You can ride the trails without a pass, but it is generally frowned upon. The fee for the passes is divvied up between the clubs in alberta. That money goes towards trail maintenance.
You just have to ask yourself, do you like riding on smooth groomed trails that are signed, safe, with plowed parking / staging areas with bathrooms etc? Or do you just go ahead and bomb around without a care until the club folds and the trails become unusable?
There are many clubs in the province that provide excellent services and are active in their communities. Locally here, the Tri-County Club hosts toy rides for Santa's Anonymous. Other clubs host Poker Rallies that bring visitors from across the province to their clubs and communities.
Bottom line, if you ride the trails without paying, you are not helping the clubs in any way. The pass is a small way of contributing to the greater enjoyment of all who participate.
Please keep ATV's off groomed snowmobile trails. That's my PSA for the day.
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Long gone are the times when things were made of wood, and men made of steel.
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