HOW DOES THE SNO-PASS WORK WHEN THE LOCAL CLUB IS GROOMING TRAILS THAT HAVE BEEN IN USE FOR YEARS BEFORE GROOMERS EVEN EXISTED. IT WOULD SEEM THAT IF THEY WANT TO GROOM TRAILS AND CHARGE FOR THEIR USAGE THEY SHOULD CLEAR AND ESTABLISH THEIR OWN. WHO IS SNO-MAN TO SAY THEY ARE GOING TOCHARGE FOR USE OF A TRAIL THAT THEY DECIDED THEY WANT. I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY RIDERS USE THESE TRAILS BUT IF I HAVE TO CROSS IT TO GET TO THE GOOD STUFF ON A TRAIL THAT I HAVE BEEN USING FOR 25 YEARS I DON'T WANT TO BE HASSLED BY THE PEOPLE THAT USE THEM.WHAT IS STOPPING THE LOCAL JOE BLOW FROM DRAGGING AROUND A 2X6 AND SAYING WE OWE HIM FOR RIDING HIS TRAIL. ALSO LETS BE CAREFUL FELLAS. AS SOON AS MPIC GETS INVOLVED THE NEXT STEP WILL BE NO INSURANCE FOR ACCIDENTS OFF OF THE GROOMED TRAIL. ALSO IF MR. STOKES WANTS MORE MONEY HE SHOULD POST HIS AND HIS STAFFS SALARIES AND BENEFITS ON THIS SITE. IT SEEMS THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE A PRETTY GOOD LIVING FROM SNO-MAN ALONE. LETS NOT GIVE THEM THE POWER TO REGULATE WHAT THIS PASS IS GOING TO COST US TO LINE THEIR POCKETS. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR WHAT ANOTHER GROUP HAVE TAKEN UPON THEMSELVES TO DO.MONEY IS NOT ENTIRELY THE ISSUE. THERE ARE RIDERS WHO WANT NO PART OF A GROOMED TRAIL SYSTEM.IF YOU WANT GROOMED TRAILS.GROOM "YOUR" TRAILS.AND LEAVE THE REST OF US OUT OF IT. WE LIKE THE FRESH STUFF.

you are too late..... integration is old news and happening next year...

Whats a $100.00 bucks for a groomed trail I think its a good investment. Today we went from Winnipeg Beach across the lake early morning on the Piston Popper Trail. When we were returning around 3:30 the wind was so bad you could not see the lake. We had to go back and all the way around to highway 59 to Selkirk and then to Winnipeg Beach. The extra 50 or so miles on groomed trails was well worth the snow pass cost just for safety sake. All 9 of us arrived home safe for sledding tomorrow.

This is my first year riding and I bought a pass. I love being able to us the groomed trail and I know there is a cost to maintaining them. Not to mention the warm up shacks in various locations and the wood is supplied for you. Heck, some even have solar power.

Am I concerned about MPI taking over, yes. But hopefully this works out and the local clubs will hopefully invest this to the trails.

For more info on the integration follow the link.
http://www.snoman.mb.ca/integration.pdf

Just to clarify ... from everything I've read MPI is NOT "taking over" the process.

Assuming integration is implemented ... All funds will still be administred by Snoman and distributed to the clubs based on the formula that is set-up. MPI is simply acting as the agent to collect the funds for Snoman (instead of the individual clubs selling passes) and ensuring that every sled that is registered get's a pass. (subject to any exemptions that Snoman may want to implement)

Don't take that as fact ... that's just my interpretation of what has come out of Snoman.

will the exemptions involve areas where there are no groomed trails.also what happens in areas where the club disbands. which is not in the too distant future in our area.

in your case a club likely/possibly will survive with some more cash flowing from mpi...
(likely disbanding due to people feeling over worked for volunteering, and not enough people buying passes.. lol - this will fix the problem.. in some cases)

Just got back. I rode from Winnipeg Beach to highway 7 and the primiter BFI landfill across from the highway scales . The trail from the Winnipeg Beach to Petersfield was rough and the trail from Petersfield to highway 7 was bunp bump bump stop and empty bladder and bump again not much fum. Highway 7 to Stoney Mountain was really good made up for the other trails. I came back the same way except from highway 7 near Gunton I took a different ditch to highway 9. I came out about 2 miles south of Petersfield. Then back on the trails home. It was fun a total of 267 km. Where the trail crosses over the road at Chlet Beach a DNR Officer was on the trail heading south nice to see him out there[/size]

I favor the integration, even though I primarily ride off trail. Before you all explode let me explain....... I purchase a trail pass each and every winter for the simple fact that the groomed trails are quite often between where I am and the riding area that I want to play in. Would rather have the engery to flog my sled like it owes me money once I get to where I'm going as opposed to being whipped when we get there. Having said all of that if there is integration then local clubs need to be held accountable to groom. Our local groomer has spent the better part of the last 2 winters with mechanical issues of one sort or another. Fortunately this winter has been better than most in recent memory for snow (until the freezing rain). I have been at warm up huts with groups of enthusiasts when an non pass sledder pulled up and heated conversations always result. It is nice when -30 outside to be able to sit in a warm hut for a few minutes to thaw out the frozen bits.