Too much snow for snowmobilers

Volunteers with the Prince Edward Island Snowmobile Association are working long hours to get snowmobile trails open after last week's storm.

Association president Dale Hickox said because of all the snow it took extra time to groom the trails across the Island.

"[There are] huge banks, drifts 12 to 15 feet high. That has caused a lot of extra work for our entire organization," said Hickox.

"We have been able to get them all open but it's just a much slower process."

Hickox said it took anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to open a road crossing where the trails cross.

"To open it up and put the snow back far enough so the snowmobilers have good visibility so when they come out to the stop signs they can see up and down the road, that all takes a lot of extra time."

In addition to the extra time it took to get the trails open opened, it also cost more in fuel.

"It seems that every time they get the trails opened up, they blow and drift back in," said Hickok.

The P.E.I. Snowmobile Association grooms about 650 km of trails each winter.