As another blast of wintery weather moves through southeastern Manitoba, snowmobile signs are being taken down to mark the end of what is being called a successful season.

South East SnoRiders have officially ended their season as recent weather has caused deterioration of trails.

Club President Mitch Gobeil says it was great to have a lot of snow this winter. He points out that the trails were in great shape until recently, and that is quite a difference from last year.

South East SnoRiders trails were in great condition for most of winter. (Photo Credit: Facebook/SouthEastSnoRiders)

In January of 2021, the region was short six to eight inches of snow for groomers to go onto the trail system. During that month, we were still getting rain. And then the warm weather arrived a few short weeks later, closing the season.

Gobeil says this year was a lot better due to the amount of snow that fell.

“Lots of trails, lots of well-groomed trails, lots of happy snowmobilers,” he says. “Of course, a little tough at times with the winds we've had out there causing some major drifts. But overall, I think a fantastic season.”

The wind created some challenges for groomers to keep the 953 kilometers of trails in great shape because snow drifts would often form shortly after the groomers passed through. Operators spent around 83 hours weekly grooming the trail system.

“Sometimes the wind kind of bites us a bit because we groom one day and then two days later, it's windy and we don't come back there again till the next week type of thing but, that's the nature of the beast,” Gobeil says. “You gotta take the bad with the good.”

He notes there were some days of extreme cold weather that kept a few people off the trails occasionally, but for the most part, there were a lot of snow machines roaring down the trails in the Southeast.

What makes snowmobiling an attractive winter activity?

Stove piping repaired this winter at Border Busters Shelter. (Photo Credit: Facebook/SouthEastSnoRiders)

“I think it's a mixture of things and it's different things to different people,” Gobeil says. “But I think for the most part it's just getting out there and enjoying the outdoors. And with the snowmobile trails, at least the trails that we groom, we go into a lot of remote areas that you can't access during the summer by any means, that where in the wintertime, you're able to get out there and you never know what you're going to see. I mean, obviously you see lots of deer and stuff, but I know I had occasion this winter to come around a bend in the trail and here's a moose in the middle of the trail, you know, saying, ‘oh, I gotta get out of the road. Here comes the snowmobile.’ It's enjoying the outdoors and, you know, the camaraderie with others, snowmobilers, the socializing, that type of stuff.”

South East SnoRiders maintains five warming huts along its trail system. Volunteers help maintain the buildings and work together to make sure there’s a good supply of wood for the season.

“We try to keep them in as best shape as we can and keep them stocked with firewood and stuff so that people can warm up,” he says. “And lots of people stop in and you know, cook hot dogs and that type of thing so it's, like I say, a big part of it is the socializing type of thing.”

Trail users and volunteers work together to help maintain the trail system and the huts, and this work happens throughout the year. People arrange workdays to clear debris off the trails, maintain equipment, chop wood and deliver it, maintain wood stoves and put on fundraisers for the club.

While the snowmobile season has come to an end, the club provides plenty of opportunities for comradery throughout the year.