1.  This winter season of 2006 has so far been one disappointment after another with regard to poor weather and it's negative effect on snowmobiling. Earlier this week we had a great snow storm but it was followed by 20mm of rain right before the weekend. We decided to take our chances and head out for a ride anyway. Sooley, Maffer, French, Bill, Dad and I unloaded at Northern Pond Road and rode trails all around the area eventually making our way to the Goulds. We decided we would take a run in the old pole line and try to make our way to Crane's Gas bar in Witless Bay.

We made it about 6 kilometres in the pole line detouring flooded brooks and skimming small puddles when we came upon a very large flooded area over 250' across. I knew the crew would have no trouble skimming that distance, but I was unsure if Dad's 503 fan cooled Cheyenne would make it across. I took a side trail to explore a possible detour and broke out onto a bog that looked like the perfect place to bypass the 'pond' on the pole line. As I turned around to loop back around and get Dad, my sled sunk to the top of the seat in a dirty mess of water, slush & snow. With all the rain the brook in the middle of this bog flooded its banks and the snow cover hid this fact until my sled broke through.

It took us 2 hours to get the machine dug out, lifted, turned around and hauled up on solid ground far enough to drive it out. We were all standing thigh deep in icy water and were soaked to the bone. It was a chilly ride back to the trucks, but I was very thankful to our awesome crew for helping me get the sled out!!!

Cheers, MIKE