Snowmachining ticket to winter fun

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Stephen Sims
  • 354th Maintenance Squadron
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Ready or not, winter is on its way. The leaves have already starting turning all those wonderful colors and are falling to the ground.

Before you know it, that fun little white stuff is going to start blanketing Eielson and the surrounding area. It will be time to park the ATVs in the garage and start preparing those other favorite toys: snowmobiles or as they call them here in Alaska, "snowmachines."

You'll soon see them everywhere, Ski-Doo, Polaris, Yamaha and Arctic Cat. But it doesn't really matter what you ride, as long as you have a great time and one way to do that is through the Northern Lights Snowmobile Club.

NLSC has been meeting the snowmobile needs of enthusiasts from the Eielson and North Pole area for the past thirty years. It takes new snowmobilers, young and old, on familiarization rides, getting them acquainted with the great many trails that can be found throughout the area.

The club, in concert with the 354th Fighter Wing's Safety Office, teaches snowmobile safety courses to all wing members, a prerequisite for all riders to ride on and off base.

These courses are scheduled to start soon, with several classes being offered throughout the winter. The club leads member rides to Summit, a mountainous area about three hours away down the Richardson Highway and to Cantwell, another hilly area roughly the same distance down the Parks Highway. The club is not just about riding. It plays a large part in supporting the local community in other ways.

The NLSC sponsors and leads a local snowmobile rally, held annually the weekend of Thanksgiving at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10029 in North Pole. It is our way to support the local community and generate funds for club efforts, especially sending people to avalanche training, a good idea for those who want to ride in the mountains.

Another way the club is active in our community is through the snowmobile Rondy. This great event is held each year in March at the Army Corps of Engineers complex near the Chena Flood Channel. This free event allows snowmobilers to share common interests and get acquainted with the local snowmobile dealers.

A membership drive is being held through the end of October for only $15 for single members and $25 for families, you get a one-year membership in the club from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2008.

The NLSC meets once a month on the fourth Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the North Pole VFW.

To become a member of NLSC, you can contact Stephen or Sharri Sims at 377-1871 or 372-3597, Mike Wood at 377-2192, or Ken or Danielle Russell at 377-2727 or 488-8145. Or, e-mail: nlsnowmobileclub@yahoo.com and you can visit the NLSC website at www.nlsc.net.