29 replies to this topic

[mrsnowmobile]

Legend700, on Feb 12 2008, 02:56 PM, said:

great post, we've obviosuly seen too much drama lately and it needs to stop because it's not good for the sport.

Agreed. If anyone is going to be in the SOS area Saturday lookme up. I'll be on a red SKS 800 with a red and black Polaris jacket on, orange helmet. Thats the easiest way to spot me. Stop me and say hi.

[The Toolman]

I'll be either on my candy apple rxwarrior (I know it's not a skidoo) or working for the club whereever needed. I did just get a skidoo helmet, last Sat. nite I couldn't see a thing in the snow. Me and Dave came up to a guy in the trees off the airstrip buried deep. I guess he couldn't see either.

[Skip]

mrsnowmobile, on Feb 12 2008, 01:17 PM, said:

...I was just trying to defend our group against Skip's and now Toolman's accusations that me or Freedom Rider and the rest of the group, did nothing wrong, at the time...

Please enlighten me....provide me the quote where I accused you or any of your buddy's of doing something wrong.

Thanks.....

[Skip]

The Toolman, on Feb 12 2008, 02:36 PM, said:

Snowmobiling has enough people trying to stop us, that's a problem, but a bigger problem is the constant bickering amongst snowmobilers. We all know right from wrong, or at least most of us. but people constantly try to defend their pipes or off trailing or anything else they can think of that in the end is wrong. The clubs need each other to stay focused on the trails, we don't own the trails they kind of own us. If we want our kids to be able to ride we all need to think to the future and come up with ideas to fend off the other groups that want us gone. We need to crack down on problems within ourselves and move on. Maybe hunting cameras on problem areas, how about electric sleds for the tree huggers,(I'm gonna catch some crap for that one) anyway you all know what I mean. Hopefully Saturday's winter carnival will be a big hit and it can bring everyone together, and when its done we can all have a beer.

Good points.

Let me see if I can make this clear.

The trail beyond Junction X is an umanitained trail on a class VI roadway. If you have a map of the SOS trail system it is clearly annotated.

If you follow that road out about a mile you come to a spur trail on the left. This spur trail is marked as the access to the top of Foss Mountain. This spur trail is guarded with a metal gate. This gate is closed and chained shut with a "no snowmobiling" sign. So, if you avail yourself of readily available material and follow directions you will find your access to the top of Foss Mountain as a snowmobiler forbidden.

However, if you leave that same Class IV road at several spots and cut across the blueberry fields before the marked gate you can clearly tresspass your way to the top.

How can we as sledders scold or chastise other members of our sport for off trail riding if we as Fish & Game safety indtructors, club officers, NHSA past officials or long time sledders claim "ignorance of the law" because we read that "someone else did it on the internet" or "we were just following someone else before us" or it couldn't have been wrong becuase no one said so back then?

The rules are simple. Stay on clearly marked snowmobile trails unless you have written landowner permission. And if you venture down an unmainted class VI road that doubles as a trail and is not clearly marked (as is the case here) then you better have a map or a clear understanding of the area you are in.

If the landowner atop Foss Mountain had caught any of the individuals that have gone there this year so far, and they did not have written permission from him to be there, then none of the aforementioned excuses offered so far are an affirmative defense for tresspassing.

And if that doesn't become clear to a lot more people soon, we will indeed find ourselves sledding once again in our own backyards.

No vendetta here, its not about who I like or dislike, just a clear explanation of the law as it pertains to snowmobiling. Hell, you may not like what I post and so be it. If I wanted to make more friends I wouldn't spend my spare time on the internet, I'd be a bartender at the Legion!

That said, its really very simple......KNOW BEFORE YOU GO.....

As always, please feel free to contact me if you need specific references to the applicable RSAs and Administrative Code to understand this basic of snowmobiling concepts....

Skip

Edited by Skip, 12 February 2008 - 04:32 PM.

[Tim]

To clarify, we have permission to go as far as the gate at Foss. We groom, on occasion, to Youngs hill rd. It is allowed to proceed from there but not onto the blueberry fields to the summit. We are in the process of moving that trail off the road and onto private property. The goal is to 1 have a scenic trail for snowshoeing to the summit of Foss and 2 tie into the burnt meadow club in Maine. The locals both in ME and NH have been riding that area for years and will continue to do what they do. When our trail is established there will be more signs and more policing of the area.

[slushpup]

Skip, on Feb 12 2008, 03:39 PM, said:

Good points.

Let me see if I can make this clear.

The trail beyond Junction X is an umanitained trail on a class VI roadway. If you have a map of the SOS trail system it is clearly annotated.

If you follow that road out about a mile you come to a spur trail on the left. This spur trail is marked as the access to the top of Foss Mountain. This spur trail is guarded with a metal gate. This gate is closed and chained shut with a "no snowmobiling" sign. So, if you avail yourself of readily available material and follow directions you will find your access to the top of Foss Mountain as a snowmobiler forbidden.

However, if you leave that same Class IV road at several spots and cut across the blueberry fields before the marked gate you can clearly tresspass your way to the top.

How can we as sledders scold or chastise other members of our sport for off trail riding if we as Fish & Game safety indtructors, club officers, NHSA past officials or long time sledders claim "ignorance of the law" because we read that "someone else did it on the internet" or "we were just following someone else before us" or it couldn't have been wrong becuase no one said so back then?

The rules are simple. Stay on clearly marked snowmobile trails unless you have written landowner permission. And if you venture down an unmainted class VI road that doubles as a trail and is not clearly marked (as is the case here) then you better have a map or a clear understanding of the area you are in.

If the landowner atop Foss Mountain had caught any of the individuals that have gone there this year so far, and they did not have written permission from him to be there, then none of the aforementioned excuses offered so far are an affirmative defense for tresspassing.

And if that doesn't become clear to a lot more people soon, we will indeed find ourselves sledding once again in our own backyards.

No vendetta here, its not about who I like or dislike, just a clear explanation of the law as it pertains to snowmobiling. Hell, you may not like what I post and so be it. If I wanted to make more friends I wouldn't spend my spare time on the internet, I'd be a bartender at the Legion!

That said, its really very simple......KNOW BEFORE YOU GO.....

As always, please feel free to contact me if you need specific references to the applicable RSAs and Administrative Code to understand this basic of snowmobiling concepts....

Skip

That about says it all.....seems to be a bigger problem this year around here.You would think with all this snow it would be less of one.............Bartender eh skip?? just open your own place "Skips Burgers n Beer"

[Skip]

slushpup, on Feb 13 2008, 10:13 AM, said:

That about says it all.....seems to be a bigger problem this year around here.You would think with all this snow it would be less of one.............Bartender eh skip?? just open your own place "Skips Burgers n Beer"

We've all talked about the situation off-line and understand the uniqueness of this particular area. From a club perspective it has been very difficult this year keeping proper signage up on the trails for all riders to be readily informed.

In the OVSC area we have had problems with the weather, the type of signs and ink we use, definite vandalism and just not enough volunteers to keep all our signs up in tip top shape. Added to the issue is some of our landowners are very restrictive on the signage we use, but we appreciate that it is their land and gladly follow their wishes.

I think that everyone that has posted in this particualr thread have shown their frustrations over the issue because each poster has been heavily involved at the volunteer, club or NHSA (or all 3) and quite frankly some of us are just a litle tired this year!

But hey, thanks to the graciousness of Rob for giving us this site, and the patience of ckf, pathfinder and oldtimer for their moderating skills. Here we have an intelligent and maturely run website where we can all come and hash out our differences, maybe get a little peeved at each sometimes but all still come away as friends!

And in the end that's what it should be all about.....

[The Toolman]

So when are we all haveing that beer?

[Tim]

The Toolman, on Feb 13 2008, 10:40 AM, said:

So when are we all haveing that beer?

You sound like a deck dweller. Unfortunatly I have not been able to find a coozie to accomodate a Guinness. I guess it's cola for me. :sad:

[The Toolman]

one beer is legal anywhere, so far! And you don't have to drink beer soft drinks are ok too to toast.