DCDrifters Trail Conditions

59F and Sunny

2012-01-31T13:52:00.001-08:00

It would be a great day if this were April. Unfortunately, trails remain closed and the 10-day forecast isn't looking good.

Here is a picture of the field next to the Dryden VFW from earlier today.

Trails still closed due to lack of snow

2012-01-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

We got 1-2" of fluff this weekend. Unfortunately, not enough to ride yet. Please stay off the trails until we get more snow.

Rain + 40s = Closed trails

2012-01-18T03:11:00.000-08:00

Well, that didn't last long. Please stay off the trails until conditions improve. Thanks.

Trails are finally open!

2012-01-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

It has been an unusually warm winter so far, but conditions have finally improved.

We received 4-8" at the end of last week and it is cold. There isn't enough snow to groom yet, and with no base expect to quickly wear our your carbides and have them broken apart by all the rocks (personal experience).

The wet snow followed by near 0 temps have the trails covered with drooping branches and some fallen trees. The wet spots are freezing over, but there is still plenty of standing water and mucky conditions. We will need a lot more cold, snow and volunteers to clear trails before the groomers will be able to get out. For those that do venture out, be extra cautious and take it easy.

There is a new section on trail S25b connecting Midline Rd (near Cornelius Rd) and Yellow Barn Rd at the Dusenberry Sportsman club. Follow the signs. This change was required by land owners that were not pleased with snomobilier behaviour last year.

A Section of C2b on Hammond Hill Rd has been re-routed to avoid a large section of standing water at the top of the hill. Follow the signs.

Done?

2011-03-12T07:17:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we got another foot of snow and had great riding opportunities for Monday and Tuesday. Then it warmed up and rained for the rest of the week melting of most fields to bare ground and creating extreme water hazards.
There is still some limited riding in the hills, but lower elevation trails are closed unless conditions improve.

Warm temps and rain on the way

2011-03-04T12:37:00.000-08:00

We got a good foot of wet heavy snow last weekend and much of the trail system was groomed up before the rain came on Monday and brought lower elevation fields down to bare ground. The VFW and Dryden fields are closed until we get more snow. Unfortunately, we were unable to groom C7h to Groton or C2c to Cortland this week due to the lack of snow in Dryden.

However, there is still a lot of snow up in the hills and woods trails still have a deep base. We did groom from Yellow barn to Virgil (C2b) last night and that trail is very nice right now. Tomorrow's warm temps and rain will likely create serious water hazards in the typically wet low lying areas. The fields by Barton farm (near Irish Settlement Rd) on C2c will be particularly bad when thawed out.

One suggestion for riders is to trailer to Slaterville Springs or Hammond Hill and head north towards Marathon tonight or tomorrow morning. Stay away from Dryden and the VFW unless you want to drive by to pick up a tee shirt. Another option would be to trailer to Groton and ride north towards Lake Cuomo.

Enjoy it before its gone, but please do not ride trails that don't have snow cover. Respect our land owners so they will continue to allow us the privilege of crossing their land.

Still riding

2011-02-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

We survived last week's warm up and have 4-6" of new snow on top of a (rock) solid base. Groomers have been out, but still have more to do. There are some creek crossings where the snow bridge has been eroded, so be careful and expect to find some challenging sections out there.

The new club long sleeve shirts and sweatshirts are in and available for purchase at the Dryden VFW, Lake Como Inn and (hopefully) Poor Shots.

Cost is $15 for shirts and $20 for sweatshirts please stop by any of these places or contact Todd Ashley tashley@sack.pro to purchase them. Thanks.

Lots of snow and low branches

2011-02-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

Our trails survived last weekend's torrential rain storms and the poker run traffic and have been blessed with another 6-12" of snow this week combined with nice cold temperatures. The groomers have been out picking through the trails, but it has been very slow going. The freezing rain, sleet and wet snow stuck to every branch on our woods trails and there are lots of low branches and trees down. It would be very helpful if riders could take some time to help out with clearing trails. Bring a pair of loppers or a small chainsaw with you and do what you can. Remember the big groomers are 9' tall and 9' wide.
Enjoy the great conditions and always ride in control. We may be out touching up a few of the trails on Friday night so expect to meet a groomer or another sled on every corner at all times.

Get out and ride!

2011-02-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

We have 6-12" of fresh snow on a very nice 2-8" base.

After a heroic effort this week by Tim Cornelius to fix the new groomer's failed 24 volt alternator, we are back in business and grooming both sides of the hill again. The cold weather is helping to keep trails in tip top shape for Saturday' poker run.

Enjoy.

Conditions are very good

2011-01-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

We have been actively grooming the trails and developing a very nice base in the upper elevations. Low lying fields like in Dryden are very thin, but ridable. Get out and enjoy the trails.

Our benefit ride for Breast Cancer research is scheduled for Saturday, Jan 29. Registration is at 10:30am at the Dryden VFW and participants will leave at 11:30am. Please show up to support this great charity event.

Poker Run/Cash Raffle, Sat. Feb 5th registration from 9-11 at the Dryden VFW $10 a hand and our Cash Raffle Prize Drawing will be at 6 so sell/sell/sell. Contact Missy Cooper (274-6313) if you need tickets.

Lewie's Cabin in Berkshire will be open this weekend and next from 11-8 on Sat. and 9-5 on Sundays.

Poor Shots in Speedsville will also continue to be open on Sat and on Sundays from 12-4 as long as trails are rideable, they will also have food available. Tonight's special is Lasagna and next Fridays is Fried Chicken!!!!

We've finally got some snow

2011-01-22T02:32:00.000-08:00

We got about 6-9" of fresh powder Thursday night. Trails are open and in good condition. The new groomer was out all afternoon and evening (just got home). Covered the following trails, C2c to Cortland, Yellow Barn and up to Hammond Hill. C2b from Hammond hill to Virgil. S25b to Slaterville. Not sure what got done in Caroline/Berkshire yet. Get out and ride.
Don't forget to thank land owners and snowmobile club volunteers for their generosity and hard work.

LET IT SNOW! - Trails open where conditions permit

2011-01-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

We have 4-10" of fresh snow. It is fluffy and getting blown around, but there is enough to ride in the higher elevations. Dryden is still very thin. Groomers have not been out yet, but might get going tomorrow or Friday depending on how much more snow we get tonight.

Good news. S23b, the alternate field route to Berkshire is now open. The issues the land owner had with the individual rider have been resolved and the club has permission to open the trail back up.

Please ride with respect to land owners and stay on the marked trails.

TRAILS CLOSED - Not enough snow yet

2010-12-30T16:45:00.000-08:00

We have 0-5" of fluff and no base. Some riders have been out in these marginal conditions and this is causing lots of landowner complaints and even some trail closures.

S26 - The trail from Speed Hill to Buffalo Hill Road is CLOSED most likely for the season, this is the trail from Don Mix's house on Rt79 to the old Crooked Board. The landowner has been up in the woods doing some work and there are a couple very dangerous 25 ft drop offs where someone could get seriously injured.

C2c - Trail from Dryden to Cortland. There are complaints from Sherman Farm that sleds are not staying on the trail and are running over fencing, in the fields north of the communication tower. Please pay attention to the signage and if you see a problem report it to one of our trail bosses.

C2 - At the top of Downy Rd the section of C2 (maintained by Candor Valley Riders) that used to run south through the woods to Gulf Creek Rd is closed due to a new landowner who does not want snowmobiles on their land.

C2 - At the end of Weston Road near Speedsville, sleds MUST stay out of the driveway at top of the hill. Follow the marked trail through the field, or this landowner will be shutting the trail down, and there is no good alternate route!

S23b - Alternate (field) route to Berkshire. Trail is closed until further notice due to land owner issues with an individual snowmobilier. That's right, one person's action can close a prime trail for everyone. When we get snow, riders will have to use the C2 (woods) route.

Remember if it were not for our landowners we wouldn't be able to ride and enjoy the sport we all love so much!!!

Please stay off the trails until we get more snow. Thanks!

Trails are closed due to lack of snow

2010-03-12T04:39:00.000-08:00

This is the view from the Dryden VFW this morning. Most of our trails are bare and waterlogged. Please do not ride unless conditions dramatically improve.

New Groomer - Just in time for all the snow to melt

2010-03-09T17:05:00.000-08:00

Dang! Looks like the season is rapidly coming to an end for us. Our beautiful snow is melting fast. Road crossings and low-lying fields are mostly bare. The snow left in fields is mush. Higher elevation woods trails are holding snow, but are getting rough. Obviously it is way too warm, and pointless to groom despite our eagerness to try out the new machine.

We are not closing the trails...yet... However, please respect land owners and do not ride on bare, unfrozen ground. If you want to ride, trailer to Hammond Hill, Shindagin, or Virgil. When you run out of snow, turn around! Do not expect to be able to get from point A to point B without doing damage and potentially getting trails closed for good.

It's been a ROUGH week

2010-03-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Both groomers were down this week for repairs and many of our trails were in bad shape. The Groton trail was groomed all the way to S59 (Cayuga county) on Sunday night. The groomer quit in Dryden with a dead alternator. That has been replaced, but we are reluctant to tempt fate further as it is being traded in early next week. I rode C2h to Groton on Wednesday and it had held up nicely. The railroad tracks and woods sections are starting to get rough again. We will need some help clearing brush on that trail before taking the new machine on it. Please contact a trail boss if you are able to assist. See our contacts page at our web site for email and phone numbers.

The other groomer had a flat tire and other issues that have been repaired and it was out all night last night, and will be out again tonight. Our trails should be in very good shape for the weekend. The following trails have been or will be groomed tonight: C2, C2b, C2c, S23, S23a, S23b, S24, S25, S25b.

Enjoy the beautiful weather and snow while it lasts. Temps are expected to rise next week.

Comments are welcome. If you prefer, you can email mail@dcdrifters.net.

16-20" of new snow!

2010-02-26T13:02:00.000-08:00

We got hammered by the nor'easter yesterday and last night. Most trails had a good base, were groomed and in very good shape before the storm. This snow is wet and heavy underneath and dry on top. This means lots of drifts and tough going if you get stuck. This also makes it very tough to groom. One of the BR160's is out this afternoon working on S23b and C2 and C2b between the Old 76 Club and the Poor Shots right now. They may try to go up on Hammond Hill tonight. We will try and tackle Yellow Barn and Dryden later this weekend. Get out there and beat that snow down.

Have fun! Avoid riding alone.

Comments/updates on trail conditions are encouraged.

Trails are open and groomed

2010-02-19T19:36:00.001-08:00

We have a 1-4" base built up on most of our trails. There is up to 8" of snow on the ground in the woods and most water holes are frozen.

The big groomer was out until 5am this morning covering most of Caroline, Slaterville, Yellow Barn and Hammond Hill. It is out tonight doing the rest of Hammond Hill and trail C2b to Virgil. The groomer operators feel that there just isn't enough snow to groom C2c to Cortland or C2h to Groton without tearing up the groomer and breaking more cleats on the tracks.

The Breast Cancer awareness ride is on for Sunday starting at 10am at the Dryden VFW.

Please post any comments on the current conditions of the trails.

Trails are open but conditions are marginal

2010-02-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

There is 2-6" of dry fluffy snow with little or no base on mostly frozen ground. Woods trails are in better shape than fields especially in the higher elevations. We need more snow than this to groom without tearing up the machines. Please use extreme caution and stay on marked trails.

I rode S25b near Midline Rd. last night and it was better than not riding at all, but not by much. There was barely 4" on no base. Tough on the carbides.

Riders are encouraged to post comments with updated conditions.

Trails remain closed due to lack of snow

2010-02-04T07:20:00.000-08:00

We got 1-3" of dry fluffy snow across the area last night. This gives us a total of 1-4" with no base and is not enough to groom or ride on. The poker run that is scheduled for Saturday will still happen regardless of the conditions. However, trails remain officially closed at land owner request and snowmobilers are strongly discouraged from riding until conditions improve. Thank you for your cooperation.

Trails are CLOSED

2010-01-31T07:51:00.000-08:00

We completely lost our base with the rain and warm temperatures last week. Trails remain officially closed until conditions improve. We have received a dusting to a couple of inches in the past few days, but it is not enough to matter. There is not enough snow to groom or ride. Land owners have asked us to close trails and keep riders from causing damage to crop lands and lawns. Please cooperate and stay off the trails until we get more snow.