New Board of Directors at ACAMUTS
The elections for positions on both the Board of Directors and for the Executive of the Club for the 2023/2024 term were held at our Annual General Meeting held on June 20 at the Centrelea Community Hall.
The results were as follows:
EXECUTIVE
President – Ron Guest
Vice-President – Chris Rice
Treasurer – Dick Ward
Secretary – Vacant
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sincerely,
Mike McKinley
Outgoing Secretary - ACAMUTS
The results were as follows:
EXECUTIVE
President – Ron Guest
Vice-President – Chris Rice
Treasurer – Dick Ward
Secretary – Vacant
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Ron Guest
- Chris Rice
- Michael Taylor
- Chris Bishop
- William Montgomery
- Dick Ward
- Donald Sheridan
- Troy Grant
- Trish Mailman (New)
- Michelle Rice (New)
- Sherry Balser (New)
Sincerely,
Mike McKinley
Outgoing Secretary - ACAMUTS
Letter of Authority - West Dalhousie to Round Lake
ACAMUTS has been given the opportunity to accept a Letter of Authority (LOA) by the Provincial Government for a 32 km trail that will run south from West Dalhousie to Round Lake. This trial, once completed, will give ACAMUTS a route to travel from western Annapolis County through to the existing trail systems in Lunenburg County and Queen's County.
Before accepting this LOA, our Trails Coordinator (Dick Ward) has wisely suggested that we visibly inspect the entire route and thus evaluate exactly what the trail entails.
In order to do so, with the assistance of our Mapping Coordinator (Joey Long), Dick will lead a run down the trail in question on Saturday, April 29. Dick will be departing from the Heartland Road in West Dalhousie at 10 AM that morning.
All 2023 ACAMUTS members are welcome to attend and to get a first-hand look at exactly what our LOA would include.
THIS WILL NOT BE A STANDARD CLUB FUN RUN. Given our objectives that day, we will be stopping frequently, examining and documenting trail conditions, bridges, culverts, etc.
If you wish to join Dick and Joey in examining our proposed LOA route, feel free to meet us at the Heartland Road at 10 AM on April 29. Please bring your lunch with you.
Any questions, please let us know.
Before accepting this LOA, our Trails Coordinator (Dick Ward) has wisely suggested that we visibly inspect the entire route and thus evaluate exactly what the trail entails.
In order to do so, with the assistance of our Mapping Coordinator (Joey Long), Dick will lead a run down the trail in question on Saturday, April 29. Dick will be departing from the Heartland Road in West Dalhousie at 10 AM that morning.
All 2023 ACAMUTS members are welcome to attend and to get a first-hand look at exactly what our LOA would include.
THIS WILL NOT BE A STANDARD CLUB FUN RUN. Given our objectives that day, we will be stopping frequently, examining and documenting trail conditions, bridges, culverts, etc.
If you wish to join Dick and Joey in examining our proposed LOA route, feel free to meet us at the Heartland Road at 10 AM on April 29. Please bring your lunch with you.
Any questions, please let us know.
GPS Tracking Run
Under the leadership of Joey Long, our ACAMUTS Mapping Committee continues to compile GPS tracking files for the many trails here in Annapolis County.
With that in mind, Joey will be leading a mapping run on May 13 that will focus on the trails running south off of the Harvest Moon Trail between Bridgetown and Lequille and out towards West Dalhousie.
This is purely a mapping / GPS exercise so if you have a GPS and if interested, all 2023 members are encouraged to attend. This will be a great opportunity to better understand how the GPS files are built and a great opportunity to hone your own GPS skills because Joey will be there to assist all those who attend.
Once completed, Joey uses the files to update the common GPS and mapping software platforms like MapTraks, Polaris Ride Command, etc.
If you wish to accompany Joey and his Mapping Committee on May 13, please be at Bishop Park on the Marsh Road in Round Hill at 9:30 that morning. You should bring your lunch with you as you probably will be on the trail for 4-5 hours in total.
Any questions, please let us know.
With that in mind, Joey will be leading a mapping run on May 13 that will focus on the trails running south off of the Harvest Moon Trail between Bridgetown and Lequille and out towards West Dalhousie.
This is purely a mapping / GPS exercise so if you have a GPS and if interested, all 2023 members are encouraged to attend. This will be a great opportunity to better understand how the GPS files are built and a great opportunity to hone your own GPS skills because Joey will be there to assist all those who attend.
Once completed, Joey uses the files to update the common GPS and mapping software platforms like MapTraks, Polaris Ride Command, etc.
If you wish to accompany Joey and his Mapping Committee on May 13, please be at Bishop Park on the Marsh Road in Round Hill at 9:30 that morning. You should bring your lunch with you as you probably will be on the trail for 4-5 hours in total.
Any questions, please let us know.
May 27 - Tomahawk Lake Run
ACAMUTS is pleased to announce that our next club run will take place on SATURDAY, May 27 at 10:00 AM, beginning in Springfield on Hwy 10 (30 minutes from Middleton). The members of our Runs Committee refer to this as the Tomahawk Lake Run, which will see us travel out of eastern Annapolis County and then on into western Kings County.
We will park on a dirt road just south of the Springfield Fire Hall (986 Hwy 10). If travelling from Middleton, the road is just past the firehall on the left. The club will have signage up at the corner.
Our run will take us first through Hastings, then on towards Crossburn and then north to Mistake Lake and Fox Lake. We will then move east past Upper Palmer Lake and then on to the Rock Carvings at Tomahawk Lake, where we will stop for lunch.
We will then head west past Oak Lake, then on to Armstrong Lake, through the community of Lakeview before heading back to Springfield.
This will be a 90 KM run and it is side-by-side friendly. Participants should pack a lunch. All participants must have a 2023 ATVANS Trails Pass to participate. There is no fuel available on this route.
As always, many thanks to Chris Bishop and the ACAMUTS Runs Committee for scouting out this route and for leading us this run.
There is no alternate rain date, so if we are forced to cancel the run due to anticipated severe weather, we will distribute the cancellation notice the day before on Facebook and via an email to all members.
Please let us know if you have any questions as they relate to the above and we look forward to seeing you on May 27 in on the Tomahawk Lake Run.
We will park on a dirt road just south of the Springfield Fire Hall (986 Hwy 10). If travelling from Middleton, the road is just past the firehall on the left. The club will have signage up at the corner.
Our run will take us first through Hastings, then on towards Crossburn and then north to Mistake Lake and Fox Lake. We will then move east past Upper Palmer Lake and then on to the Rock Carvings at Tomahawk Lake, where we will stop for lunch.
We will then head west past Oak Lake, then on to Armstrong Lake, through the community of Lakeview before heading back to Springfield.
This will be a 90 KM run and it is side-by-side friendly. Participants should pack a lunch. All participants must have a 2023 ATVANS Trails Pass to participate. There is no fuel available on this route.
As always, many thanks to Chris Bishop and the ACAMUTS Runs Committee for scouting out this route and for leading us this run.
There is no alternate rain date, so if we are forced to cancel the run due to anticipated severe weather, we will distribute the cancellation notice the day before on Facebook and via an email to all members.
Please let us know if you have any questions as they relate to the above and we look forward to seeing you on May 27 in on the Tomahawk Lake Run.
MIssing Link Trail
The local trails society is seeking to build a public trail on the the old railbed running from Allain's Creek (west of Annapolis Royal) to Clementsport and ACAMUTS continues to lobby the local trails society to make this a multiuse trail, open to all users. Our club is committed to a policy of inclusivity, meaning that public trails should be open to all user groups.
ACAMUTS Christmas Party 2023
ACAMUTS will be hosting a Christmas supper at the Bridgetown Legion on Saturday, December 10. The doors and the bar will open after 5:00 PM, with dinner being served at 6 PM.
This event will be open to all 2022 and 2023 ACAMUTS members and each member can bring a guest.
Trish Mailman and her committee have done a lot of work in pulling this event together. The evening will include a complete turkey dinner, prepared by Trish and her committee members.
This represents a rare opportunity for all members of the club to get together, enjoy a great meal and get a chance to meet and greet with a wide cross-section of the membership.
ACAMUTS will fund the overall event and the meal. Participating members will be asked to bring a dessert to the event. There will be a cash bar.
A few points to note:
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns as they relate to the above and we look forward to seeing all of you on December10 at the Bridgetown Legion.
This event will be open to all 2022 and 2023 ACAMUTS members and each member can bring a guest.
Trish Mailman and her committee have done a lot of work in pulling this event together. The evening will include a complete turkey dinner, prepared by Trish and her committee members.
This represents a rare opportunity for all members of the club to get together, enjoy a great meal and get a chance to meet and greet with a wide cross-section of the membership.
ACAMUTS will fund the overall event and the meal. Participating members will be asked to bring a dessert to the event. There will be a cash bar.
A few points to note:
- Space is limited and you must preregister by NOVEMBER 25 if you wish to attend. We will be accepting invitations on a first come / first served basis. Since the meal is being prepared by members on site, we need a firm list of participants ahead of time, thus allowing the committee to purchase the right amount of groceries beforehand.
- If you have any allergies or other specific needs surrounding food, you must let us know when you register ahead of time.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns as they relate to the above and we look forward to seeing all of you on December10 at the Bridgetown Legion.
May 15 Run in Nicholsville
ACAMUTS is pleased to announce that our next club run will take place on Sunday, May 15 at 9:30 AM, beginning in Nicholsville, a small picturesque hamlet just south of Aylesford. This run will take us through many beautiful areas within western Kings County, most of which represents trails that the majority of us in Annapolis County never get to experience.
We will park and then depart from the Nicholsville Community Hall.
To get to the Nicholsville Hall, take the Aylesford exit on Hwy #101 and turn south into Aylesford. Cross Hwy #1 and then follow the road signs to Nicholsville, where you will find the hall just to the right of the stop sign (413 Victoria Rd).
Our run will take us first to Shingle Falls, then over to the Burnt Dam and around Burnt Lake. We will then back-track a little bit to allow us to do a loop off of route 99, through a beautiful birch stand, before arriving the rock carvings at Cloud Lake.
We will stop for lunch at Bikini Beach and then visit the Survival Camp. We will then make a couple of scenic loops off of route 95 and route 99, pass by Crystal Falls and then travel down the David Morse Trail and back to our starting point.
This will be a 60 KM run and it is side-by-side friendly. Participants should pack a lunch. All participants must have a 2022 ATVANS Trails Pass to participate.
As always, many thanks to Chris Bishop and the ACAMUTS Runs Committee for scouting out this route and for leading us this run.
There is no alternate rain date, so if we are forced to cancel the run due to anticipated severe weather, we will distribute the cancellation notice the day before on Facebook and via an email to all members who registered ahead of time.
Participants must register ahead of time by sending an email to this address.
Please let us know if you have any questions as they relate to the above and we look forward to seeing you on May 15 in Nicholsville.
We will park and then depart from the Nicholsville Community Hall.
To get to the Nicholsville Hall, take the Aylesford exit on Hwy #101 and turn south into Aylesford. Cross Hwy #1 and then follow the road signs to Nicholsville, where you will find the hall just to the right of the stop sign (413 Victoria Rd).
Our run will take us first to Shingle Falls, then over to the Burnt Dam and around Burnt Lake. We will then back-track a little bit to allow us to do a loop off of route 99, through a beautiful birch stand, before arriving the rock carvings at Cloud Lake.
We will stop for lunch at Bikini Beach and then visit the Survival Camp. We will then make a couple of scenic loops off of route 95 and route 99, pass by Crystal Falls and then travel down the David Morse Trail and back to our starting point.
This will be a 60 KM run and it is side-by-side friendly. Participants should pack a lunch. All participants must have a 2022 ATVANS Trails Pass to participate.
As always, many thanks to Chris Bishop and the ACAMUTS Runs Committee for scouting out this route and for leading us this run.
There is no alternate rain date, so if we are forced to cancel the run due to anticipated severe weather, we will distribute the cancellation notice the day before on Facebook and via an email to all members who registered ahead of time.
Participants must register ahead of time by sending an email to this address.
Please let us know if you have any questions as they relate to the above and we look forward to seeing you on May 15 in Nicholsville.
April 10 Run to Berwick
I am pleased to announce that our first ACAMUTS run of 2022 will take place on Sunday, April 10 at 9:30 AM.
We will be running down the Harvest Moon Trail, beginning in Centrelea and travelling to Berwick, where we will park at the Irving station for lunch.
Attendees can either bring their own lunches on the trip or enjoy lunch at one of the nearby restaurants in Berwick (Subway, Tim Hortons, Union Street Restaurant, etc.).
Gas will be available to purchase along the trail in Bridgetown, Kingston and Berwick.
We will return home by heading west on the Harvest Moon Trail after lunch.
We will be parking at Hamilton's Fish Farm on the Devaney Marsh Road in Centrelea, which is located just west of the deserted Britex Plant. The gates will be open to enter the Fish Farm at 9:00 AM and we will depart at 9:30 AM at the latest.
For those of you who live east of Bridgetown, please feel free to join us as we pass through on the run.
Attendees must have a 2022 ATVANS trail pass.
If you plan to attend, you must register by sending an email to this address. Please include the names of passengers as well.
We will be running down the Harvest Moon Trail, beginning in Centrelea and travelling to Berwick, where we will park at the Irving station for lunch.
Attendees can either bring their own lunches on the trip or enjoy lunch at one of the nearby restaurants in Berwick (Subway, Tim Hortons, Union Street Restaurant, etc.).
Gas will be available to purchase along the trail in Bridgetown, Kingston and Berwick.
We will return home by heading west on the Harvest Moon Trail after lunch.
We will be parking at Hamilton's Fish Farm on the Devaney Marsh Road in Centrelea, which is located just west of the deserted Britex Plant. The gates will be open to enter the Fish Farm at 9:00 AM and we will depart at 9:30 AM at the latest.
For those of you who live east of Bridgetown, please feel free to join us as we pass through on the run.
Attendees must have a 2022 ATVANS trail pass.
If you plan to attend, you must register by sending an email to this address. Please include the names of passengers as well.
ACAMUTS Runs 2022
Harvest Moon Trail Run to Berwick April 10
Nicholsville Run May 15
Down South Run June 5
Mystery Tour Run July 10
West of Hwy 8 Run August 7
View the Windmills Run September 18
Overnight Run to Yarmouth October 1/2
Tim Hennigar Memorial Run November 6
Optional Non-ACAMUTS Runs 2022
New Grafton Poker Run April 16
Digby County "Raise Money to Fight Cancer" April 23
North Queen's County Poker Run May 7
Mid-Valley Fox Mountain Event June 10-12
10th Annual Queen's County Poker Run September 10
North Queen's County Poker Run November 5
Revised April 27
All dates are subject to change
Harvest Moon Trail Run to Berwick April 10
Nicholsville Run May 15
Down South Run June 5
Mystery Tour Run July 10
West of Hwy 8 Run August 7
View the Windmills Run September 18
Overnight Run to Yarmouth October 1/2
Tim Hennigar Memorial Run November 6
Optional Non-ACAMUTS Runs 2022
New Grafton Poker Run April 16
Digby County "Raise Money to Fight Cancer" April 23
North Queen's County Poker Run May 7
Mid-Valley Fox Mountain Event June 10-12
10th Annual Queen's County Poker Run September 10
North Queen's County Poker Run November 5
Revised April 27
All dates are subject to change
ACAMUTS Christmas Event - December 2021
Trails Committee Repairs Lequille Trail in November
ACAMUTS Christmas Event - December 4
ACAMUTS will be hosting a Christmas supper at the Bridgetown Legion on Saturday, December 4. The doors and the bar will open after 5:00 PM, with dinner being served at 6 PM.
This event will be open to all ACAMUTS members and each member can bring a guest.
Trish Mailman and her committee have done a lot of work in pulling this event together. The evening will include a complete turkey dinner, prepared by Trish and her committee members.
This represents a rare opportunity for all members of the club to get together, enjoy a great meal and get a chance to meet and greet with a wide cross-section of the membership.
ACAMUTS will fund the overall event and the meal. Participating members will be asked to bring a dessert to the event. There will be a cash bar.
A few points to note:
ACAMUTS enjoyed a wonderful year in 2021. Our membership sits at record levels, we won two major provincial awards and we hosted a list of club runs that was the envy of other ATV clubs in the Province.
We hope to celebrate our success at the Christmas Event on December 4.
This event will be open to all ACAMUTS members and each member can bring a guest.
Trish Mailman and her committee have done a lot of work in pulling this event together. The evening will include a complete turkey dinner, prepared by Trish and her committee members.
This represents a rare opportunity for all members of the club to get together, enjoy a great meal and get a chance to meet and greet with a wide cross-section of the membership.
ACAMUTS will fund the overall event and the meal. Participating members will be asked to bring a dessert to the event. There will be a cash bar.
A few points to note:
- Under current pandemic rules, anyone entering the legion that night must show a vaccine passport and a picture ID.
- Space is limited and you must preregister by NOVEMBER 20 if you wish to attend. Since the meal is being prepared by members on site, we need a firm list of participants ahead of time, thus allowing the committee to purchase the right amount of groceries beforehand.
- If you have any allergies or other specific needs surrounding food, you must let us know when you register ahead of time.
ACAMUTS enjoyed a wonderful year in 2021. Our membership sits at record levels, we won two major provincial awards and we hosted a list of club runs that was the envy of other ATV clubs in the Province.
We hope to celebrate our success at the Christmas Event on December 4.
Roxbury Clean Up Day
It is very important to preserve our history and also to protect it. It is also important to have groups, such as ACAMUTS, who understand and appreciate our heritage, to protect it and make it more accessible to the general public.
On Sunday, November 7, 2021, several members of the Society ventured to Roxbury and did a fantastic undertaking of a general cleanup of the settlement … including the two cemeteries and erecting teepees around a number of wells.
The area, now referred to as Roxbury, was once occupied by Mi’kmaq, French Acadian and finally by English Loyalists at the turn of the 1800s. The last inhabitants, homesteaders in the 1920s, only stayed for a few years. Since then the area has attracted hunters, fishermen, campers and the curious. From the 1970s onward Roxbury, originally called Durland’s Settlement, has become a hikers challenge, ATV trip, skidoo outing or a truck/car trek. But overall it remains a place of lure and mystery. One always asks who settled there and why!
Thanks again to ACAMUTS and its members for keeping the doors of history open.
Friends of Roxbury
Dave Whitman
Paradise
November 17, 2021
On Sunday, November 7, 2021, several members of the Society ventured to Roxbury and did a fantastic undertaking of a general cleanup of the settlement … including the two cemeteries and erecting teepees around a number of wells.
The area, now referred to as Roxbury, was once occupied by Mi’kmaq, French Acadian and finally by English Loyalists at the turn of the 1800s. The last inhabitants, homesteaders in the 1920s, only stayed for a few years. Since then the area has attracted hunters, fishermen, campers and the curious. From the 1970s onward Roxbury, originally called Durland’s Settlement, has become a hikers challenge, ATV trip, skidoo outing or a truck/car trek. But overall it remains a place of lure and mystery. One always asks who settled there and why!
Thanks again to ACAMUTS and its members for keeping the doors of history open.
Friends of Roxbury
Dave Whitman
Paradise
November 17, 2021
Tim Hennigar Memorial Run - November 21
ACAMUTS will host the last formal club run of the year on Sunday, November 21.
This will be our 1st annual Tim Hennigar Memorial Run, in honour of ACAMUTS member Tim Hennigar, who passed away earlier this year. Tim was an active member of the ACAMUTS Board of Directors and an active and generous participant in all ACAMUTS activities.
We will be charging a $10 entrance fee for this run, with 100% of the proceeds being directed to the charity of the Hennigar family’s choice in Tim’s memory.
Andy Hennigar will be leading us up and over the North Mountain this year, from the Phinney Mountain Road, up over the mountain and back again.
We will be parking and then departing from the Hennigar family homestead, located at 260 Phinney Mountain Road in Upper Granville at 10:00 AM sharp. We will be parking beside the big apple barn, located just south of the main house. We will tour multiple trails and locations on the North Mountain before stopping to enjoy our lunch. After lunch, we will move our way south and back down to the Valley floor.
This run is just over 60 kms and we anticipate being back to the parking spot by 2:30 PM.
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded.
This will be our 1st annual Tim Hennigar Memorial Run, in honour of ACAMUTS member Tim Hennigar, who passed away earlier this year. Tim was an active member of the ACAMUTS Board of Directors and an active and generous participant in all ACAMUTS activities.
We will be charging a $10 entrance fee for this run, with 100% of the proceeds being directed to the charity of the Hennigar family’s choice in Tim’s memory.
Andy Hennigar will be leading us up and over the North Mountain this year, from the Phinney Mountain Road, up over the mountain and back again.
We will be parking and then departing from the Hennigar family homestead, located at 260 Phinney Mountain Road in Upper Granville at 10:00 AM sharp. We will be parking beside the big apple barn, located just south of the main house. We will tour multiple trails and locations on the North Mountain before stopping to enjoy our lunch. After lunch, we will move our way south and back down to the Valley floor.
This run is just over 60 kms and we anticipate being back to the parking spot by 2:30 PM.
- All attendees must pre-register via email at [email protected]. We need to know the full names of anyone attending, including passengers.
- Members are required to bring their own food and drink. Members are encouraged to wear masks during rest breaks on the run and to bring hand sanitizers.
- All participants should practice social distancing during the rest breaks and when loading / unloading ATV’s at the start and at the finish of the run.
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded.
Club Run - June 27
Based on the existing status on pandemic regulations in Nova Scotia, ACAMUTS is now ready to announce the details surrounding our next club run, which will take place on Sunday, June 27 at 10 AM sharp.
We will park our vehicles and then depart from the Rice Road in Carlton Corner, just south of where the Rice Road crosses Hwy #101 (Exit 21). There will be signage on the Rice Road, directing you to the parking area and club representatives will be there to show you where to unload.
Chris Bishop has selected another awesome route for us. He will lead us south out of Carlton Corner, up past Birch Hill Lake, around Paradise Lake and then up over Dalhousie Hill and then the Blanket Hill. From there we head down the Heartland Road, we skirt by Little Lohnes Lake, back up through Gibson’s Lake, over to Goldsmith’s Lake and then back down the mountain to Carlton Corner.
This is a 90 KM run, so make sure that your gas tank is full.
Given the issues around Covid-19, the Provincial Government has mandated that all ATV Clubs adhere to a very strict set of rules when hosting a run, so please be advised of the following:
In order to participate, you will need a 2021 ATVANS trail pass on your machine and you will need to be a member of ACAMUTS. If you wish to purchase a 2021 trail pass, please contact us ahead of time or renew on the ATVANS website.
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded.
We apologize for all the rules and regulations but adherence to these same rules is still mandatory in Nova Scotia.
We have tentative plans for ACAMUTS runs in July (Electric City), August (Mid-Valley) and September (Bridgewater). Once confirmed, we will publish those dates and locations under separate cover.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS – Secretary
We will park our vehicles and then depart from the Rice Road in Carlton Corner, just south of where the Rice Road crosses Hwy #101 (Exit 21). There will be signage on the Rice Road, directing you to the parking area and club representatives will be there to show you where to unload.
Chris Bishop has selected another awesome route for us. He will lead us south out of Carlton Corner, up past Birch Hill Lake, around Paradise Lake and then up over Dalhousie Hill and then the Blanket Hill. From there we head down the Heartland Road, we skirt by Little Lohnes Lake, back up through Gibson’s Lake, over to Goldsmith’s Lake and then back down the mountain to Carlton Corner.
This is a 90 KM run, so make sure that your gas tank is full.
Given the issues around Covid-19, the Provincial Government has mandated that all ATV Clubs adhere to a very strict set of rules when hosting a run, so please be advised of the following:
- We can only accept a maximum of 50 machines total on the run. There can be no exceptions.
- All attendees must pre-register via email at [email protected]. We need to know the full names of anyone attending, including passengers. Passengers must be family members.
- Members are required to bring their own food and drink. Members are encouraged to wear masks during rest breaks on the run and to bring hand sanitizers.
- All participants MUST practice social distancing during the rest breaks and when loading / unloading ATV’s at the start and at the finish of the run.
- No handshakes, hugs or other customary greetings that could result in person to person contact.
- We will be expected to schedule staggered start times with five-minute intervals of groups of not more than 10 machines per group.
In order to participate, you will need a 2021 ATVANS trail pass on your machine and you will need to be a member of ACAMUTS. If you wish to purchase a 2021 trail pass, please contact us ahead of time or renew on the ATVANS website.
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded.
We apologize for all the rules and regulations but adherence to these same rules is still mandatory in Nova Scotia.
We have tentative plans for ACAMUTS runs in July (Electric City), August (Mid-Valley) and September (Bridgewater). Once confirmed, we will publish those dates and locations under separate cover.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS – Secretary
Trails Committee
ACAMUTS is pleased to announce the formation of a Trails Committee. This is an exciting new venture for our club and it will serve to help us identify trail building and trail repair opportunities here in the County and then to seek the funding and the resources needed to execute behind these same projects.
We are excited to announce that the Trails Committee will be comprised of Chris Rice, Stephen Foster, Dick Ward and Anna Guest.
We have an immediate opportunity to tackle a connector trail that will link us up with the many trails in the zone represented by the Central Nova ATV Club.
Due to the current pandemic restrictions, we won't be able to host a face-to-face meeting of the Committee until likely mid-June. The purpose of that meeting will be to agree to a set of go-forward priorities and responsibilities for the group.
Many thanks to Anna, Stephen, Dick and Chris for stepping up and volunteering to sit on our new Trails Committee.
If anyone has any questions or concerns as it relates to the above, please feel free to reach out to us.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS - Secretary
We are excited to announce that the Trails Committee will be comprised of Chris Rice, Stephen Foster, Dick Ward and Anna Guest.
We have an immediate opportunity to tackle a connector trail that will link us up with the many trails in the zone represented by the Central Nova ATV Club.
Due to the current pandemic restrictions, we won't be able to host a face-to-face meeting of the Committee until likely mid-June. The purpose of that meeting will be to agree to a set of go-forward priorities and responsibilities for the group.
Many thanks to Anna, Stephen, Dick and Chris for stepping up and volunteering to sit on our new Trails Committee.
If anyone has any questions or concerns as it relates to the above, please feel free to reach out to us.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS - Secretary
ACAMUTS Members Come Together to Clear the Spurr Road Trail in April
April Club Run to Berwick
We will be hosting our first formal ACAMUTS club run of 2021 on Sunday, April 18. We anticipate that the Harvest Moon Trail will be dried out nicely by then. We will be departing Moschelle at 9:30 AM and travelling east down the Harvest Moon Trail to Berwick, where we will stop for lunch.
There are a number of restaurants in Berwick within walking distance of where we will park behind the Irving Service Station on Main St., or participants can bring their own lunch with them.
After lunch, we will head back on the Harvest Moon Trail to Moschelle.
For those looking for a place to park their vehicles that morning, we will start the run in the back pasture behind my house at 843 Hwy 201 in Moschelle or for those that live close to the Harvest Moon Trail, as long as you have preregistered, you can join the run as we pass through Round Hill, Bridgetown or Lawrencetown if you like.
Under the rules of the pandemic, all participants must register for the club run in advance. To register, please send an email to this address. Under current provincial legislation, we are restricted to a maximum of 50 machines on the run and so we will open spots on a first come / first served basis. You must have a valid 2021 ATVANS trail pass to participate.
If anyone has any questions or concerns, please let me know.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS - Secretary
There are a number of restaurants in Berwick within walking distance of where we will park behind the Irving Service Station on Main St., or participants can bring their own lunch with them.
After lunch, we will head back on the Harvest Moon Trail to Moschelle.
For those looking for a place to park their vehicles that morning, we will start the run in the back pasture behind my house at 843 Hwy 201 in Moschelle or for those that live close to the Harvest Moon Trail, as long as you have preregistered, you can join the run as we pass through Round Hill, Bridgetown or Lawrencetown if you like.
Under the rules of the pandemic, all participants must register for the club run in advance. To register, please send an email to this address. Under current provincial legislation, we are restricted to a maximum of 50 machines on the run and so we will open spots on a first come / first served basis. You must have a valid 2021 ATVANS trail pass to participate.
If anyone has any questions or concerns, please let me know.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS - Secretary
ACAMUTS member Rickie Taylor Wins the ATVANS Early-Bird Draw
It is with great pleasure that we announce that our own Rickie Taylor is the winner of a brand new 2021 CF Moto 400cc ATV, which was the first prize in the early bird registration draw hosted by the ATV Association of Nova Scotia in December. The ATV was kindly donated to ATVANS for the draw by CF Moto and Canmac Watercraft.
Rickie has been a long-time and dedicated member of ACAMUTS and he has also been a member of our Board of Directors over the last number of years.
On behalf of all of us in the Annapolis County ATV and Multi-Use Trails Society, we wish to congratulate Rickie on winning this beautiful new CF Moto ATV.
We look forward to seeing Rickie cruising down the trail on his new machine at our first formal club run in the Spring.
Below find pictures showing Rickie being presented his new ATV by ATVANS Executive Director Barry Barnett, surrounded by his many friends in ACAMUTS.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS - Secretary
No ATV's Allowed on Harvest Moon Trail in the Winter in Kings County
I was asked by an ACAMUTS member last week to clarify the provincial rail-trail rules as they relate to ATV use in the winter. Here is what you need to know:
The only rail-trail in the Annapolis Valley that is completely off-limits to ATVs in the winter months is the section of rail-trail that runs through Kings County. So, the section of that trail that runs from Kingston to Coldbrook is closed to us from mid-December to the end of March.
That particular section of trail is designated under the provincial OHV Act and under the wording of that law, can only be used by snowmobiles who have a valid SANS (Snowmobile Association of Nova Scotia) trail permit. This applies whether there is snow present or not as it's only defined by dates in the act and not by snow conditions.
Here in Annapolis County, it is not illegal for ATV’ers to use any rail-trails in the winter BUT under no circumstances should we be riding over any trails that have been groomed by SANS. Individual members of SANS pay a huge annual membership fee to cover the cost of grooming the snow on the main trails and as you can imagine, once an ATV runs a groomed trail, it is no longer much use to the snowmobilers.
There are a number of official snowmobile trails in the south-east end of our county that are also off-limits to ATV’s in the winter and as always, we need to stay out of the wilderness protected areas at all times.
In reality, due to the usual lack of deep snow in the west end of Annapolis County, SANS rarely grooms the Harvest Moon Trail west of Middleton but when they do, we should avoid running that trail out of respect for our many friends in the snowmobile community because their season of trail usage is very short compared to ours.
Hopefully that clarifies the situation and if anyone has any questions, please let me know.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS – Secretary
The only rail-trail in the Annapolis Valley that is completely off-limits to ATVs in the winter months is the section of rail-trail that runs through Kings County. So, the section of that trail that runs from Kingston to Coldbrook is closed to us from mid-December to the end of March.
That particular section of trail is designated under the provincial OHV Act and under the wording of that law, can only be used by snowmobiles who have a valid SANS (Snowmobile Association of Nova Scotia) trail permit. This applies whether there is snow present or not as it's only defined by dates in the act and not by snow conditions.
Here in Annapolis County, it is not illegal for ATV’ers to use any rail-trails in the winter BUT under no circumstances should we be riding over any trails that have been groomed by SANS. Individual members of SANS pay a huge annual membership fee to cover the cost of grooming the snow on the main trails and as you can imagine, once an ATV runs a groomed trail, it is no longer much use to the snowmobilers.
There are a number of official snowmobile trails in the south-east end of our county that are also off-limits to ATV’s in the winter and as always, we need to stay out of the wilderness protected areas at all times.
In reality, due to the usual lack of deep snow in the west end of Annapolis County, SANS rarely grooms the Harvest Moon Trail west of Middleton but when they do, we should avoid running that trail out of respect for our many friends in the snowmobile community because their season of trail usage is very short compared to ours.
Hopefully that clarifies the situation and if anyone has any questions, please let me know.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS – Secretary
|
Phinney Mountain Run official club video, thanks to A. Hennigar
|
|
Phinney Mountain Run - November 15
I am pleased to announce that ACAMUTS will host their last formal club run of the year on Sunday, November 15.
ACAMUTS member Tim "Chainsaw" Hennigar will be leading us straight up and over the North Mountain, from the Phinney Mountain Road, all the way over to the Bay of Fundy at Phinney’s Cove.
We will be parking and then departing from Tim’s beautiful property, located at 260 Phinney Mountain Road in Upper Granville at 10:00 AM sharp. We will be parking beside Tim’s big apple barn, located just south of his house. We will tour multiple trails and locations on the North Mountain before stopping to enjoy our lunch. After lunch, we will move our way south and back down to the Valley floor.
This run is just over 60 kms and we anticipate being back to Tim’s by 2:30 PM.
This route can be wet after a rainfall, so select footwear accordingly.
Given the issues around Covid-19, the Provincial Government has mandated that all ATV Clubs adhere to a very strict set of rules when hosting a run, so please be advised of the following:
In order to participate, you will need a 2020 or 2021 ATVANS trail pass on your machine.
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded. Please do not show up without preregistering.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS – Secretary
ACAMUTS member Tim "Chainsaw" Hennigar will be leading us straight up and over the North Mountain, from the Phinney Mountain Road, all the way over to the Bay of Fundy at Phinney’s Cove.
We will be parking and then departing from Tim’s beautiful property, located at 260 Phinney Mountain Road in Upper Granville at 10:00 AM sharp. We will be parking beside Tim’s big apple barn, located just south of his house. We will tour multiple trails and locations on the North Mountain before stopping to enjoy our lunch. After lunch, we will move our way south and back down to the Valley floor.
This run is just over 60 kms and we anticipate being back to Tim’s by 2:30 PM.
This route can be wet after a rainfall, so select footwear accordingly.
Given the issues around Covid-19, the Provincial Government has mandated that all ATV Clubs adhere to a very strict set of rules when hosting a run, so please be advised of the following:
- We can only accept a maximum of 50 machines total on the run. There can be no exceptions.
- All attendees must pre-register via email at [email protected]. We need to know the full names of anyone attending, including passengers. Passengers must be family members.
- Members are required to bring their own food and drink. Members are encouraged to wear masks during rest breaks on the run and to bring hand sanitizers.
- All participants MUST practice social distancing during the rest breaks and when loading / unloading ATV’s at the start and at the finish of the run.
- No handshakes, hugs or other customary greetings that could result in person to person contact.
In order to participate, you will need a 2020 or 2021 ATVANS trail pass on your machine.
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded. Please do not show up without preregistering.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS – Secretary
GPS TRAINING - November 14
I am pleased to announce that ACAMUTS will be hosting a GPS and Map Traks training event for ACAMUTS members-only on Saturday, November 14 at the Moschelle Hall, beginning at 9:30 AM and running until mid-afternoon.
Corey Robar, ATVANS Trails Coordinator and a highly-experienced Garmin GPS power-user will be leading the training course. It will be a mix of classroom training and then practical use in the field. As such, we will require participants to bring their ATVs / SXS's with them, along with your own GPS. Corey will show us how to use the GPS in the field and then how to download, share and use the information after each excursion.
Some of the topics to be covered are:
Corey will be using Garmin equipment, so if you use a competitive GPS brand, some of the training may not be 100% relevant BUT the basic processes are very similar across all major brands.
Space is limited, so please sign up soon because availability will be assigned on a first come / first served basis.
All participants MUST register ahead of time, so if you plan to attend, please let me know directly via email before October 29, 2020.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know at once.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS - Secretary
Corey Robar, ATVANS Trails Coordinator and a highly-experienced Garmin GPS power-user will be leading the training course. It will be a mix of classroom training and then practical use in the field. As such, we will require participants to bring their ATVs / SXS's with them, along with your own GPS. Corey will show us how to use the GPS in the field and then how to download, share and use the information after each excursion.
Some of the topics to be covered are:
- Introduction to Trak Maps
- Garmin "Base Camp" overview
- How to create a route in your GPS
- Leave the Hall in our ATVs and learn how to mark waypoints and label them on the trail
- Learn to create a GPS track and how to save the tracks
- Back to the Hall to download the tracks and waypoints in a computer and saving them for future use
Corey will be using Garmin equipment, so if you use a competitive GPS brand, some of the training may not be 100% relevant BUT the basic processes are very similar across all major brands.
Space is limited, so please sign up soon because availability will be assigned on a first come / first served basis.
All participants MUST register ahead of time, so if you plan to attend, please let me know directly via email before October 29, 2020.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know at once.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS - Secretary
BAY OF FUNDY RUN - October 25
I am pleased to announce that ACAMUTS will host their next club run on Sunday, October 25.
ACAMUTS member Eugene Thorne has worked hard in identifying and then taking a practice run on a brand new route for our club. We are calling this our Bay of Fundy Run.
We will be departing the Lawrencetown Fire Department parking lot at 10:00 AM sharp. All vehicles must park on the grass on the EAST side of the fire hall property. Please avoid parking near the fire hall itself. We will be travelling east past Kingston on the Harvest Moon Trail, before turning north and heading straight up and over the North Mountain. We will run all the way to the Bay of Fundy shore, where we will stop and enjoy our lunch while sitting beside the ocean. After lunch, we will move our way south and back down to the Valley floor.
This run is just over 70 kms and we anticipate being back in Lawrencetown by mid-afternoon.
As a club, we have never travelled in this area and we want to thank Eugene for taking the time to scout out the route and for bringing it to our attention.
Given the issues around Covid-19, the Provincial Government has mandated that all ATV Clubs adhere to a very strict set of rules when hosting a run, so please be advised of the following:
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS – Secretary
ACAMUTS member Eugene Thorne has worked hard in identifying and then taking a practice run on a brand new route for our club. We are calling this our Bay of Fundy Run.
We will be departing the Lawrencetown Fire Department parking lot at 10:00 AM sharp. All vehicles must park on the grass on the EAST side of the fire hall property. Please avoid parking near the fire hall itself. We will be travelling east past Kingston on the Harvest Moon Trail, before turning north and heading straight up and over the North Mountain. We will run all the way to the Bay of Fundy shore, where we will stop and enjoy our lunch while sitting beside the ocean. After lunch, we will move our way south and back down to the Valley floor.
This run is just over 70 kms and we anticipate being back in Lawrencetown by mid-afternoon.
As a club, we have never travelled in this area and we want to thank Eugene for taking the time to scout out the route and for bringing it to our attention.
Given the issues around Covid-19, the Provincial Government has mandated that all ATV Clubs adhere to a very strict set of rules when hosting a run, so please be advised of the following:
- We can only accept a maximum of 50 machines total on the run. There can be no exceptions.
- All attendees must pre-register via email at [email protected]. We need to know the full names of anyone attending, including passengers. Passengers must be family members.
- Members are required to bring their own food and drink. Members are encouraged to wear masks during rest breaks on the run and to bring hand sanitizers.
- All participants MUST practice social distancing during the rest breaks and when loading / unloading ATV’s at the start and at the finish of the run.
- No handshakes, hugs or other customary greetings that could result in person to person contact.
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS – Secretary
HENDRY LAKE RUN - September 20
Our next club run will take place on Sunday, September 20 at 9 AM sharp.
We will park our vehicles at 843 Hwy 201 in Moschelle.
Chris has selected another fantastic route for us. He will lead us east on the Harvest Moon Trail to Round Hill, then south up the Mill Lane, past Goldsmith’s Lake and Gibson’s Lake. From there we will head south-west past Five Finger Lake, Croker Lake and then we will stop for lunch at Hendry Lake. We will then head north-west around East Stoney Lake until we get to the Lynch Mill Lake. From there we will head north around Dargie Lake, back towards Gibson’s Lake and then back down to the valley floor into Round Hill and on to Moschelle.
Given the issues around Covid-19, the Provincial Government has mandated that all ATV Clubs adhere to a very strict set of rules when hosting a run, so please be advised of the following:
- We can only accept a maximum of 50 machines total on the run. There can be no exceptions.
- All attendees must pre-register via email at [email protected]. We need to know the full names of anyone attending, including passengers. Passengers must be family members.
- Members are required to bring their own food and drink. Members are encouraged to wear masks during rest breaks on the run and to bring hand sanitizers.
- All participants MUST practice social distancing during the rest breaks and when loading / unloading ATV’s at the start and at the finish of the run.
- No handshakes, hugs or other customary greetings that could result in person to person contact.
- We will be expected to schedule staggered start times with five-minute intervals of groups of not more than 10 machines per group.
In order to participate, you will need a 2020 ATVANS trail pass on your machine and you will need to be a member of ACAMUTS.
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded.
We have tentative plans for ACAMUTS runs in October and November. We will publish those dates and locations under separate cover.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
ALBANY CROSS RUN - August 23
We are now ready to announce the details surrounding our next club run, which will take place on Sunday, August 23 at 9 AM sharp.
We will park our vehicles and then depart on the West Dalhousie Road, where it meets Hwy #10 in Albany Cross. Attendees will turn west off of Hwy #10 on to the West Dalhousie Road and club representatives will be there to show you where to park.
Chris has selected an awesome route for us. He will lead us west to Mud Lake, then north around Trout Lake, before heading southeast past Squirreltown and the east side of Waterloo Lake before turning left at the Dalhousie Crossing. We will then head south through the Falkland Ridge, Hastings and Springfield. Finally, we will cross the Hwy #10, run around Lake Pleasant, out to Skull Bog Lake and then north past McGill Lake and back to Albany Cross. Chris calls it one of the most picturesque routes in the entire County!
Given the issues around Covid-19, the Provincial Government has mandated that all ATV Clubs adhere to a very strict set of rules when hosting a run, so please be advised of the following:
- We can only accept a maximum of 50 machines total on the run. There can be no exceptions.
- All attendees must pre-register via email at [email protected]. We need to know the full names of anyone attending, including passengers. Passengers must be family members.
- Members are required to bring their own food and drink. Members are encouraged to wear masks during rest breaks on the run and to bring hand sanitizers.
- All participants MUST practice social distancing during the rest breaks and when loading / unloading ATV’s at the start and at the finish of the run.
- No handshakes, hugs or other customary greetings that could result in person to person contact.
- We will be expected to schedule staggered start times with five-minute intervals of groups of not more than 10 machines per group.
In order to participate, you will need a 2020 ATVANS trail pass on your machine and you will need to be a member of ACAMUTS. If you wish to purchase a 2020 trail pass, please contact us or renew on the ATVANS website.
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded.
We apologize for all the rules and regulations but adherence to these same rules is now mandatory in Nova Scotia.
We have tentative plans for ACAMUTS runs in September, October and November. We will publish those dates and locations under separate cover.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
Roxbury Run - July 26
ACAMUTS will host our first club run of the year on Sunday, July 26 at 10:00 AM. We will park at the bottom of the Roxbury Rd. off Hwy 201 in West Paradise. We expect that the run should take about 6-hours in total as we travel through the old ruins in Roxbury and up around Paradise lake, over to Trout Lake and then on to Blanket Hill before returning to Roxbury
Given the issues around Covid-19, the Provincial Government has mandated that all ATV Clubs adhere to a very strict set of rules when hosting a run, so please be advised of the following:
In order to participate, you will need a 2020 ATVANS trail pass on your machine and you will need to be a member of ACAMUTS. If you wish to purchase a 2020 trail pass, please contact us or renew on the ATVANS website.
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded.
We apologize for all the rules and regulations but adherence to these same rules is now mandatory in Nova Scotia.
We have tentative plans for four ACAMUTS runs between now and November. We will publish those dates and locations under separate cover.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
Given the issues around Covid-19, the Provincial Government has mandated that all ATV Clubs adhere to a very strict set of rules when hosting a run, so please be advised of the following:
- We can only accept a maximum of 50 machines total on the run. There can be no exceptions.
- All attendees must pre-register via email at [email protected]. We need to know the full names of anyone attending, including passengers. Passengers must be family members.
- Members are required to bring their own food and drink. Members are encouraged to wear masks during rest breaks on the run and to bring hand sanitizers.
- All participants MUST practice social distancing during the rest breaks and when loading / unloading ATV’s at the start and at the finish of the run.
- No handshakes, hugs or other customary greetings that could result in person to person contact.
- We will be expected to schedule staggered start times with five-minute intervals of groups of not more than 10 machines per group.
In order to participate, you will need a 2020 ATVANS trail pass on your machine and you will need to be a member of ACAMUTS. If you wish to purchase a 2020 trail pass, please contact us or renew on the ATVANS website.
So, if you plan to attend, please pre-register via email because if you don’t, you could be excluded.
We apologize for all the rules and regulations but adherence to these same rules is now mandatory in Nova Scotia.
We have tentative plans for four ACAMUTS runs between now and November. We will publish those dates and locations under separate cover.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
New Trail in Lequille
On behalf of the Annapolis County ATV and Multi-Use Trails Society, I am very pleased to announce that we have completed work on the new trail in Lequille that runs from the Harvest Moon Trail up to Tom’s Pizzeria and Helen’s Cabins on the Hwy 201.
The route is well marked and we have installed signs on the Harvest Moon Trail, directing OHV drivers to the new trail. This new trail now allows OHV riders heading west on the Harvest Moon Trail to enjoy a meal or rent a room at the far end of the old Dominion Atlantic Railway line.
The trail is a little rough in two spots but it is all cut out and it is SXS friendly. We hope to smooth out the rough spots later this year. We have a dedicated spot roped off by the restaurant for parking our ATV's and SXS's. Please use this parking spot when you visit the restaurant.
Many thanks to those members who worked so hard in negotiating the land use agreements and those who worked so hard in actually building the trail itself. We also want to acknowledge the support of Tom’s Pizzeria because the land that we cross belongs to them and they have been great to deal with. Finally, thanks to Robbie Bent Excavating for the expert installation of the culverts and the building of the two driveways at each end of the trail.
We wish to thank ATVANS for their guidance and their help in sourcing funding to help us build the trail. We could not have done it without them!
If anyone has any questions as they relate to the above, please feel free to contact Ron Guest (President) or I at once.
Mike McKinley
ACAMUTS - Secretary
