9.   Its been at least three years since I can remember riding a snowmobile this late into March here on the East Coast. Unlike our fortunate West Coast snowmobiling brethren, our season usually peters out mid March.

8.   We had reasonably cold temperatures all week, a little rain Thursday and a little snow Friday. Sunday morning French, Bill and I headed to the Sooley Family Cabin with hopes of burning another tank of gas in the sleds. We keep going back to this area especially late in the season because we are familiar and confident of ice conditions on the ponds, and there is a lot less traffic in this area then there is closer to town. Sure enough when tested we found a good 12" of ice on the pond, with that we gave the sides of any narrow sections and stream run in's a very wide berth.

French was riding his 2009 Yamaha Nytro XTX, Bill his new 2010 Yamaha Nytro X-TX and as usual I piloted my trusty steed, Project Renegade.

7.   I started my sled and headed up the pond hearing a few snaps & pops along the way. I figured the drive belt was failing but I continued riding to our destination a short distance away at the top of the pond. A few hundred feet from our boil-up spot the belt completely disintegrated and I coasted to a stop 20 feet from our destination. I unloaded my ice fishing gear, and set about installing my spare belt. I was disheartened to find that not only had the belt disintegrated, but the primary clutch was damaged. There was a large piece broke out of the inner sheave and a large split found from the outer edge right to the centre of the outer sheave.

6.   The snow that we enjoyed so much last weekend was mostly melted, leaving not a trace in the open areas and very little in the woods. Although the temperatures this previous week were mostly below zero, the power of the spring sun did a job on the snow accumulation.

This was OK because I no longer had a working sled! Bill managed to get in a little riding on the pole line where snow was still protected in the shade of the tree line, but the open bog areas were not readily passable. A fresh 5cm that fell Friday covered the pond nicely providing traction and cooling for the sleds.

5.   Since I couldn't ride I tended the ice fishing lines and prepared a boil-up. Janes dropped up later in the day and enjoyed the afternoon with us catching a couple trout and having a wicked feed of Bacon, bologna, onion and beans.

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3.   Knowing the cracked clutch would likely explode if I ran the engine, I reluctantly let French tow me back to the truck at the end of the day.

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1.   All was not lost, we had a great day in the country, French got to try his new Curve XS skis on his sled, and Bill enjoyed a little late season riding. Depending on the weather I may leave my sled repairs until fall, but if we get a dump of snow that clutch will be replaced pretty quick!

Cheers, MIKE

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