Club Update in the SnoFlyer

Our group had scheduled its first riding event between the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays December 26-27 at Tout Lake, WA. The plan is to either meet at the Flattop or Atkisson Sno-Parks. Because this is an early year event where we are to meet is will be decided based on snow, and grooming conditions.  Most years we get to ride, but it’s been between too much snow, hardly any, or rain with slush. We will post how it went this year in the next SnoFlyer.

We had scheduled on Sunday January 14 our annual vintage 140-mile round riding event from the Taneum Sno-Park to Whistlin’ Jack Lodge. We spend the night at the lodge returning the next day. However this year there is a complication for our route. We learned there is a scheduled logging operation which forces the closure of the Taneum Sno-Park Monday – Friday except for the weekends. We are unsure how we can work around the closure. We will update our website with the changes: www.pnwvsc.org. 

Vintage snowmobile licensing falls under a special provision of the Department of Licensing. Several years ago our member Howard Briggs worked with his Washington State legislative representative, and WSSA’s lobbyist to get a $15.00 annual licensing renewal fee for snowmobiles 30-years and older. We are now interested updating this scheme to be more in line with what other states licensing systems has implemented. Our member Loye Turner from East Wenatchee is working with his districts Washington State Senator Brad Hawkins to pre-file a Vintage Snowmobile Permanent Registration Bill, or one time license on vintage snowmobiles. We have a small group of volunteers but seek more members to help. If interested please contact Loye at 509-855-6810 or loye.turner35@gmail.com.

Several of our members have been working on an electric vintage snowmobile. They modified 1969 Fox Trac Special that just recently came to life. Under our member Stephen Phillips very capable hands he took over the project to complete the technical parts of the build. He created a 72 volt battery from discarded Nissan Leaf batteries, wired it together, did some motor fixes and got it running. There is more finish work to do, but the hardest part is now finished.  

We will be posting our upcoming riding and show events on our website and facebook pages as the plans are finalized. Follow up on our websitewwwpnwvsc.com, and facebook page: pacificnorthwestvintagesnowmobileclub.

Ray Bergstresser
President