An ATVer's Tradition

The Glendalers Winter Sports Club is one of the stand-alone clubs found in Eastern Ontario, a mere 45 minutes away from the Nation Valley ATV Club. The Glendalers' trail system is only open in the winter and has members who own ATVs as well as members who own snowmobiles. It is a unique experience to take part in one of their rallies or fun days. 

So, it was a no-brainer when the Glendalers' fun day came up on January 24; several Nation Valley ATV Club members met up with some guides from the Glendalers for a fun day of adventures and trail riding.

Cornwall, Ontario, and meeting up at the Fifth Wheel Truck Stop, which has plenty of parking to accommodate trucks with large trailers as they are suited to accommodate 18-wheelers! The Fifth Wheel is also one of the Glendalers' membership and day pass outlets. As we unloaded our ATVs and picked up our day passes, Rodney Cassleman from the Glendalers rolled in on his ATV to meet us. With day-passes in hand, we threw on our winter gear and followed Rodney on a short 5-km trip down a hydro corridor leaving the back of the Fifth Wheel parking lot.

Up and over rolling hills on the access roads, we ran well groomed trails to a local hotspot that is claimed to serve the best breakfast in town (right up my alley). We found many other ATV's in the parking lot of Mama Sue's Diner.  

We found Mama Sue's to be spacious, and the back room seemed like it was built to suit ATV and snowmobile enthusiasts, with ample space for hanging snow suits and a shelf for helmets. As this was my first time to Mama Sue's, I figured the best bet was to try Mama Sue's breakfast special. I was not disappointed, Mama Sue knows her breakfast: two summer sausages, onions, hash-browns, two eggs, brown beans, and (per my request) rye toast.  Anyone still hungry after leaving Mama Sue's Diner had to be so because they wanted to. I nearly thought that a nap was in order after a breakfast feast such as this!

Around the corner from Mama Sue's, we hit the famous Peanut Line. An arterial line to the Glendalers' trail system, the Peanut Line is well groomed, marked and traverses all the way to the Quebec border, though the trail system does not use the full length of the Peanut Line.

Many kilometres down the Peanut Line, we took a fork to the north. Heading through unopened road allowances, fence lines, and through dense bush-trails, we stopped at another Glendalers attraction, the infamous Meo's Shack. Meo is a long supporter of the Glendalers club and has a warming shack on the trail on his property and keeps the shack stocked with fire-wood, a burn barrel, and an outhouse for the club to use. It's a regular stopping point along the trail where fellow riders can converse. Another group had arrived before us and had already started a fire to warm up by!

After a chat we continued along the trail to Alexandria, where the trail leads you right into the Tim Hortons parking lot. A Tim Hortons coffee on a winter's day is a staple among all Canadians, and we too took part in the ritual! We might have even had a bowl of soup!  

Refuelled once more, we head back South towards the Glendalers' Peanut Shack. This clubhouse is South of the Peanut Line and by 1 pm the festivities of the Fun Day were commencing. Club volunteers had groomed an ORV/snowmobile obstacle course, and constructed a toboggan hill for the children to enjoy. The Peanut Shack is a converted tractor trailer car, complete with a wood stove, benches and barbeque for all members to enjoy.

While we met several other members and trail riders on our travels to Alexandria, everyone was at the Peanut Shack for the Fun Day events. Over 100 enthusiasts were there to try out the obstacle course, attempt the controlled "ice drags," or for the younger crowd, to take on the toboggan hill! 

An afternoon of brand bravado ensued, culminating in no clear victor other than those who got to enjoy the beautiful day on the trails. While my day was through, most participants headed down the trail to the Glendalers Main Clubhouse for a barbeque dinner! I followed the trail as far as Lancaster to fuel up, before doubling back and catching up with the Peanut Line once more to make the trek back to the Fifth Wheel.  

It was a glorious day for a ride, and I put in well over 100 km and several hours watching the obstacle course and the kids on the toboggan hill. Though the winter season is winding down now, I look forward to making it out to the Glendalers Winter Sports Club trails again next season!

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