecast is not our friend. 

Last night, the club held the best attended meeting that I have seen. After a complete explanation of our options by John Beggs, the membership agreed to send Larry Casalenuovo to Colorado to check out a very affordable used groomer. If all goes well, and the machine checks out, the club will be purchasing a newer Piston Bully today. 

There is a very strong possibility that the club will be able to make this purchase without a bank loan - but that will depend on the donations of the membership. A number of people made some sizable donations to our groomer fund, but we could use a bit more.  You can send in your donation via mail to: Trailbusters Snowmobile Club, P.O. Box 193, Lee Center, New York 13363 or you can make a donation by credit card by using the link below. 

We have enjoyed the best trail conditions ever due to the hard work of some very talented and dedicated club members. A donation will allow these fine individuals the ability to continue to provide some of the best trails in all of upstate New York. Thank you! 


Wednesday, March 4th. The north end of the system is being groomed this morning to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Dave Piersall. The south end was groomed last night by Jason and Miranda VonMatt to Camroden Road (C7D) and the Delta Lake State Park (C7P).  Please make every effort to attend tonight's emergency meeting at the Colonial - 7pm. See prior message posted on March 2nd below. 

Tuesday, March 3rd. The north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Walt Buhler. The south end was groomed by John Beggs and Jim Vaccaro to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) to the Mohawk River Bridge and also down the Chestnut Street spur (S72B).

Monday, March 2nd. The north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Neil Sestito and Jim Vaccaro. The south end was groomed by Jim Newbill and helper to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D), and over to the Beeches (S73B). Conditions are good.  

 EMERGENCY CLUB MEETING - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4TH

The club will be holding an emergency club meeting at the Colonial Restaurant on Wednesday, March 4th at 7pm. The meeting will discuss and perhaps authorize an overnight trip to Colorado to inspect and possibly purchase a very affordable used groomer that is available. This is an important decision and club President Mark Destito would like to see and hear from as many members as possible at the meeting. Please make every effort to attend. 

Sunday, March 1st. Last night Mark Destito and Jessie Tuttle groomed the south trail to Camroden Road (C7D). The north end of the system was groomed to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Tim Hyde and helper. Please be aware of icy conditions in some areas. 

Saturday, February 28th. The north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Doug Finster and helper. The south end was groomed by Josh and Jody Szepher to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D), over to the Beeches (S73B) and to the Fish Hatchery.  Note - south end report is unconfirmed. The groomers went out after midnight, so the trails should have set-up like concrete. Be aware of icy conditions. 

Thursday, February 25th. The north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Art Cole and Jim Williams. The south end was groomed by John Beggs and Lance Blood to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B). Heavy traffic yesterday and last night. Conditions remain excellent. 

Wednesday, February 25th. Last night Mark Destito and Jason Von Matt groomed the south trail to Camroden Road (C7D) and the Delta Lake State Park (C7P). Conditions are excellent. 

Odds & Ends: The link to photos of the "On the Trail Groomer Fundraiser" has been posted on the home page. Last Sunday the clubs groomer towed a car off the trail across from the Colonial that had made it almost all the way to the hedgerow before sinking in. The driver thought it was the entrance to the Methodist Church parking lot. I guess this should be taken as a compliment for the smooth trails that look like roads. To me the difference is obvious, but to the guy with a carload of kids, it wasn't! This is the second time this year that this has happened, the other time behind Rome Savings Bank. 

The increased police presence on our trail system is everywhere. We have seen the NYS Park Police, NYS DEC and the Oneida County Sheriffs Snowmobile Patrol on our trails or at roadside. Around a dozen tickets were issued for altered exhaust in our area over the weekend. The club welcomes and is very thankful for the patrols as the overwhelming majority of our complaints are noise related. They are helping solve a big problem.

Look for lots of 2010 Polaris snowmobiles on the trail over the next week. The Polaris national convention is being held at Turning Stone Casino, with over 800 families expected to attend. Polaris is bringing fifty new sleds for the dealership owners to ride. Our trail system is ground zero for the dealer rides, hosted out of Schoff Polaris. Unfortunately, this is a private convention, so public demo rides will not be available until after the event has ended. By the way, a sizeable donation was given by Schoff Polaris for the support the club has/will provide for this event, which will be deposited into our groomer fundraising account. 

Tuesday, February 24th. The north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Neil Sestito and Jim Vaccaro. The south end was groomed by John Beggs with assistance from Jody Szepher (1st half) and Ev Aldridge (2nd half) to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) over to the Beeches (S73B) and also down the Chestnut Street spur (S72B). Conditions are excellent. 

Sunday, February 22nd.  Last night Mark Destito and Jim Vaccaro groomed the south trail to Lee Center (C4H) and Camroden Road (C7D). The north end of the system was groomed to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Tim Hyde and his daughter. 

Yesterdays Groomer Fundraiser Party was very successful. Thank you to everyone who attended and made a donation. Congratulations to Tonia Vernold for winning the 50/50 raffle. Based on the number of hot dogs served, we must have had well over 100 stop by for a visit, including Mike Fischer, the President of the New York State Snowmobile Association. The traffic at Stokes Corners was heavy. Photos will be posted on the home page in the next couple of days. 

Saturday, February 21st. Hope to see everyone at the trail party in Stokes today. 16" total snow at Hawkins Corners with 2'-3' of snow near Point Rock. This morning we have one groomer heading north to West Leyden and Point Rock, with the other groomer heading to Lee Center and areas around the Colonial Restaurant. Even with fresh grooming, the traffic and fresh snow today could make for a bumpy ride. 

Friday, February 20th. The north end to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) was groomed last night by David Piersall and Larry Casalenuovo. The south end to Lee Center (C4H) and Camroden Road (C7D) was groomed today by Darwin Piersall and Neil Sestito. Good snowfall last night and today. 6" in Hawkins Corners and over 15" at Point Rock. 

If you are out for a ride Saturday, stop by and join us in the field at Stokes Corners for a bite to eat between 11am and 3pm. We will have hot dogs, desserts, soda, hot chocolate and coffee. The new club tee-shirts will be available for sale for $15.00 each and we will be holding a 50/50 raffle. If you have preordered a tee shirt, we will have it for you at the trail party. Members wishing to help out or donate snacks are welcome to do so. Look for the clubs two groomers. Donations will be gladly accepted! 

Also, the club has received a complaint from an adjacent landowner about speed and noise on the trail between Cemetery Road and Lee Town Park. Simply slow down and keep the noise down. If you have a piped sled, please keep it quiet next to the residential properties. As a result of the actions of a few, expect a heavy law enforcement presence in this area with roadside checks and trail patrols. If you know the ones who are ripping through this area, blipping the throttle so they can hear their "can", be sure to thank them for screwing up a good thing. Bottom line - if we lose this trail, its all over folks.

Tuesday, February 17th. The north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Darwin Piersall and Pete Shipano. The south end was groomed by Lance Blood to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B). Please be aware of icy corners and hills, especially the hill by Pennystreet Road. Everything is hard and fast. Please keep the speed down.  Conditions are good. 

Sunday, February 15th.  Last night Mark Destito and Jim Vaccaro groomed the south trail to Camroden Road (C7D). The north end of the system was groomed to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Tim Hyde and helper. Conditions are good. 

Saturday, February 14th. The north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Doug Finster and helper. The south end was groomed by Dave Piersall and Neil Sestito to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B). Conditions are pretty good. Please keep the speed down and be aware of ice and potential for collapsed snow bridges.  

Wednesday, February 11th. Due to the unseasonably warm weather, no grooming was completed last night, nor is any scheduled for tonight. Riding in this warm weather can cause damage to the trails. Instead, why not stay home for a couple of days and do some mid-season maintenance to your sled. 

Tuesday, February 10th. Last night Mark Destito and Jim Vaccaro groomed the south trail to Camroden Road (C7D) and Delta Lake State Park (C7P). The north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Walt Buhler and his daughter. 

Monday, February 9th. It was cold enough yesterday for the north half of the system to be groomed during the day, so Walt and Kathy Buhler groomed to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41). Last night, Jim Newbill and John Beggs groomed the south half to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B) and Chestnut Street spur (S72B). Conditions are pretty good. 

Sunday, February 8th. Due to the warm temperatures last night, no grooming could be completed. The snow will not process through the drag and grooming can damage the base of the trail.  Lets hope this thaw is a short.

Saturday, February 7th. The north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Doug Finster and helper. The south end was groomed by Dave Piersall and helper to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B). Conditions will be excellent early. 

Friday, February 6th. The north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) by Jim Newbill and helper. The south end was groomed by Jason and Miranda VonMatt to the towpath (C7D). Not much traffic and the trails are holding firm. With the warm weather this weekend, expect that to change quickly. Right now, conditions are excellent. Below is a message that was sent to all the clubs and although it doesn't pertain to us, it is some interesting reading. 

"Bill Hajdasz received a call this morning from the Mohawk, ADK, and Northern RR about snowmobiles on the tracks. Apparently they are having problems with people riding on the tracks or the right of ways themselves and with the amount of snow we have the packed snow could cause a derailment. There are some clubs in the County that have permission to cross the tracks but the problem is they are riding them also and it needs to stop now. The largest problem is in the Marcy areas but he did say that there has been people on the CSX tracks as well. He has contacted the State Police and the Sheriff and anyone caught will be arrested for trespassing. He asked if we could get the message out to all of our members to stay off of them and to only cross where permitted to do so. He said if it continues the permits will be voided."

It is interesting to see that we are not the only club having problems with individuals riding where they are not supposed to. Riding off trail may be inviting, but it is ticking off some property owners. I'm fairly certain I'm preaching to the choir here, but please stay on the trails. 

Thursday, February 5th. The north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) by Neil Sestito and Frank Paine. The south end was groomed by Art Cole and Darwin Piersall to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B). Conditions are excellent. -14 degrees this morning. 

Wednesday, February 4th. Last night Mark Destito and Jim Vaccaro groomed the south trail to Camroden Road (C7D) and Delta Lake State Park (C7P). Conditions remain excellent. -7 degrees this morning. John Beggs and Lance Blood spent 14 hours yesterday making repairs on the groomers. The dedication of these gentlemen, as well as all the others who have worked on the groomers, is simply amazing. Without their hard work, we would not be enjoying the flat trails we have had this season. Same goes for the groomer drivers. Thank you guys. The rest of us can help out by making a donation to the groomer replacement fund. Have you made your donation? $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 - whatever you can spare will help out. You can make your donation online at the link below.

Make your donation here


Tuesday, February 3rd.  The entire north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Walt Buehler and helper. The south end was groomed by John Beggs and Jessie Tuttle to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B) and Chestnut Street (S72B). Conditions are excellent. Please read the notice below. Thanks.


PLEASE DO NOT ACCESS THE TRAIL SYSTEM THROUGH TERRA BELLA SUBDIVISION & STAY OUT OF EVERGREEN CEMETERY

We have had a complaint from the owner of the new Terra Bella Subdivision, located on Cemetery Road, that snowmobilers have been accessing the trail system through the property. This is not an option. No permission to access the property has ever been granted and anyone caught can/will be charged with trespassing. The owner is rightfully concerned that property markers, utility boxes and similar property identifiers may be disturbed in which replacement would be very costly. The club stands firmly behind the property owner.

Under no circumstance is anyone allowed to ride through the interior of Evergreen Cemetery, located on Turin Road, next to Stokes Elementary School. Some idiot (and I am being generous here) rode between and in and out of the gravestones. The ignorance of this individual boggles my mind. If you see anyone in this cemetery riding, stop them and give them an old fashion ass chewing, then get a description of the snowmobile, what the rider was wearing and the registration numbers if possible. Please phone any officer of our club with the information so we can take care of the problem. The Sheriffs Department will be contacted.  

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION


Sunday, February 1st. Last night Larry Casalenuovo and helper groomed the north trail to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41), and John Beggs and Jim Vaccaro groomed the south corridor trail to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B) and to Camroden Road (C7D).

Saturday, January 31st.  The entire north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Doug Finster and Doc Williamson. The south end was groomed by Josh and Jody Szepher to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B). Conditions are excellent. The Boonville Snow Festival is today with races starting at 9:30 am. 

Friday, January 30th. The entire north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Neil Sestito and helper. The south end was groomed by Jason VonMatt and Jim Vaccaro to Camroden Road (C7D).  Conditions are excellent, but don't expect this fluffy snow to hold like last weeks hard packed trails. 

Thursday, January 29th. Due to the storm, no grooming was conducted last night. 12" of new snow here in the Hawkins Corners area. 

Wednesday, January 28th. Last night Lance Blood and Jessie Tuttle groomed the south trail to Camroden Road (C7D) and Delta Lake State Park (C7P). Conditions remain excellent. Let it snow. 

Tuesday, January 27th.   The entire north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Walt Buhler and helper. The south end was groomed by Mark Destito and John Beggs to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B) and the Chestnut Street spur (S72B). Conditions are excellent. 

Sunday, January 25th. The entire north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Tim Hyde and helper. The south end was groomed by Mark Destito and helper down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B). Conditions are good to excellent. 

Saturday, January 24th. Although the groomers did not go out last night due to the warm weather (42 degrees at 9 pm), the trails remain in good overall condition everywhere. 

Friday, January 23rd. Last night Jason Von Matt and Jim Vaccaro groomed to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and back and Lance Blood and John Beggs groomed south to the State Park (C7D & C7P) and back. Warm temperatures will keep the groomers parked tonight. Conditions remain excellent.  

Thursday, January 22nd.  The entire north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) by Neil Sestito and Nick Destito. The south end was groomed by Jim Newbill and John Beggs to Lee Center (C4H), down to the towpath (C7D) and over to the Beeches (S73B) and the Chestnut Street spur (S72B). Conditions are excellent. 

Wednesday, January 21st. Last night Walt Buhler and his father groomed the south corridor trail to Camroden Road (C7D), and yesterday afternoon, the north corridor trail was groomed to West Leyden (C7 & C4A). The Lee Center trail (C4H) was groomed Monday night. PB#6 was repaired and running. PB#5 is running, but still has some issues. Conditions are good.

Tuesday, January 20th. This afternoon the north trails are being groomed. Darwin and Millie Piersall started the run and were relieved by John Beggs and Ev Aldrige. More info to come when it is received.

Monday, January 19th. Well, the good luck came to an end. Both groomers are now down. PB#5 developed an electrical or fuel delivery problem at Beartown Road this afternoon and had to return back to the barn.  PB #6 has a fan blower motor that needs to be replaced ($500 or so for the part). The fan motor should be delivered Tuesday and hopefully, things will be back together soon. We apologize for the rough trails and appreciate your patience during this downtime. 

Sunday, January 18th.  Last night Jim Newbill and helper groomed the north trail to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41), and Tim and Dalton Hyde groomed the south corridor trail to Camroden Road (C7D). Another 5" - 6" of snow last night. Gotta love it. 

Saturday, January 17th.  Neil Sestito and Dave Piersall groomed the south trail (C7D) to to the towpath and over to the Beeches (S73B) as well as to Lee Center (C4H). Conditions are excellent on the entire trail system. -12.1 degrees last night in the Hawkins Corners area. 

Friday, January 16th. The north trail to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) was groomed last night by Jason and Miranda VonMatt. The rest of the system remains as flat as my head. -9.6 degrees last night in the Hawkins Corners area. 

Thursday, January 15th. Last night Art Cole and Darwin Piersall groomed the entire north trail to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41). Doug Finster and Jessie Tuttle groomed the south half over to Lee Center (C4H) and the the Corridor (C7D) to OD 114 and down the Chestnut Street spur (S72B). Conditions are reported as excellent and very cold. 

Tuesday, January 13th. Walt Buhler and Bob Cassadi groomed the entire north half of the system last night to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41). John Beggs and Jessie Tuttle groomed the south half to Camroden Road (C7D) and the State Park spur (C7P). Conditions are reported as excellent, with exception of the Lee Center trail which is average. 

Sunday, January 11th.  Blessing of the Sleds is today. Hope you can make it. Last night Mark Destito and Neil Sestito groomed the north trail to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and to Point Rock (C41). Tim Hyde and Jody Szepher groomed the south trail (C7D) to to the towpath and over to the Beeches (S73B) as well as to Lee Center (C4H). With the 5" of new snow, conditions are good. 

Saturday, January 10th. If you ride today, you are in for a treat. Larry Casalenuovo and Pete Shipano groomed the north trail to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and Point Rock (C41) last night and John and Vera Beggs groomed the south trail to Lee Center (C4H), Camroden Road (C7D), the Lake Delta State Park (C7P) and to the Beeches (S73B). Trail conditions are reported excellent, with exception of the Lee Center trail which is reported good.  Tonight, the main corridor trails will be groomed again. Tomorrow is the Blessing of the Sleds". Club President Mark Destito will be on Channel 2 News (WKTV) tomorrow morning to discuss the event and snowmobile safety in general. The "Blessing of the Sleds" will be getting some excellent media coverage and we would like to see a good showing of club members. More information on the event can be found on the home page. Please make every effort to attend.

Friday, January 9th. Yesterday was a good day. 5-6" of snow on the south side with over a foot of snow reported between West Branch and West Leyden. During the day, John Beggs and Darwin Piersall were able to reopen the Lee Center trail (C4H). The club was able to reroute around an uncut cornfield due to the generosity of George and John Tuttle, whom allowed us to use their land. John reported that after the trail was groomed, it was still a little rough and will be groomed every day until it comes out smooth. John also groomed to the Beeches (C7D and S73B). Last night, Dave Piersall and Neil Sestito groomed from the groomer barn to West Leyden (C7 & C4A). They reported numerous limbs down on the trail from yesterdays ice storm and deep snow.  

Wednesday, January 7th.  Yesterday, John Beggs and Darwin Piersall opened a trail to the Grace Baptist Church for Sundays "Blessing of the Sleds". The trail crosses Turin Road and enters directly into their parking lot. We need a good turnout as the media plans on covering this event, so please make sure you attend. John Beggs also groomed the south trail over to Camroden Road (C7D) and down to the state park (C7P). The trails are in great condition, so tonight the groomers will stay in the barn for maintenance. 

Tuesday, January 6th. The entire north end of the system was groomed last night to West Leyden and Point Rock (C4A, C7 & C41). Jason Von Matt and his wife groomed the south end to the towpath (C7D) and down the Chestnut Street Spur (S72B). Today, a trail will be opened to the Grace Baptist Church for this Sundays "Blessing of the Sleds" (don't miss this!) and the south end will be groomed over to Town Line Road and down to the Delta Lake State Park (C7P).

Sunday, January 4th. The entire system was groomed last night, with exception of the state park  and Chestnut Street spurs. Neil Sestito (and helper) groomed north to West Leyden (C7 & C4A) and over to Point Rock (C41). John and Vera Beggs and Jason VonMatt groomed south to the Beeches Inn & Resort (C7, C7D & S73B) and over to Western to Camroden Road (C7D). They also groomed as far as they could on the Lee Center trail (C4H) before running into the uncut corn fields. Repairs to PB #5 were a success. The club thanks David Piersall, Neil Sestito, Darwin Piersall, Larry Casalenuovo, Lance Blood and John Beggs for their dedication and time in getting the groomer up and running. With both machines operating, our normal grooming schedule will go into effect with the main trails groomed every night except Sunday and Tuesday, weather permitting.

Saturday, January 3rd. The north trail was groomed to West Leyden last night by Tim Hyde (C7, C4A). A heavy lake effect snowband caused whiteout conditions during the trip. The south trail is in rough shape. Today, the guys are going to try to get the repairs on PB #5 finished and out on the trail to clean things up. The entire north half of the system will be groomed tonight. The Blessing of Sleds event planned for Sunday has been postponed until next week.

update - 3:45pm: PB #5 is up and running. John Beggs and Dave Piersall are out testing it now. If all goes well, both groomers will be out on the trail tonight. Should be a great ride in the morning.

Friday, January 2nd. Last night the north trail from the groomer barn to the West Branch Coffee House over to Point Rock and back was groomed (C7, C4A & C41). Tonight the groomer will head to West Leyden and back. 3"-5" forecast tonight. 

Thursday, January 1st.. Neil Sestito groomed from the groomer barn south past the Fish Hatchery and up the hill to the field near Gulf Road (C7, C7D) where the snow started to thin. The north trail remains in good shape. The trail to Lee Center (C4H) is still obstructed by a corn field and cannot be groomed. 

Wednesday, December 31st. Last night John Beggs groomed the north trail from the groomer barn north to West Leyden (C7 & C4A)  and back. He reported that the trail is in good shape, but there are still a few waterholes that could not be filled. We still need more snow on the south end to groom. Hopefully, that will happen by the weekend. 

Monday, December 29th (8:30pm) The north trail (C7 & C4A) remains in pretty decent shape with adequate snow cover that deepens quickly from West Branch north. South of West Branch to the groomer barn is thin, but very ridable. Be aware of waterholes and ice everywhere. South of the groomer barn to Rome is thin and cannot be groomed until we get more snow.  The north trail will be groomed tomorrow (Tuesday) evening. The cornfield next to Lee Town Park has been cut. Repairs to PB #5 continue. The fuel tanks have been cleaned and the fuel lines replaced. Hopefully, we will have all of our equipment up and running by the weekend. We need snow.

Saturday, December 27th (posted Friday night 10:30 pm.).  Neil Sestito groomed from the groomer barn to West Leyden and back (C7 & C4A). Left at 1pm. and retuned to the barn around 10 pm. Early bird gets the worm. South trail down to Rome and over to Western (C7 & C7D),  has minimal base with some open waterholes and typical early season conditions. Not enough snow to groom. Cornfields remain a problem between Hawkins Corners and Lee Center (C4H). Minimal base. Hopefully, the warm weather expected this weekend will stay south.

Thursday, December 25th. Merry Christmas!  Grooming will resume tomorrow with a north run to West Leyden and Point Rock (C7, C4A and C41). Last nights rain did a number on the south trails and the forecast warm temps for this weekend is not going to help.  Repairs continue on PB #5. 

Tuesday, December 23rd.  Yesterday, portions of the south trail were groomed by John Beggs and Darwin Piersall. They groomed from the Groomer barn to the Beeches Inn & Resort (C7, C7D and S73B) and over to Camroden Road in  Western (C7D). A lot of time was spent brushing the trail along a cornfield behind M & M Collision which has yet to be cut. Whiteout conditions made the trip quite difficult at times.  

Monday, December 22nd.  The entire north half of the trail system was groomed last night (C7, C4A and C41). Today, the guys will attempt to groom the south half of the system. 

Sunday, December 21st.  Sorry, but the groomer did not go out last night. The lights on the drag connected to PB #6 shorted out.  The plan is to hookup the working drag with the working groomer today and groom north. Otherwise, everything else on yesterdays trail report remains the same. 

Saturday, December 20th.  Finally, some good snow everywhere. Grooming will commence tonight from the groomer barn north to West Leyden. The guard rail is open on Cemetery Road and the south trails are open. However, we still have standing corn near the Lee Town Park and on the trail to Lee Center. Therefore, we still cannot groom in the south direction. A solution to the problem is being worked on as I write this. From the Fish Hatchery to the Penn Mountain connection and Delta Lake State Park, signage and staking has not been completed. Very early season conditions with open waterholes and rough terrain. Please be careful as road crossings have not been plowed out. PB #5 is torn apart right now with a major fuel delivery problem. The tanks are off and fuel lines are being replaced. 5"-9" forecast for tomorrow. 

Wednesday, December 10th. Welcome back everyone! Yesterday afternoon, Dave Piersall groomed from the groomer barn to West Leyden (C7 & C4A). Dave reported good conditions with adequate snow cover from the top of Stokes Hill all the way into West Leyden. Early season conditions, with some waterholes were noted. Be aware of the trail change on C4A, across from the coffee house, and please stay on the trail. The return trip was marred by an electrical gremlin that ruined a trip over to Point Rock. We are in desperate need of a groomer upgrade which was discussed at length during the club meeting last night. More to come on this topic later. The south end of the system is NOT open. There is not enough snow, and we have standing corn in the field next to the Lee Town Park and in the fields along the trail to Lee Center (C4H). The guard rail has not been removed at Cemetery Road and will remain in place until  we have more snow and trail obstacles have been resolved. Please respect our landowners. Riding before there is enough snow could lead to trail closures. Possible Nor'easter Thursday evening. Keep your fingers crossed!