CORNER BROOK, N.L. — The president of the Western Sno-Riders snowmobile club is making it clear there is no tolerance for trash left behind at the club’s warm-up shacks.
In recent weeks, president Mark Hutchinson discovered large quantities of garbage left behind at one of the shacks and cleaned up the mess himself.
On Feb. 1, he posted on the Western Sno-Riders Facebook page to advise the public of the issue and to let everyone know that no garbage should be left behind at any of the club’s huts.
“These shelters are put there and maintained for riders to enjoy, warm up, have some food, dry your gear and head on to the next destination,” he wrote. “There are a lot of riders — all ages and genders — that take pride in these shelters, and for some people to leave their beer cans behind like this after bringing them in from their sled is very disappointing and frustrating.”
The Western Sno-Riders, a non-profit snowmobile club, has installed three so-called shiver shacks along the trail with the help of fundraising and sponsors.
Hutchinson said this particular shack, where he found garbage, is located in towards Lewis Hills.
Hutchinson first encountered garbage left behind at the shack Jan. 25.
“There was a bag of garbage there, it had to be four feet tall, completely packed,” he told The Western Star. “It was overflowing and then there was another bag on the side with recyclables, like beer bottles and cans.”
He returned the following day prepared to clean it up.
With the assistance of a couple of friends, they filled up three garbage bags and put them on a covered sleigh, before disposing of the trash at one of the trail sponsor’s dumpsters on Lundrigan Drive.
One week later, the board was installing trail signage between Lundrigan Drive and the so-called shiver shack when he decided to check back in to see if there was more garbage.
What he discovered was even more alarming.
Hutchinson encountered nothing but beer bottles and cans left strewn about the shack, leaving him with greater concerns about drinking and driving on the trail.
“There’s two issues: they’re bringing this in here and being completely lazy, leaving it here, but the bigger problem is that these people are drinking and driving on snowmobile,” he said.
Hutchinson stressed it is not the responsibility of the Western Sno-Riders, nor its groomer operators, to keep the shack clean. He implored all users to not leave their garbage behind and to please take it with them when they leave.
“We try to promote ‘pack it in, pack it out’ as much as possible,” he said. “So, we don’t actually leave garbage bags or cans in there because it’s not something we want to attract.”
Hutchinson is also pleading with snowmobilers to leave the alcohol home.
“The rules of the road apply to the trail, if you get caught drinking and driving on the trail it’s no different than drinking and driving in a car,” he said.
According to Hutchinson, the issue isn’t a new one; it happens every year.
“It’s a constant battle every single year, other clubs are dealing with it as well,” he said.
But the amount of garbage he’s seen this year has been the worst yet.
