While some are displeased with the quick accumulation of snow this week, members of Club Snow are excited. After months of mild winter weather, leading to little or now possibility for trail work, this week's heavy snowfall means they can finally start working to prepare the trails for users. Club Snow President Ken Penman says they're kicking off their trail preparation with a bang, by allowing snowmobile owners to ride the trails without pass this weekend.

"This weekend is what we call our trail stomp. This is the weekend where anyone who has a snowmobile can go on the trail and run it with their snow machine. It gives us the compaction that we need for our groomers to be able to go down the trail. This is what we call a free weekend, because you don't need a trail pass."

Club Snow President Ken Penman

He notes they'll be gathering at the Day Inn on Saturday and Sunday, before sending riders in all directions to pack down the snow. While you won't need a pass this weekend, Penman emphasizes that's now the case once the trails are declared open.

"It's not legal to run a snowmobile on the trail without a trail pass after the grooming has started, and the club opens their trail. Lots of guys say 'Well, I don't ride the trails.' but there are spots on our trails and destinations such as St. Claude, that you have to go on the trail in order to get there. When somebody says they don't ride the trails, I don't believe them because I know we see them over there, they don't have trail passes, and we know they've been on the trail."

He adds with the new orange license plates for snow machines, it's easier for members of the RCMP to identify those without passes. Penman says passes are only $150 this year, which is much cheaper than the $474 fine for riding without one.

As for the club's operations this year, Penman says it's already shaping up to be a busy season. He notes they've already established a new shelter near Rossendale, and are currently discussing the creation of a new trailer.

"We're looking at another new trail which will join Flee Island shelter at High Bluff to the Assiniboine Bridge going to Southport. It's a project that we're working on because we need landowner permissions and everything else. It keeps us busy. Snowmobiling for snowmobilers isn't just for the winter. Club members work all year round trying to get these things done so that it's good for people using the trails."

Once the trails have been packed, he notes the grooming process for their over 300 kilometres worth of trails can begin. In previous years they've had a smaller groomer doing the work, leading to some complaints regarding ruts in the trails. Penman says they'll now have another groomer out doing the work, and it should be able to get the job done well.

"We now have a new groomer, it's not brand new but it's newer. It's got 14 foot tracks on it and everything else, it can pretty much go through anything. The club also earmarked $12,000 a couple of weeks ago to have a new drag build for this groomer, so we should be able to do trails. We've got 306 kilometres or so that we have the grooming association do."

Penman says he's hoping for another great year on the trails, noting snowmobiling provides much more than just recreation. He notes a 2013 study shows snowmobiling has an economic impact of more than $300 million in Manitoba alone, and that number has increased over the years.