The Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club welcomes everyone to the 2008-2009 snowmobile season.  As of December 15^th we have a solid (real solid with the rain/snow/frigid cycle we seem to be in) base.  Three snowstorms are forecast over the next five days so we plan to begin working our trails before the Holiday Break.  We would like to open on some groomed trails by December 20^th but please check our web site first.    Unless there is a dramatic warming trend, we should be offering good riding conditions over the Holiday vacation period.  Current conditions are available on our web site and by calling our Snow Phone at 207-864-7336.  Our maps should be available before December 25th either at many Rangeley area stores, the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce or by mail at the address above. Maps are $5 and if you order by mail, we ask a dollar for postage. Our new grooming machine and Mogul Master drag arrived December 9^th.  It is a Piston Bully 200 TB, which features engineering specifically designed for snowmobile trail grooming plus significant fuel efficiency.  Look for this machine to be operating out of Oquossoc this season.  Thanks to the Nash Family, the owners at Oquossoc Marine, for providing us parking space there.

We enjoyed the company of many Club members at our annual Christmas Party hosted this year by the Rangeley Inn.  We thank all of those who attended and urge others to consider it for next year.  Two more lucky Easy Bucks winners were drawn, Dave Borman  and Wes Reed.They each won $50.  The 50/50 raffle nearly topped $300 and was won by Merri Walker.  She donated half her winnings back to the Club.  Thank you Merri and Vincent. Our next Club Meeting and dinner will be January 10^th at the Undercroft of the Episcopal Church on Main Street.  Tentatively, the dinner will be a fund raising event for an Episcopal Youth Mission group planning a mission to Central America.  The dinner menu is not set as yet but tentatively it will include beef stroganoff, a lasagna/pasta dish, salad, vegetables and breads.  Members are asked to bring a small portion of potluck dessert.  Social hour begins at 530 PM and dinner at 630.

We will have reopened several miles of trail out near Kennebago Lake and East Kennebago Mountain. These will offer some riding loops that should be popular with folks riding out of Rangeley.  If all goes well, you will be able to ride completely around East Kennebago Mountain, looping back toward Rangeley.  As always there are some trails that will not open when the season begins or will require caution resulting from forest operations.  The most important of these is what we call the Kamankeag Pond Road, which is the only trail connection north of Rangeley Lake to the trails to Rangeley and on to the East.  Fortunately, the landowner plans to be finished with the forestry operation in that area by New Years.  The only other land based trail to Rangeley and points east will be via ITS 84 through Oquossoc and around the south side of Rangeley Lake. Routings past this major but brief trail closure; Lake Conditions and tentative reopening dates will be posted on our web site.  Please, if a trail is posted as closed, stay out.  If forest operations are small with controlled vehicle movement, we can usually set up a joint use agreement with the landowner and contractors.

If it is a big operation, it’s too dangerous especially to snowmobilers.  So please stay out.  Remember that plowed roads are off limits to snowmobiles whether or not they are posted. You may legally ride on a plowed road only when it is posted that snowmobiling is permitted.

IMPORTANT:  The Club has prepared changes to its By-laws.  A draft will be posted soon on the web site.  We will be pleased to send copies to any member requesting a paper copy.  A vote approving the revisions as recommended by the Board of Directors, will be taken at the January Membership meeting.  The most important change involves elections of Officers and Board members.  We wish to have nominations closed at the February Members meeting and the elections at the March meeting.  Terms will begin as before when we change fiscal years in June.  Previously, nominations and elections occur in the spring months.  We have had problems with insufficient attendance at these meetings such that we struggled to have a quorum as required by the current By-laws.  Other changes are intended to strengthen our financial accountability, recognize Standing committees, correct out of date and inconsistent language and to add an option for having a Trail Manager as a Club Officer.  Currently, we manage our trail operations as a committee with the President of the Club acting as over all Trail Manager with the assistance of three District Trail Managers.  We would really appreciate your interest and comments in this vital document

Snowmobile Raffle. We finally got this off the ground and some raffle tickets are enclosed.  The winner gets a choice of the Arctic Cat F5, donated in part by Arctic Cat and by PJ’s Power Sports here in Rangeley or $5000 in cash.  New this year areseveral dinner certificates at area restaurants.  All winning tickets will be drawn at 4PM Saturday January 24^th during SNODEO 2009. We need to sell 800 tickets to break even on this raffle.  We ask a lot from all of you but we need and appreciate the help and money you give to the Club.

The Groomer Fund drive was a huge success. Every penny we can pay to principle saves us plenty in financing costs.  Thank you to all.  It is not too late to donate.  We will post all the contributors continuously on the web site.  Our top contributors will be announced in the Club’s January Newsletter. Remember that the top three contributors will each be offered a ride-along in one of our groomers this season.

SNODEO 2009 is almost here.  Enclosed are some 50/50 tickets for the event.  The drawing is Friday evening during the Welcome Party.  Last year this netted the winner, $1000.  If you want more tickets, call us at 864-2775.  They will also be for sale at the January Membership Meeting. It begins January 22 with the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce’s Chili-Chowder Cook Off and the RLSC Casino Night.  There is a Welcome Party on Friday and a full schedule of events on Saturday January 24^th. See our web site for more details.  The final schedule will be included in our January Membership newsletter. The RLSC Officers, Board of Directors and membership wishes ALL a wonderful and safe 2009.  We look forward to you riding here in Rangeley.

STEVE DUDLEY, PRESIDENT                                                             

SANDI DUMONT, SEC            50/50 TICKETS ARE $1 EACH, KEEP A STUB

Please visit our Sponsors page to check out businesses who have donated or pledged to donate to our grooming and trail maintenance program for this season. Be sure to patronize these businesses when in the area. It is due to their donations that we have the great riding conditions we all enjoy!