Even snowmobile association ‘ready for spring’ after latest snow

Even the head of a winter sport group is ready for the snow to melt and not come back – at least for a while.

Leah Switzer, executive director of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association, said “we’re all ready for it to be over.

“I mean, honestly, as much as we love snowmobiling and the fact that people can still do it, I think everybody is kind of ready for spring.”

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“My job is a winter-based thing, and I do love snowmobiling, but I think it’s time for it all to close up and see the grass turn green,” she said.

Though winter may feel like it’s dragging on this year, according to Switzer, it’s nothing we haven’t experienced before. Back in 2022, the snowmobile season lasted until April 25 and 2018 also went later, she said.

“So, seems like every few years we get one of these really late springs,” according to Switzer.

Until the grass eventually turns green – as Switzer hopes it will – people are still enjoying the snowmobile trails.

“I’m definitely hearing that there’s people out there,” she said.

While the trails in Kelvington are now closed, last Saturday, Switzer heard from people “it was like riding in the middle of winter.”

Over in Regina Beach, where Switzer is, people were out last Friday, “ripping around,” she said.

“If the snow is there, people will still go out,” Switzer said.

The number of trails open for a ride, though, is lessening. According to Switzer, the one club with all its trails open is over in the Emma Lake area, north of Prince Albert. Then, there’s a few others with partial trails available in the northwest and northeast.

Safety in late spring snowmobiling

Even with this most recent surge of winter, Switzer said many of the clubs closed over the last two weeks because warmer weather was causing signs to fall down.

“As soon as that starts happening, they’ve got to close up their system,” she said.

Water crossings are also a factor, becoming unsafe when the weather warms up.

“What was packed ice crossing is no longer there,” Switzer noted.

The association does keep an interactive map allowing people to check which trails are still open, although Switzer said that’ll probably become redundant in the next few days.

“I would expect that after this weekend, those will also be closed,” she said, hopefully signalling a real start to spring.