Enjoying The Great Outdoors

Riding the trails as a group is the best part of this family’s snowmobiling adventures

- Mary L. Dunk, Guelph

Winters can be very enjoyable if you have a favourite outdoor sport. Our Hindley family clan has enjoyed snowmobiling since the 1970s when we were kids on a farm in Hillsburgh, Ont. Back then, Dad bought my younger brother, Danny, who was only 13 at the time, a brand new 1976 Moto-Ski Spirit for $800. Coincidentally, at that time, I began dating Garry Dunk, who came with a brand new 1974 Sno-Jet. Immediately, I purchased a snowmobile suit and wore his old helmet in order to ride along with him. We rode over fields, through bushes and along old railway lines, viewing scenery and wildlife from a new perspective.

When Garry and I got married, we continued to snowmobile with my long-time girlfriend, Kathy, and her husband, Blake McBlain. We often went out on day trips— sometimes travelling over 160 kilometres. We’d stop at various clubhouses on the trails to warm up by a wood stove. Our fellas would often chat with the other sledders about the trail conditions up ahead, flooded areas and whether the trail groomers had recently passed through.

These days, trail conditions are posted and updated weekly on the Internet, showing which trails are open or closed. There are miniature stop signs at every levelcrossing and in towns, while restaurants and fuel stations are also posted.