January 3, 2016
1753
The cross-country ski trails are now open, and walking on the trails at Stoney Island, has ended. Stoney Island Conservation Area is located just west of the B-line (Bruce County Road 23), about five miles north of Kincardine hospital.
Since 1990, the Kincardine Cross-Country Ski Club has maintained and improved the skiing, snowshoeing and walking trails at Stoney Island. Without all the volunteer hours put in during the spring, summer and fall seasons, people would not be able to walk on the trails at all.
Bridges are built, fallen trees are removed, gravel is added to wet areas, and the grass is cut. For nine months of the year, people are allowed to walk at Stoney Island and benefit from all the volunteer labour done by ski club members.
Meanwhile, the ski season is short - usually three months. People are asked not to walk at Stoney Island when the ski season is on. The trails are then being prepared with packers and groomers so that ski enthusiasts (like Glen Norcliffe, at right) and snowshoers (below) can enjoy Stoney Island. Dogs are not allowed either because they can also damage the trails.
Damaged trails can be hazardous, with the freeze-and-thaw cycles, causing skiers to fall due to grooves and holes in the trails.
The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority (SVCA) wholeheartedly supports the efforts and enthusiasm of the Kincardine Cross-Country Ski Club. Buy some skis or snowshoes and enjoy the beautiful trails that we have in the Kincardine area thanks to the SVCA. There are skis in the hut at the head of the trails that people are welcomed to borrow for a few hours.
For your winter walks, please enjoy the many other trails in Kincardine.
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