App available for snowmobilers in Adirondacks
A new App could help ease nerves for snowmobilers traveling in the Adirondacks.
"We have some of the best trails around," said Jim McCulley with the Lake Placid Snowmobiling Club. He has a pure passion for snowmobiling and he's being riding for most of his life. "There's an experience with nature and a camaraderie with snowmobiling."
McCulley says it's not uncommon to spend hours on a sled, traveling hundreds of miles in just one day. And if you're not paying attention to the trail signs posted, you could find yourself in a bad situation. "Obviously, the trails are signed and everything but still, it's easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going," he said.
The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is hoping to make moments like that a little easier. They have developed the ADK Snowmobiling App. It shows all the trails in the Adirondacks, also pointing out where to stop for gas, food and lodging -- which will help boost the economy in more rural areas.
"You can see there is a huge amount of trails covering the Adirondacks," said Jasen Lawrence, the apps developer. "If there is a major snowmobile artery that goes through their town, huge amount of travelers come through on snowmobiles for those folks... We don't just stay in one spot and spend our money, we travel all over to these small villages that probably wouldn't exist during the wintertime if it wasn't for snowmobilers."
App users can highlight their trail and it will show conditions -- how groomed it is -- and if there are any lakes to watch out for.
"You can make an informed, responsible decision about making sure that you're safe out there on the trail," Lawrence said.
The app uses offline navigation, which doesn't require any cell signal to use, so no worries about hitting a dead zone. It's a free for any Apple or Android smartphone and its updated daily. Right now it only shows trails in Essex, Franklin and Hamilton Counties but they have plans to expand to other counties in the North Country.
