We can expect a sunny weekend with amazing daytime highs of -6 C on Saturday and -4 C on Sunday. Thank you for answering my prayers weather gods!
With all this spring weather, expect the trails to be busy with lots of riders and pedestrians. Remember speed limits within the city are 30 km/h for Zone A and 70 km/h for Zone B. Bylaw officers may be out enforcing the limits and no one wants to be fined.
Tomorrow Arctic Anglers hosts its ice fishing derby on Walsh Lake. Registration occurs at their tent between 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. and fishing continues until 3 p.m. The Great Slave Snowmobile Association (GSSA) is offering to guide any snowmobilers out to the derby. Just meet near the Snowking’s Winter Festival castle at either 7 a.m or 9 a.m.
Sunday the GSSA has an organized ride out to Hearne Lake Lodge for lunch. All seats are sold so if you’ve missed out we will do this again next year. Ride expected to be either 200 or 250 kilometres depending on the route we take. Can’t wait!
There are many great local businesses who support a lot of different groups. I would like to take a minute to thank Sub-Arctic Geomatics Ltd and Challenger Geomatics Ltd for supporting our club. We sincerely appreciate it.
Flooding and construction continue along the Bullmoose Ruth Winter Road. If riding in the area, please check in with the surveillance shack for safety information. The road is built for industrial traffic and is not yet completed, but 2018 is expected to be the last year for this ice road.
Last weekend, the GSSA finished its gravel haul along the Kam Lake to Great Slave Lake trail. Gravel may still be visible so slow down when riding over these areas, as we’d like to keep it where it is. Our improvements have buried several rocks and filled in holes making the trail better for next year.
The trails around town are groomed and mostly in great shape. The Deh Cho Boulevard trail from the crossing to Eagle Drive needs some work but the groomer will be out again trying to fix it.
The Walsh Lake trail is rough due to lots of traffic. The trail from Homer to Grayling is very rough at the start. The trail from Banting through Likely to Oro is rough. The trail from Oro to Daigle and Milner is better.
The trail from Daigle to Landing Lake is rough but not as bad as the Walsh Lake trail. The portages from Landing to Long Lake are rough. The portages from Yellowknife Bay to Jennejohn are rough but south through Defeat and west to Reid Lake are in better condition.
For next season, the GSSA is looking into purchasing a new groomer, one we can use for the trails outside of town.
This is only possible if we get good support from our Making Trax rally April 7. Book your day and come ride with us.
There are still lots of untouched lakes south and east of Jennejohn for you carvers. Many of the lakes near town are well travelled so if heading out don’t forget some safety gear in case you break down. It doesn’t take long to ride into an area too far to walk out of.
Several new ice roads have popped up on Walsh Lake both in the south and north. Another near Mosher Island on Yellowknife Bay. TerraX has an ice road across Daigle and Milner as well as across Banting and into Homer. These berms are dangerous so keep your speed down and eyes open.
An ice ridge is still present on Jennejohn as you near the Reid Lake trail and another near Hideaway Island on Yellowknife Bay. Be wary, as the temperatures warm ice ridges form and overflow becomes abundant. A large overflow was spotted last weekend on Back Bay at the entrance to the Niven Lake trail. This trail is nearly impassable due to ice.