// PRICE EDWARD COUNTY LIVING //
Andrew Hind, is a freelance writer specializing in travel, food, lifestyle and history. His work has appeared in dozens of periodicals, and he is the author of 25 books. Andrew lives in Bradford, Ontario.
Peace and Power: The Thrill of Sledding Prince Edward County Winter transforms The County.
M
any would argue that the best way to experience winter in PEC is astride a snowmobile, blending the adrenaline of the ride with the hushed majesty of a region shrouded in white.
With 150 kilometres of groomed trails to relish, there are enough trails in Prince Edward County to ride to your heart’s content. “We have a nice network of trails, including the 50km-long Millennium Trail that runs from Picton to Consecon,” explains Jamie Forrester, President of the Prince Edward County Trail Riders Snowmobile Club, which for decades has been maintaining these trails on behalf of riders from all over the province. 54
The dedication of the Trail Riders has ensured that, despite poor winters in the last few years that have seen relatively little snowfall and unseasonal thaws, Prince Edward County enjoys a month of sledding in one of Ontario’s most unique settings, with wineries and quaint villages and views of grey, storm-tossed Lake Ontario. The tireless, behind-the-scenes work of the volunteer Trail Riders begins well before snowfall. “Before the first snowmobile can hit the trails, we have cut down trees and cut back brush, repaired run-off damage and bridges, and put in culverts,” Forrester explains. Once snow blankets the landscape, members hop aboard the Club’s two grooming machines to put the trails in pristine sledding condition. They must go out routinely thereafter for maintenance. The result is a network of trails that does The County proud.
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