Snowmobling season is nearly over!

Sledding at the speed of stupid!

Toronto Sun‎ - Tuesday, March 13.

... Ont. -- Just days after a dramatic rescue of 26 fisherman stranded on an ice floe, two more anglers had to plucked from a chunk of ice in Lake Simcoe.

On really thin ice, about an inch!

Anglers caught on drifting ice rescued(Last weekend!)

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The law says that snowmobiles can go between 20 and 50 km, depending upon their location.

When we lived in Bala, we know how fast they went. You could hear the roar of the engines from across the lake, behind the forest. Across the lake they would go at warp speed.

Snowmobiles on path worry Osgoode mother March 01, 2012

...rural home backs onto the 21-kilometre Osgoode Link Multi-use Pathway where she says...to the north side of Buckles Street in Osgoode, officially opened in June 2011 for walking...end of the pathway in the residential Osgoode Village, a 20-km/h zone was designated...

The year-round pathway, which runs from Leitrim Road to the north side of Buckles Street in Osgoode, officially opened in June 2011 for walking, running, cycling, cross-country skiing, horseback riding and snowmobiling.

I used to live in Osgoode, and like many rural towns, snowmobiles rule in winter. Walkers have no place on the same paths as snow machines. Those driving using teenage brains, many in their 40s with enough disposable income to afford 500lb. Nascar-like sleds, want to feel young and free, and ignore the laws of the land.


This year a couple of men were charged with impaired driving while on a snowmobile.

Osgoode snowmobilers charged with drunk driving

Two snowmobilers have been charged with drunk driving in Osgoode according to the Ottawa police marine, dive and trail unit.

The snowmobiles were stopped on Nixon Road between 10 p.m. and midnight on Friday, Feb. 17 during a RIDE program conducted in a partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving. One snowmobile driver was also charged with failing to stop at the request of an officer.
Snowmobile incidents are very horrifying. We need them to slow down and take it easy. We moms/grammas ought to be speaking out.

Snow vehicles speed laws - safety

sledding

And still they die.

14.  (1)  No person shall drive a motorized snow vehicle at a greater rate of speed than,

(a) 20 kilometres per hour,

(i) on a highway where the speed limit established pursuant to the Highway Traffic Act is 50 kilometres per hour or less, or

(ii) in any public park or exhibition grounds; or

(b) 50 kilometres per hour,

(i) on any highway which is open to motor vehicle traffic, where the speed limit established pursuant to theHighway Traffic Act is greater than 50 kilometres per hour, or

(ii) on a trail. R.S.O. 1990, c. M.44, s. 14 (1).

Can someone tell me why they make machines capable of such high speeds?

The laws are clear, but we find that those still drive at high speeds, drink and drive, or drive unsafely.

Our rural volunteer firefighters are called to action.

In southern Ontario, 2007, an off-duty Durham officer (41) and a friend (44),  were using a radar at night, on a lake, to test the speed of their machine. They were on Lake Scugog, in the dark and the friend killed the officer. I still remember the horror of this story. 

~~~~~~~~~~

To help educate Ontario snowmobilers, the OPP and the OFSC are providing the following checklist. A compliant snowmobile operator must always have on their person or sled:

- Valid driver's licence (or if under age 16, a Snow Vehicle Operator's Licence)
- Proof of snowmobile ownership
- Sled registration (including properly placed registration numbers and validation sticker on sled)
- Proof of sled insurance (pink slip)
- Approved snowmobile helmet (for each rider)
- 2010 Snowmobile Trail Permit (properly displayed on the sled) with permit receipt

In addition, the rules of the road apply to this sport:

• speeding,
• failing to stop at a road crossing and
• driving with blood/alcohol levels exceeding the legal limit.

Failure to comply with the law carries penalties including fines, loss of driver's licence, criminal charges and/or imprisonment.

Motorized Snow Vehicles Act Ontario

CONTENTS

1.	Definitions
2.	Permit and registration requirements
2.1	Trail permit required
3.	Administrative requirements
4.	Registration number to be kept clean, unobstructed
5.	Driving on King’s Highway or secondary highway
6.	Duty of driver when school bus stopped on highway
7.	Municipal by-laws, etc.
8.	Crossing roadway
9.	Driving requirements
10.	Operator’s licences
10.1	Crown liability, delegation
11.	Application of certain Acts
12.	Insurance
13.	Duty to report accident
14.	Speed limit
15.	Careless driving
16.	Driver’s obligations
17.	Stopping for vehicles with red or red and blue lights
17.1	Power of police officer to stop
18.	Equipment requirements
19.	Towing
20.	Driver shall wear helmet
21.	Vehicle shall bear National Safety Mark
22.	Risks willingly assumed
23.	Liability of owner
24.	Owner may be convicted
25.	Offences and fines
26.	Regulations

Dorset puddlejumpers

What do you suppose this does to the quality of water?

Instead of having pollutants decay on the land, being filtered on official OFSC land trails, they are directly dumped in the water.

Dorset puddlejumpers, about a month ago...

this is what happens when it all goes wrong...

They're trying to say it's all because he lost a suspension rod...

Thanks to Nancy for sending the link.
(Warning: The language is rather coarse!)



Again, if you watch them on YouTube, they give you all sorts of links!

Jeremy Van Dolder missed his landing and ending up taking out the fence. He popped his hip out and had some internal bleeding.
Then, there is this one.

TheMrRedonkulous
February 21, 2010

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"Nathan Reid was a little tipsy" No qualms about celebrating drinking and driving, as well as no helmet!

Full names, too!

I suppose to reduces the gene pool.

S.T.O.P. on the trails

OPP REPORT:

In Ontario there have been 18 snowmobile-related fatalities already in the 2009 – 2010 season. 93% of these incidents occurred off-trail, on lakes and rivers. This includes two drownings and at least nine on-ice collisions. These kinds of tragedies are largely preventable. Snowmobilers must make personal decisions to ride within the law, slow down, especially after dark, and avoid alcohol or drug consumption – factors that are well-documented causes of snowmobiling incidents. The OFSC also emphasizes that statistically, open OFSC trails remain the safest place to ride a snowmobile with care and control.

For more information on the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, visit e-laws.gov.on.ca.

S.T.O.P. Program

The OPP have been vigilant in trying to monitor action on the snow. They have help.

The sledders who participate, and the OFSC volunteers committed to having safe use of winters in Muskoka, work with the OPP.

In this program, OFSC volunteers are trained by partnering police services, and are sworn in as Special Constables and Provincial Offenses Officers.

They then become members of the Snowmobile Trail Officers Patrol (S.T.O.P.), empowered to enforce provisions of the Motorized Snow Vehicle Act by issuing tickets or making arrests.

Sixty snowmobiles were sold in North America in 1960. Today there are over 300,000 registered snowmobiles in the Province of Ontario.

Estimates are that this sport contributed 1.2 billion over $900 million dollars to the Ontario economy and $3.6 billion in Canada in 2005. Unfortunately, as my regular readers are noticing, there are far too many incidents of fatalities, and serious injuries. The impact on families is huge.

The goals of the S.T.O.P. program are to;

• Increase public awareness of snowmobile safety and the dangers of drinking and riding a snowmobile
• Educate snowmobilers on safety and nuisance concerns and promoting voluntary compliance with the snowmobile laws.
• Enforce the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act (M.S.V.A.) and, where applicable, municipal snowmobile bylaws

They also assist police in enforcing alcohol abuse, a problem as serious as going too fast on unmonitored trails.

The power to write tickets comes from the Provincial Offences Act Section 1(3) and the designation of Special Constables is signed by the Solicitor General. This permits the Commissioner of the O.P.P. to appoint the S.T.O.P. Officers as Special Constables. The O.P.P. Provincial Coordinator holds the signed designation in Orillia empowering the S.T.O.P. Officers to be appointed as Special Constables to enforce the M.S.V.A.

Therefore under the M.S.V.A. a S.T.O.P. Officer can carry out the same duties as a Police Officer by definition (Sec. 53 (3) Police Services Act) and may even make an arrest under Sec. 16(5) of the M.S.V.A.
Facts and Statistics about Snowmobiling - ISMA (International ...

In 2009 there were 147,066 snowmobiles sold worldwide;

• 61,593 were sold in the U.S. and 49,510 were sold in Canada. 
• The average annual household income for snowmobilers is $75,000.
• The average snowmobiler rides their snowmobile 1402 miles per year in North America.
• The average snowmobiler spends $4,000 each year on snowmobile-related recreation.
• Approximately 88% of all active snowmobilers are male; 12% female.
• 54% of the snowmobilers usually trailer their snowmobiles to go riding. 46% either snowmobile from their primary residence or have a vacation home where they keep and use their snowmobiles.
• Approximately 80% of snowmobilers use their snowmobile for trail riding and touring on marked and groomed trails. 20% of snowmobilers use their snowmobile for work, ice fishing or transportation.
• The average suggested retail price of a new snowmobile sold in 2009 was $8,800 (US Funds).
• There are approximately 1.65 million registered snowmobiles in the US and 765,275 registered snowmobiles in Canada.

The Economic Benefits of Snowmobiling:

• United States - $ 22 billion annually
• Canada - $ 6 billion annually
• Scandinavia - $1.6 billion annually 

in 1999, the Canadian government adopted the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, but the set of rules governing pollution emissions for off-road vehicles was only released in January 2005. ^[15]. Another example of regulation, only four-stroke snowmobiles are allowed in Yellowstone National Park since a bylaw was recently passed to minimize CO₂ emissions and noise.^[16]. In Yellowstone, snowmobiles account for 80% of total hydrocarbons emissions and 50% of carbon monoxides emissions during the winter months.

For more information:

• Carl Eliason's snowmobile story and his Patent
• CBC Digital Archives - Bombardier: The Snowmobile Legacy
• How Stuff Works - Snowmobiles
• Environmental Impact Studies
• The Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations
• The International Association of Snowmobile Manufacturers

Snowmobile pollution

I first came across this concept when I happened to read Selling Muskoka by the Gallon, by Michael Enright. (As accessed 8/5/2006). Mr. Enright (not the The Sunday Edition host) wrote that a PWC, a 2-stroke engine, for every day spent on the lake (100L of fuel), dumps 30 L of gasoline in the lake through inefficient burning of fuel. He has gone on to write another piece about snowmobile pollution: The Well Groomed Trail. Curious, my research took me to Haliburton County Collection Highland Cooperative research paper list, which cites a number of research papers. Predicting the effects of snowmobiles [PDF] is another frightening study.

Aside from the pollution, due to noise and chemical environmental affects, subnivean mammals are also impacted. These are small mammals such as rodents, shrews, squirrels and voles that inhabit the sub layer of snow during cold months through underground tunneling and nesting. An ecosystem is a fragile thing. As humans encroach on habitat, we loose the diversity that makes Muskoka special.

After contact with a new author, regarding Carol 'A Woman's Way, I became curious about snowmobile pollution. I know that PWCs are terrible noise and gas polluters, I wasn't sure about snowmobiles. I know that the smell of gas, after they fly by, is horrible.  In one hour, a typical snowmobile emits as much hydrocarbon as a 2001 model auto emits in about two years (24,300 miles) of driving. 
 
Amongst my research findings...

• Two-stroke engines used in snowmobiles are sometimes the same engines used in personal water craft (PWC) like jet skis. 
• PWCs have modified air and exhaust systems to adapt for water use. 
• PWC seldom operate at temperatures below freezing (0° C) where snowmobiles typically operate at colder temperatures when all engines want to run rich.
• Colder temperatures favor the production of carbon monoxide and warmer temperatures favor the production of unburned hydrocarbons (HC).
• Two-stroke PWC engines dump 25 - 40% of uncombusted fuel in the lake, the air, or on the land
• Snowmobiles emit a number of pollutants, including aldehydes, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, nitrogen oxides, fluoranthene, pyrene, and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
  
• The best estimates available comparing snowmobile emissions to average automobile emissions conclude that a traditional snowmobile produces 10 to 70 times more CO and between 45 and 89 times more unburned HC than an average car (National Park Service, 2001 report on Impacts of Snowmobiles in National Parks.)
• Snowmobiling has been shown to have various impacts on water quality 
• Snowmobiling has an impact on aquatic ecosystems
• Pollution from two-stroke snowmobile engines affects small lakes more than large.
• Scientists studied crayfish finding that down stream had injested PCBs, DDT, DDE, PAHs
  
• Snowmobile trails on farm land similarly leave emissions behind
• Snowmobiles travelling over land transmit heat 5x's that of covered land.
• Frost penetration allows pollutants to sink as much as 60 cm exploiting frost depths
  
• A Quebec (1987) study found winter cereal crops affected by snowmobile pollution
  
• When unburned fuel from snowmobiles accumulates in the snow, it is released into the ecosystem, primarily during spring thaw. 
• Lubricating oil goes straight through an engine without being burned, expelled as part of exhuast.

As with Kyoto, and the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen 200, progress is slow and negligible. 
There is so much to do in Muskoka, aside from polluting.


Ethical Issues_with Snowmobiles [PDF]

The pollution from snowmobiles mostly consists of aromatic hydrocarbons, which are a class of chemicals that result from incomplete burning of oil, gas, wood, tobacco, garbage and other organic sources. PAHs are also emitted by inefficient wood furnaces, fireplaces, and leaf burning. The chemicals are of concern because they can affect health. The pollutants are linked to heart disease, breathing issues, and cancer.

The Pollution Prevention Information Center, Clean Snowmobiles: Background and Overview,
writes: On November 8, 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated regulations limiting air emissions from snowmobiles. These regulations required a 30% reduction in emissions beginning in 2006, with more stringent standards (requiring 50% reductions) effective in 2010 and 2012. The standards were challenged in court by both the snowmobile manufacturers and environmental groups and were vacated in part and remanded to EPA in part by the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, June 1, 2004. EPA has not promulgated any standards for snowmobile noise.

Not all pollute as much as the old two-stroke engines, but old machines, like old cars, will likely be running a long time in this economic climate.

Area snowmobilers urged to be patient until more snow arrives ...

Anyone wanting to hit the trails and be green this year can climb aboard a more environmentally- conscious sled. The new Skidoo 600 H. O (high output) E-Tec is quieter and cleaner than your average snowmobile and "virtually smoke-free," according to Sean Ward, of St. Onge Recreation in Barrie.
The 120-horsepower sled uses the same technology that has been designed for boats requiring low emissions. "It's definitely better for the environment and it burns less fuel, so it's easier on the wallet," he said."We start it up in the showroom. We'd never do that with any other two-stroke."

  
In other international research: Pollution on Svalbard 
 And that slippery slope: do not take into account all machines, like Kyoto, you can buy your way out of caps through trade offs.

• The reduction is a fleet average for each manufacturer depending on the number and type of engines used each year. 
• The regulations have allowances for minor producers and special use (racing) snowmobiles. 
• These cleaner, quieter snowmobiles have reduced audible noise by about half, reduced CO and HC by more than 80 percent, as measured using the EPA 5-mode emissions test protocol. 
  

If only the noise would stop!



 Further reading... 

1. ET 10/02: Pollution reductions from off-road vehicles ... The final standards snowmobiles are particularly troubling because they fail  
   
2. Animated Engines, Two Stroke Animated illustration and description of the two stroke engine 
3. The Story of Smog Get rid of your gas-powered devices: Lawn mowers, chain saws and pretty much anything that runs on a two-stroke engine ...

Snowmobiles give me that sinking feeling

They sink from Muskoka to Quebec to Minnesota! Not only snowmobiles, but trucks on melted ice!
This seems to be the big draw for kids...

Aerators and Bubblers

The purpose of aerators and bubblers is to keep water from freezing around docks foundations. Supposedly, they keep ice melted.

But  Do They Work?  The short answer is no.
They do keep the water from freezing around the dock crib. But the most significant threat is in the spring...
"and it comes in a way that pretty much laughs at the small unfrozen areas around an aerated dock. As explained on our "Ice behaviors" page."

Yet, young people continue to play with danger.

What amazes me is that they post the video to show everyone how stupid their buddies were!


From snow machines to trucks, to pets running about.




Then there are pets in danger due to stupidity.


This snowmobile Sinks in Open Water

This one sinks, too....




Then there are the trucks

Which creature is this?

One is usually a day or two behind in headers or posting, due to doing things other than blogging. (Laundry and dishes are done, which is why Brian is relaxing!)

You may notice I have changed my header a couple of times. This is because the temperatures have been fluctuating, and I like to reflect the scenery as it looks.  Being here daily, our neighbours and my readers, can see what the weather has been like and make travel decisions based on the view from here!!

A new critter has reared its ugly head lately...yet the weather contraindicates such...

The sunshine we had on Saturday, after the overnight storm. The photo (left) is from the 24th. Friday night's snowcovered the puddles and with only single digit freezing temperatures, I am not sure that the lake is safe.

On the right was the lake on the 26th . Then, more snow and sub-zero (C.) temps overnight, and voila. The lake looks frozen.

Now, I was down at the frog pond, only thigh deep, and it was still soggy. After all, ice is an accident waiting to happen. And we had several accidents, and near drownings last year even midwinter.

I was able to dig down into the frog pond today and found some water. This isn't a deep pond, either. It was positively brown on the 25th, and had melted in the last few days.

I stood on the ice on Saturday, and I could hear the wind sending the water rolling under the ice, crashing and bashing away. The water level is down and the water is lower than the level of the ice. Very interesting!

The wind is very powerful on a lake, even a frozen one. It pushes the water underneath the layer of ice. With water staying an even temperature, the churning waves even out the temperature, preventing freezing or thawing depending on the season.

We have been graced with another blizzard today, Monday. Lake Effect snow means that the other side of the lake has disappeared. I love my weather maps!

Just before I settled in for a long winter's nap, I took a walk as I saw some strange creatures on the ice.

Then they had a meeting in the middle of the refrozen lake.


They made loud noises, and were passing much gas, as they gunned and raced their powerful bodies across barely frozen lakeshore.  There was a race for top dog, and only one won! Maybe it was a battle to be the noisiest!

For more info: see this article on ice thickness. They suggest that 4" is required for 200 lb. (a person & gear), 5" for an 800 lb. snowmobile, 8" for a car. Unless you go out and test the ice, walk it and survey it you cannot be sure how thick it is. Ours is variable and I heard it creak much just yesterday.

• When there is moving water the water flows under the ice at a constant temperature, melting the underlying layer of ice.
• Do not walk in a group as this might be too much weight.
  
• Daredevils, show offs and speed demons bother other users, and cause a hazard, as well as underwater currents that jostle the ice.
• If the ice look smooth, it may have thawed and frozen over night. It is more of a danger
  

 I hope we don't lose any of our motorized critters this week. (But I hope I'm the one to capture it on film!) One of the neighbours has been cruising across private property (lawns, stairs), perhaps being on the ice will open up their territory.



*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´ *Jenn

Know the law, the land and water

I post the most recent photos of the lake as it begins its freezeover. You can see from the series of shots that in 4 days (Dec. 15, 16, 18) the lake appeared frozen. Walking on the lakeshore ice, it is only a couple of inches deep at the shore, there were cracks and shifts.  

The OPP and OFSC are vigilant in promoting safe snowmobiling.

For more information on the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, visit e-laws.gov.on.ca for more laws!

To help educate Ontario snowmobilers, the OPP and the OFSC are providing the following checklist. A compliant snowmobile operator must always have on their person or sled:

- Valid driver's licence (or if under age 16, a Snow Vehicle Operator's Licence)

- Proof of snowmobile ownership

- Sled registration (including properly placed registration numbers and validation sticker on sled)

- Proof of sled insurance (pink slip)

- Approved snowmobile helmet (for each rider)

- 2010 Snowmobile Trail Permit (properly displayed on the sled) with permit receipt

In addition, the rules of the road apply to this sport:

• speeding, 
• failing to stop at a road crossing and
• driving with blood/alcohol levels exceeding the legal limit.

Failure to comply with the law carries penalties including fines, loss of driver's licence, criminal charges and/or imprisonment.

I have found that the snowmobile clubs give specific information about Muskoka trails, whether they are open, or closed, safe and groomed. They do a fine job of this! Yet, with the huge amount of snow we had (between 60 and 140 cm in places) grooming has been very difficult. There are those who do not pay attention, and they take risks. "It won't happen to me!"

Many volunteers put time in to ensure that trails are safe. The (Muskoka) Snowcrest Club says on its website:

"With special thanks to our Groomer-Operators, Club Volunteers, Permit Distributors for all your hard work and dedication and especially to our Landowners, without whom our trails would not exist!!!".

Yet accidents continue to occur.

The first incidents of this season total 4. The prairies have seen terribly cold weather, yet the lakes are not frozen. It takes time for the land and the water to totally freeze over.

Other Muskoka Snowmobile Resources:

• OntarioGuide.com, Snowmobile, Ontario, Canada
  
• Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs Trails
  
• Muskoka Snowmobile Region
  
• Hill & Gully Riders Snowmobile Club - Muskoka Ontario 
•  Snowcrest Riders Snowmobile Club