Local snowmobile club blazes a path for recreational fun

JONATHAN MANESS

MONTROSE- While the Uncompahgre Valley Trail Riders is a snowmobile and ATV club, that doesn't mean members are just out for the rush of the ride- they are also out to work on the areas trails and protect their rights to ride.

"We are a social club that is trying to protect our rights to ride," UVTR President Karen Bell said. "We also give people a chance to go with somebody that knows the trails."

The club is responsible for grooming 79 miles of trails in their area. Some of the different areas around Montrose that club grooms are the Little Cimarron Trail, Owl Creek Trail and the Uncompahgre Plateau.

"We volunteer our time to groom trails and organize rides. On each ride we have experienced leaders so nobody gets lost," UVTR member Jim Hokit said.

The trails that are groomed aren't just for snowmobiling. They're also open for other recreational uses, including cross-country skiing and dog sleds.

"The trails are open for anyone," Ball said. "We have to keep them groomed, not just for snowmobiles, but also for the dog sleds. They need a groomed trail for their dogs."

While club members are out grooming the trails and riding their snowmobiles during the winter months, they switch over to ATVs in the summer.

UVTR member Roy Johnson was the catalyst for getting the club started in 1999. He moved to Montrose from Cortez, where he was part of the Four Corners Trail Club.

"When my wife and I moved up here, there wasn't a club around," Johnson said. "I really just wanted to know where there were places to ride and it just took some letters out to snowmobile and ATV owners to get the club started. In our first meeting we packed the firehouse and we had about 30-plus people. There were lots of efforts around to close trails and it was a good thing we got started. We knew that we had to be dedicated to get things going."

The club has grown over the years and now has 85 members.

"We have grown quite a bit over the past few years," Hokit said. "Some of our trips have had up to 35 to 38 snowmobiles. When everybody goes it's a pretty big crowd," he said.

The club has members from Ouray to Grand Junction, and also has families from Kansas and Texas.

"It's great for those families because they can come down and schedule ATV rides in the summer and snowmobile rides in the winter," Johnson said.

The club is funded by the state and works with the Forest Service, which gives it a grant to groom the trails. With the Forest Service's help the club keeps all of the trails maintained so that they are open for recreation use. The club has worked on the Spring Creek Trail with the Forest Service and has done numerous chores on trails around the area.

The club has several events planned in the next couple of months, including a poker run and runs at Black Mesa, Silverton and Barlow Creek. On Sunday the club is featuring a poker run along with the Delta Snokrusters. On the ride snowmobile riders will go on set trails to gather cards in order to get best poker hand. They also will have a "radar race" where snowmobile riders will ride by a radar gun to see who is the fastest.

"We are available for anybody that is interested and are always willing to go as long as the weather approves," Bell said. "It is dangerous to go off alone because you may get lost and our runs are with people that know the area."

For more information about the Uncompahgre Valley Trail Riders contact Bell at 240-4037.

Contact Jonathan Maness via e-mail at jmaness@montrosepress.com.