Feb 15, 2008 - 05:38 PM

By Chris Hall

SCUGOG - As the trees continually whip by while you press on along a perfectly groomed trail, it's hard not to get caught up in the natural beauty that surrounds you, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

As far as the eye can see, there are trees. Blanketed in a fresh snowfall and providing a buffer from the fierce, driving winds that made last Sunday's bitter cold almost unbearable, the trees keep passing by as the kilometres tick by.

Over stunningly-beautiful hilly terrain, through winding and tight corners and along flat, straight corridors that almost invite you to squeeze your thumb a little harder on the throttle, the trails throughout Scugog's backwoods are nothing short of amazing. Maintained mostly by the Port Perry Snowmobile Club (PPSC), the sled paths that criss-cross throughout the township are a magical trail system that weaves throughout the woodlots and farm fields of Scugog, along area roadways and, of course, across Lake Scugog and other bodies of water.

At the front of our small pack is club president Larry Glynn, an avid and veteran rider who's been charged with escorting Star photographer Celia Klemenz around the trail system. Club member Brian Johnston keeps close to his tail, followed by myself. Rick Sauer, the club's outgoing and knowledgeable promotions guy, brings up the rear.

For more than an hour, our fivesome leaves the real world behind as we're transported to areas of Scugog most, like myself before this jaunt through the township's back country, have never seen.

Growing up in rural eastern Ontario, in the heart of Prince Edward County, riding snowmobiles was a staple in life as a kid, after school and almost every waking moment during the weekends when not playing shinny on a frozen puddle of water in some farmer's field. Now though, years later, I'll admit my sledding experience has been touch and go.

But, as they say with riding a bike, you never forget.

After a quick rip around the clubhouse to show our guides that I'm worthy enough to be trusted to pilot a 2008 Yamaha Venture (thanks to Yamaha for the loaner), we're off. From the clubhouse, located at the southern end of Russell Road, just off of Shirley Road, our group rips along a main trail before branching off into the dense woods.

Before long, after twisting and turning through the woods, flying over hills and cautiously crossing roadways, my sense of direction has deserted me. Simply, I'm lost.

No worries, my guides assure me. Over there is Bill Lishman's property, points Mr. Sauer, indicating the direction we just came from. And over here a bit, he adds, pointing in another direction, is Blackstock. And over there, just a ways, is Port Perry.

I'll have to take his word for it.

Time and time again, the three men stress, the key to the success of the Port Perry Snowmobile Club is the landowners. Without them, says Mr. Glynn, there would be no trails. It is only through the generosity of those who own the large tracts of land that hundreds, if not thousands, of machines are permitted to rip across Scugog's rural areas each winter season. But, adds Mr. Glynn quickly, their relationship can be somewhat of a precarious one.

As long as riders adhere to the rules, sticking to the marked trails so there's no damage to underlying crops such as winter wheat, the deal between the two sides works for everyone.

It's important, stresses Mr. Sauer, to resist the urge to plow through fresh snow drifts. Over the past few years, concedes Mr. Glynn, the acts of a few rogue riders, as well as those of ATV owners tearing up the trails when they're bare of snow, have cost the club routes.

But since the early 1970s, when the club was first formed, the local club and area landowners have gotten along pretty well, as the 140-kilometres of trails that meander across Scugog would attest. When needed, club members and volunteers chip in a few hours here and there to clean up the trail system.

Snowmobiling across Scugog dates back to the 1960s and it's not hard to see why, given the beauty of the area.

"Riding in this area has a long history," says Mr. Glynn, who, after years away from the sport, rediscovered sledding in 1999. From open fields to the lake to unopened road allowances and abandoned railway lines and tight, twisty and narrow trails, "there's a real wide variety in the area," he says.

For those who follow the rules, and most do, annual permits through the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) are a must. Those purchasing a permit sticker before Dec. 1 handed over $180; after that date, riders shell out $230. A portion of that fee is sent along to the OFSC, a non-profit organization composed of the 260 local snowmobile clubs, while some goes to back to riders' local clubs, such as the PPSC. That money is used to keep the club and its trails operational, such as paying to keep PPSC's three grooming machines on the job.

As well, for those who wish, there is also a $10 membership fee to join the PPSC, which provides a few perks such as discounts at selected merchants and use of clubhouse facilities. Currently, the PPSC boasts about 100 members.

"It's just fun to get out in the winter and get some fresh air. Really, we're adrenaline junkies, too," says Mr. Glynn of the allure of bundling up and heading out into remote rural areas in sometimes crazy and cruel weather. "There's the camaraderie with your friends and it's something we all enjoy. It's like getting together with your friends to watch the Super Bowl. It's just exciting to get out with your buddies.

"You could sit at home and complain about the cold and snow or you can get out and enjoy it."