CONTRIBUTE

Posted: March 12th, 2011 | Author: Andy Dickson | Filed under: | Comments Off

FUNDRAISING INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED BY ALLEGANY NORDIC

BACKGROUND
Grooming equipment currently used on the Art Roscoe Trails is old and in need of replacement. The primary equipment used by the park at the beginning of the 2010-11 season is pictured below. The LMC Cat is over 25 years old. It did not break down this year but has in years past. It is the only towing equipment used by the park in the second half of the 2010-11 season.

The Ski-Doo Scandic pictured here broke down during this season. The park has been unable to find the funds to replace it, though it has been a capital budget item for several years running. The steel roller is too heavy to be pulled by the snowmobile and often ices or “snow-balls” with sticking snow. It is only because of creative, dedicated and highly skilled park equipment operators that the old equipment continues to function.

EQUIPMENT NEEDS
Three pieces of equipment stand out which can sustain and improve the skiing experience: a roller, track-setter and snowmobile. Below are pictures and brief explanations about the equipment:

Roller
The current metal roller (pictured above) is extremely heavy and can only be pulled by the LMC Cat. During the early season the LMC Cat cannot be used on the trails because its considerable weight and aggressive tracks stir up sticks and leaves from the trail floor.

YTS HDPE Roller Compactor- 7

Tidd Tech Snow Roller- 8

A new, lighter weight roller is needed which can also be pulled by a snowmobile during the early season. New rollers are made from a “slippery,” heavy duty plastic which reduces the sticking problem. In addition, a new roller will press a deep corrugated pattern into the snow which will actually “harvest” blowing snow and accumulate base. If properly deployed, the new roller can lengthen both ends of the ski season by building a better base earlier in the season.

Tracksetter
There are a multitude of snow types and grooming conditions throughout the ski season and good grooming results require several grooming implements. The single track-setters pictured here would not be the primary track-setters but will offer ASP grooming crews a useful alternative to the double track-setter, allow quick grooming response and result in better tracks on more days.

YTS Lightweight Tracksetter $395

Snow Groomers Trakor $720

One instance when the single track-setter will be useful is when 5-6″ of new snow has fallen midweek on top of a well managed base. In a single pass, the snowmobile packs the new snow and the track-setter immediately presses tracks. If only a short amount of time or only one crew member is available to groom, a single set of good tracks can be set until another pass can be made the next day or the double track-setter can be used. There are other instances when a single set of fresh tracks will either suffice or be a better alternative to no new tracks at all. The key is to have more fresh tracks more often throughout the season with less effort and expense.

Snowmobile
Just as more than one grooming implement is necessary to keep the trails in shape, a snowmobile is an important compliment to the larger LMC Cat at Allegany State Park. Snowmobiles play an important role in most large trail grooming operations. However, it is by no means a substitute for a powerful cat.

Ski Doo Scandic- New =$9000, Used = ?

Pictured here is the Ski-Doo Scandic, probably the most widely used work sled and a newer version to the one the park is struggling to keep in service. It consumes a third of the fuel used by the LMC Cat. It is fan cooled and has a transmission with a low gear for towing.

During early and late season and when the base is thin, the LMC Cat cannot be used on the trails due to its weight and aggressive treads. During these periods, a snowmobile is the ideal towing option on our trails. With staff reductions at the park, a snowmobile also offers the possibility for one person to groom the trails.

A new Scandic might not be within our reach, but used models are widely available from area snowmobile clubs and alpine operations. Most other snowmobile manufacturers offer a work sled with a wide or long track and the necessary features for towing grooming implements.

CONTRIBUTE
The future of the skiing program on the Art Roscoe Trails depends in large part on the availability of good grooming equipment. Existing equipment is aging and does not offer flexibility under diverse conditions. Previous reductions in park staff and budget have already impacted the skiing experience at ASP. For the year ahead, state funding of park operations has been reduced an additional 10% and the capital budget is not sufficient to replace aging equipment and repair infrastructure. In addition, further staffing and/or pay reductions yet to be negotiated will be forthcoming in the months ahead.

While we cannot yet predict the specific impact of these cuts on trail maintenance and grooming, our steering committee and park officials are in agreement that, at this point in time, Allegany Nordic can most positively impact the skiing experience through grooming equipment purchases. It is up to Allegany Nordic and its supporters to begin to help sustain the program.

Please make a generous contribution to this capital campaign. Consider contributing what the skiing experience was worth to you this year. By many measures, it was a very good one indeed. The core group of volunteers known as the Steering Committee have unanimously endorsed the campaign and generously initiated it with cash contributions now exceeding $1,500.

To facilitate our fundraising effort, we have established a relationship with the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation. The Foundation, which is a 501(c)3 charity, will receive our donations and purchase the equipment on the club’s behalf.

It is very easy to make a donation. All that is required is to:
1) Make your check payable to “Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation” with “Allegany Nordic” in the memo line
2) Complete the CRCF contribution form
3) Mail the check and the form to:
Allegany Nordic
P.O. Box 136
Great Valley, NY 14741

You can also contribute online through the CRCF website. Be sure to designate Allegany Nordic as the recipient of your gift.

Remember your donation is tax deductible.

Thank you for your support!

CAMPAIGN TOTAL TO DATE = $6,830
Contributors:
Anonymous-$800
Wayne Forrest- $25
Brent Gillett & Robin Crist- $50
Andy Dickson- $1080 (in-kind)
Peter Godfrey- $100
Anne Reynolds & Lawrence McManus- $500 in honor of Jill & Heather Manning
Michael Sheffield- $100 in honor of his mother, Joyce Roscoe Sheffield
Alexandra Rowland- $60 in honor of Roscoe Sheffield
Janis Shannon- $100
Micah & Tricia Barbash- $75 in memory of Benjamin A. Barbash
Mike Baczkowski & Sue Kovic- $100
Mark Lawrence- $400
Michael Sabatino- $25
Mike Shay- $100
Lois Nicholson- $100
Catherine Fissell- $50
Mike Shay- $100
Elaine Smith- $60
Paul Ebright- $20