OFSC opens Early Season Priority Trails

With winter off to a great start across much on Ontario, a few select sections of snowmobile trails are already available on a limited basis for early season riding.

These Early Season Priority (ESP) Trails are a project initiated by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC), in cooperation with its districts, clubs and volunteers, to provide permit holders with their first riding opportunities before Christmas. Typically, the entire OFSC system trails may not be fully open until January.

ESP Trails are located within driving distance of the 401 corridor, are localized segments not yet linked or connected to most other trails, and are shown as “Limited” (Yellow) on OFSC Trail Status Reports. The first ESP Trails to open are in the Barrie/Collingwood area of OFSC District 8, but others are also scheduled to come on line very soon.

Though the OFSC is pleased to offer these early snowmobiling opportunities, ESP Trails are not intended to provide the full riding experience that will be available later when everything is open. The OFSC is urging snowmobilers to enjoy the sections that are available, and to show their appreciation and respect to club volunteers and landowners by staying off the many trails that remain closed and are not yet ready for safe snowmobiling. Specifically, this means that where an ESP Trail section ends, riders must turn around and go back, and not expect to complete a loop or ride the distances that will be available when the whole trail system opens.

“If riders cooperate by sticking to the ESP Trails, then this initiative will succeed and likely be continued. If they do not cooperate, and trespass on adjacent closed trails, then we will have to re-evaluate to protect our clubs, trails and landowners,” says Jeff McGirr, OFSC Administrator, Trails and Risk Management Programs.