Choose Your Snowmobile RideOn Recreational Trails

By Craig Nicholson

Pre-Christmas is the time to start thinking about your snowmobiling this winter. Over my years on the snow, I’ve experienced different types of trail rides. All can be great fun and make lasting memories. But before you go, it’s important to pick the type of ride that works best for you.

Day Rides

Going out for the day is by far the most prevalent and least expensive type of ride. Day rides are the most flexible and spontaneous, and typically start from home, cottage or by trailering to and from a nearby staging location. Day riding enables snowmobilers to pick a destination throughout the Kawarthas, Haliburton & Bancroft snowbelts according to current conditions, all without packing for overnighters.

Weekend Rides

Thanks to trailering, my range of destination choices has increased. So, I’m enjoying 3 or 4-day long weekend trail rides starting  farther away from my cottage. Doing so, I often choose to stage various day loops while staying at the same lodgings. Each day can be different, with flexible routing and riding preferences, while remaining accessible to parked trucks & trailers. Plus, there’s the advantage of not having to pack and unpack saddlebags daily – just get up to ride each day at your choice of a temporary home away from home.

Saddlebag Rides

Another type of trail riding involves saddlebag touring over multiple consecutive days, stopping at a different location each night. Saddlebag tours often take place at bucket list destinations that are farther away, requiring more time to plan and complete your proposed route. For these rides, I carry everything on my sled, including extra fuel & oil. And barring trail-closing storms, I ride each day regardless of conditions, travelling well-prepared to encounter changing weather and trails.

So, which one of these ride types will work for you this winter? Well, that depends on several key considerations:

Available Time

Jobs, family and home obligations are a huge factor in deciding which snowmobile ride type you are able to do. That’s why it’s always preferable to know how much time you have before choosing one. Some ride types and desirable destinations are simply too far away or take longer to do than the time you have available.

Destination Choice

You may have a bucket list destination. Or one you’ve heard great things about. Or maybe one that your riding companions want to visit. It’s always good to research these choices in advance to get an idea of how much time you’ll need and what the entire ride actually entails.

When To Go

The time of season also plays a role in choosing your kind of ride. During early or late season, snow & trail conditions may be less predictable than mid-season, offering more limited destination options, which are often farther away. So, if you have limited time available, your best bet is stick to the many reliable mid-season opportunities. Even then, you’ll want to go where the best snow is. And that can also determine both your choice of destination and snowmobile ride type.

Ride Budget

Each kind of snowmobile ride incurs different levels of expenses for fuel, food and lodgings. Day rides are least costly, while weekend rides are typically pricier, but less than multi-day saddlebag tours. So, before you decide what type to do, set your budget and choose within it.

Who’s Going

It’s important to choose your companions carefully for each kind of snowmobile ride. Determining factors include their available time and budget, plus riding style, experience level, expectations, compatibility, gear and sled readiness. Family or couples groups may also have different abilities and preferences. Tailor your ride choice to the reality of who’s available to go at the proposed time.

Choosing the right type of snowmobile ride can make the difference between an enjoyable experience or one that’s memorable for all the wrong reasons. That’s why it’s smart to get started with your preliminary ride planning before the snow comes.

Support your Kawarthas, Haliburton & Bancroft snowmobile clubs to get trails ready by volunteering to help and by purchasing your 2025 Ontario Snowmobile Trail Permit online before December 1 at: www.ofsc.on.ca

Buckhorn & District – buckhorn@district2ofsc.ca

Haliburton County Snowmobile Association – info@hcsa.ca

Havelock & District – hdsc-info@district2ofsc.ca

Kawartha Lakes Snowmobile Club (Fenelon Falls) – klsc@sympatico.ca

Old Hastings Snow Riders (Bancroft) – oldhastings@district2ofsc.ca

Paudash Trail Blazers (Apsley) – volunteer@paudashtrailblazers.on.ca

Stoney Lake Sno Riders – stoneylake@district2ofsc.ca

Twin Mountains (Bobcaygeon) – twinmountains@district2ofsc.ca

Craig Nicholson, The Intrepid Snowmobiler, is an International Snowmobile Hall of Fame journalist and a long-time Kawarthas cottager who also provides tips and tour info for snowmobilers at intrepidsnowmobiler.com and for PWC riders at intrepidcottager.com.