PA Grand Canyon Snowmobile Club

host of the upper pine creek trout tournament
Come and enjoy the best snowmobile riding in Pennsylvania

Upcoming Events

Check out our list
of upcoming events!

General Info

Info for riding the trails
near the clubhouse.

SnoCams

Get a live look at snow gauges near the clubhouse and trails.

Gas Policy

Gas is available for members.
Click here for all the details.

News

2024 UPPER PINE CREEK TROUT TOURNAMENT: Visit this year’s trout tournament pages to get the dates and information you need to participate in the derby. NOTE: the times for pre-registration and the derby are the same as ever.

SNOWMOBILE RIDE SCHEDULE: While our Black Forest Inn ride didn’t happen on January 6th, we are hopeful that there will be ridable snow for the Hot Dog Run to Slate Run on February 17th. THINK SNOW!!! (UPDATE: Due to lack of snow, the Hot Dog Run was also cancelled. We really, really, really hope next winter will be better!)

CLUBHOUSE HOURS: When there is ridable snow like now (January 5th), the clubhouse will be open on the weekends, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 10 am to 3 pm. Think Snow!!!

OLD SUPPLY TRAIL: The Old Supply Trail (OST) that is in the Tioga State Forest, north of Route 6, will have the majority of its 3.5-mile trail closed this winter due to ongoing logging. There will only be 4/10 mile of the OST open that will allow access to McCarthy Trail down off the mountain and into the canyon. Using the map below, the “normal” OST access is closed but a half mile down the Left Asaph Rd. is a (BLUE ROAD) on map on the right that goes to the OST and then to McCarthy Trail that is open.

Anyone using Dry Hollow Trail will need to use Goodall Road whether coming up or going down Dry Hollow with the OST closed. DCNR said that once there’s rideable snow, the loggers will stop using Goodall Road but will use the OST exclusively for their ingress and egress so Goodall Road would be able to build a decent base going forward if the snow gods are smiling!

Viewing the map, the GREEN sections of the OST are CLOSED, the BLUE section is the trail that is normally closed but OPEN this year due to this logging and all RED trails are OPEN.

EARLY BIRD MEMBERSHIP DRAWING WINNER: The winner of the Early Bird membership drawing is Brad Wolfe. Congratulations, Brad, and enjoy spending that $200 at Aj’s Outdoor Power Equipment in Mansfield!

NEWSLETTER ENDED: The club’s monthly newsletters have been discontinued because we were unsure of how many readers it had and for several months of the year there is hardly anything to report. We will still send out special communications when and as needed.

CHANGE TO TIME OF BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEETINGS FOR THE CLUB DURING THE WINTER MONTHS: The club’s BOD meetings, during winter, will be held at 5 pm instead of an hour later. Once we go back onto Daylight Savings in March, the meetings will be held at 6 pm. This means that our next meeting on November 11th will be at 5 pm.

OCTOBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING: Today’s meeting has been deferred until next Saturday, October 21, at 2 pm. All club members are encouraged to join us.

ANNUAL TRAIL CLEARING DAY AND CLUB PICNIC: Club members are more than welcome to join us for a day of fun and food (and some hard work)! Please bring your tools for the trail clearing. Breakfast will be on us, and it will be provided at Baxter’s Bakery. Everyone, meet at the clubhouse at 7:00AM that day and we’ll leave from there to Baxter’s, which is located 2.3 miles west of the clubhouse on Route 6, on the left. We’ll also be barbequing burgers and hot dogs for lunch, so come spend the day with us!

2023/2024 MEMBERSHIPS: Membership forms will be mailed to our members on September 23rd. Memberships run from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. Prices this year are $15 for singles and $20 for families (including kids 17 and under).

You can get in on our raffle for one $200 gift certificate to one of our participating Business Members just for sending in your application by December 9, 2022. All applications received by that date will be eligible. The drawing will be held at our regular business meeting December 9, 2022.

Business member prices are $25 and will be sent out on the 23rd as well, with the form for any businesses wanting to participate in the Discount Program for our club members. We hope to have a few already signed up by the beginning of October!

All business members will be listed here on our website. All participants in the Discount Program will also be listed on our website, so be sure to check those pages for updates.

PRESS RELEASE:
For the fourth time in a row, a record breaking number of fishermen registered for the Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament held this past Saturday and Sunday, May 20 and 21 along a 13-mile stretch of Pine Creek between the Mill Street Bridge in Galeton Borough, Potter County and the Ansonia Bridge on Colton Road in Shippen Township, Tioga County. 
The 712 anglers that registered caught a total of 167 of the 250 tagged trout, 135 on Saturday and 32 on Sunday. That translates to 66.8 percent of the tagged fish being caught.

In 2019, 518 anglers registered for the tournament, which was not held in 2020 due to COVID-19. In 2021, 644 registered, and in 2022, 677.

Albert DiMassimo of Montoursville won the top prize, $1,000 in cash. Four other fishermen each won $500 in cash thanks to the luck of the draw. Six $500 cash awards were listed on the prize board along with the $1,000. 

“I fish about 125 days a year and constantly monitor the water flow by checking a river gauge,” said DiMassimo. “On Saturday, May 20, the water flow in Pine Creek was the lowest I had ever seen. Normally, it’s about 3½ at this time of year but it was only 1½. It made it harder to fish because the water was low and clear so the trout were easily spooked,” he said.

Around 11 a.m. on Saturday, DiMassimo was fishing at Rexford when he caught the first of two tagged trout and his friend Jay Ross of Salladasburg caught three more. 

“I kept telling Jay that I wanted to draw the first Ping-Pong ball in honor of my father who passed away in 2017. We enjoyed coming to this tournament together and always had a lot of fun,” said DiMassimo.

“Jay was standing right next to me when I drew Ping-Pong ball #32 and was told I had won $1,000 in cash. Neither of us could believe it. Sometimes you wonder. I felt my father was with me,” he said.

“When I reached in for a Ping-Pong ball, I pulled out the first one my fingers touched. It was right at the top. I’ve won more money since my father passed away than I ever did before,” said DiMassimo.

“Jay drew four balls for prizes this year, including his three and the one for my second tagged fish. We ended up with $150 in cash, a $50 gift certificate and an electric lamp that he drew, and the $1,000 I drew. We’re planning to share the lamp, too. We’ll each keep it for six months,” DiMassimo laughed. “My father’s thing was if you were fishing with someone, you split what you won 50/50 and that’s what Jay and I do.”

“We fished on Sunday and didn’t catch any trout at all,” he said.

DiMassimo has participated in this tournament 22 times since 2002. This is the second year for Ross. Both plan to return in 2023.

“In 2022, Jay’s first tournament, he pulled $700 in prizes for us. That year, I caught four tagged trout and he caught one,” DiMassimo said.

At the 2021 Upper Pine Creek Trout tournament, DiMassimo caught three tagged trout, drew three Ping-Pong balls, one for $500 and two for $50 each, and took home $600 in cash. “I was fishing alone that year so I drew the Ping-Pong balls myself. Usually, the person I’m fishing with does it for both of us,” he said.

“It all comes down to the luck of the draw,” said Snowmobile Club President Jim Baney. Participants must bring their tagged fish in “live condition” to the snowmobile clubhouse where they draw a numbered Ping-Pong ball for each tagged trout they catch. The number on the ball is matched to the number on the club’s prize board to identify what the angler has won. “Anglers like the ball draw because everyone has an equal chance to win our largest cash prizes rather than those who happen to catch the ‘right’ fish,” Baney said. 

The turnout was great for the free “Start a Kid Fishing” program for youngsters 12 and under. “We ran out of everything, rods and reels, tackle boxes and other equipment but with the help of those who donate items, we will do it again in 2024,” said Baney.

Visit www.pagrandcanyonsnowmobileclub.com for more information.

2023 PAGCSC/SENECA RESOURCES SCHOLARSHIPS: CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S WINNERS OF THE UPPER PINE CREEK TROUT TOURNAMENT SCHOLARSHIPS! THEY ARE: JANNA QUICK, SARA KENNEDY, AND JACKSON BRION. We wish them the best future possible!

NO JOKE, THE FIRST DAY OF TROUT SEASON IS APRIL 1ST: The first day of trout season is tomorrow for PA – our clubhouse will be open from 10 AM to 2 PM if you want to swing by and register for this year’s Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament and also pick up your tourney badge. Come by and see us!

If you are a club member, stick around for the board meeting at 2 PM!

CLUB MEMBERSHIPS: Folks, normally, we gain most of our members when we have rideable snow and people stop in at the clubhouse to get gas or just to chew the fat for a while, maybe get directions, that kind of thing. Well, as we all know, this year was truly dismal for sledding in our area and that means our membership numbers are at half of normal. So, we’re here to ask you to join us anyway. You get some pretty nice discounts from local area businesses, you give us funds to maintain the trails in our area, and you help us keep paying the bills, so please support us, if you can. To get to our membership application, just click on About Us at the top of this page, then click Membership Application and you’ll see the link to the application. Be sure to also click on the link that shows the merchant discounts available this year (under Discount Program). Thanks, everyone!

2023 UPPER PINE CREEK TROUT TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION FORM IS AVAILABLE AS OF MARCH 17: The registration form is available for download under the tournament’s 2023/Registration page.

MARCH 18 TRAIL RIDE CANCELLATION: The Hot Dog Run to Slate Run that was postponed to March 18th is cancelled due to lack of snow.

UPDATE ON MARCH 14: The snow is mostly gone and we got pretty much nothing from the storm yesterday (the 13th). It’s been a dismal season for sledding, that’s for sure.

WE HAVE SNOW AGAIN! We have about 4 inches plus down in the valley, so the mountains will have more. It’s a wet snow and is supposed to continue for several hours yet, but it’s back to being a light snow (at about 4:30 pm, March 10, 2023). Enjoy it, folks and stay safe!

CLUBHOUSE OPEN ON SATURDAY, MARCH 11: Keep in mind that the clubhouse will be OPEN tomorrow for members/gas, from 10 am to 4 pm. Stop in to say hello, renew your memberships, get some gas, and enjoy swapping stories with us! If you stay long enough, feel free to attend our monthly board meeting and then go to the Barrel for a beer with us afterward!

SNOW REPORT FOR MARCH 10, 2023: We are supposed to get snow today and tonight – we’ll let you know how that goes. And another storm is supposed to be heading our way on Monday.

TRAIL RIDE CANCELLATION: We are sad to say that this Saturday’s (March 4th) ride to Black Forest Inn has been cancelled due to the lack of any snow base, along with the mixed forecast for tomorrow into Saturday of snow then rain. We are still hopeful that the hot dog run to Slate Run on March 18th will go as planned – we just need a really good snowstorm then, so THINK SNOW for Tioga/Potter counties!

UPPER PINE CREEK TROUT TOURNAMENT: The 32nd Annual Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament (2023) will be held May 20th and 21st, with registration on the 19th. The clubhouse will be open from 10 am to 2 pm on April 1st (opening day of trout season) for early registration as well. Registration forms will be available online mid-March. If you participated in last year’s event and gave us your address, a form will be sent to you via the USPS on March 11th.

There will be 250 tagged trout stocked in Pine Creek for the tournament. Last year, 167 fish were caught, so the odds of you walking away with a prize are pretty good. Please note that there is no limit to the number of participants in the derby, so it doesn’t matter if you register early or if you wait until the weekend of the event, we will take your money even on Sunday the 21st and wish you good luck on your fishing experience.

Stay tuned for more information!

TRAIL RIDE TO BLACK FOREST INN: This ride, scheduled for this Saturday, February 25th, is postponed to Saturday, March 4th. The snow we got yesterday just isn’t enough to ride. Sorry, folks, we wish we had snow!

TRAIL RIDES: The club’s Hot Dog Run to Slate Run on February 18th is being postponed to March 18th due to lack of snow. Our trail ride to Black Forest Inn is still scheduled for February 25th, but if there’s no snow, we’ll aim for March 4th and hope we get some late snowfalls throughout March.

SUPPORT US THROUGH THIS TOUGH YEAR: Please consider purchasing your usual memberships with us, even though there’s not been much snow this year. Every dollar helps us survive one year more. Also, keep in mind that several of our business members offer our club members special discounts on food, lodging, etc. (look for the page “Discount Program” on our website to see the full list of discounts available). Please support us through this tough year, if you can! Our membership form can found under “About Us” in the top menu on the Home Page. We thank you in advance for your consideration!

TRAIL RIDE TO BLACK FOREST INN POSTPONED: So…obviously, there’s no snow out there, so the club’s trail ride to Black Forest Inn for February 4th is postponed to February 25th, depending on snow conditions, of course. The same applies for the Hot Dog Run to Slate Run on February 18th. We will keep you apprised of our plans. THINK SNOW, everyone! Think really, really hard!!!

WE HAVE SNOW AS OF JANUARY 23RD: We received a snowfall last night of 3+ inches so happy snowmobiling, folks! Stay safe and be careful.

Trail Ride to Black Forest Inn: This trail ride has been rescheduled to February 4th, 2023, with a backup date of February 25th, if needed.

Hot Dog Run to Slate Inn: This trail ride is still scheduled for February 18th and is dependent on snow levels.

JANUARY NEWSLETTER: The January newsletter got emailed today (January 23rd) to our club members. Let us know if didn’t receive your copy.

FIRST BIG SNOW OF THE SEASON: We got about 3-4 inches with this latest storm, and on Saturday, 17 December 2022, the clubhouse will be open from about 10 to 5, so stop in to see us and chat. We’ll have hot food and drinks, and 89 octane gas for our members only.

WINNER OF EARLY BIRD MEMBERSHIP RAFFLE: Congratulations to Glenn Godshall for being the winner of the early bird membership drawing! Glenn has won a $200 gift certificate to his choice of the club’s business members. Have fun, Glenn, spending that GC money!

EARLY BIRD RAFFLE: Club members, today is the last day to get your membership forms and fees to us to be included in our raffle for a $200 gift certificate to one of our participating Business Members – it’s your choice of which business, while the gift certificate is on us! The drawing will be held at tonight’s board meeting at 6 pm. Join us if you’re in the area!

DISCOUNT PROGRAM OFFERS FOR THE 2022/2023 MEMBERSHIP YEAR:

  • AJ’s Outdoor Power Equipment: 5% on Ski-Doo parts/accessories (in stock only) (at both locations in Mansfield & Coudersport)
  • Baxter’s Baker (Frome Acres): 5% discount on dinner meals
  • Clymer’s Auto Repair: 5% discount on all repairs
  • Coach Stop Inn & Tavern: 10% discount on all dining & lodging (excludes specials & alcohol)
  • Colton Point Motel: 10% discount on lodging
  • Great Valley Cabins: 5% discount on booking
  • Larry’s Sports Center, Inc.:  5-10% off new select Yamaha machines, new adult snowmobiles, UATVs (adult), side-by-sides (except XYZ1000), street and dual-purpose motorcycles
  • Pine Creek Inn: 10% off check total (excludes alcohol)
  • Trails End at the Waldheim: 5% discount on total meal (excludes alcohol)
  • Tshudy’s Mountain Properties: 15% off base rate

  • FRIENDLY REMINDER: As most of you are aware, we are all volunteers on the board and officer positions for the club, so we do the club business when we can fit it into our busy schedules. Which means your membership may take 6-8 weeks to process from the date we receive it – not the date you sent it. Right now, our people are checking the mail every 1-2 weeks, and it may take another 1-2 weeks to get to the treasurer and the secretary, and then another 1-2 weeks for them to do what they need to do. And there’s a bit of leeway there, which may take it to 8 weeks. We apologize for any delays or uncertainties this may cause, but be assured that we will get your memberships processed once we receive them! And for anyone who is trying to get theirs in before December 10th for the early bird raffle, no worries, we’ll make sure your names gets put in the mix for the raffle if you get your form and payment to us by the 10th! Thanks, as always, for your patience and understanding!
  • EARLY BIRD RAFFLE: Club members, remember to get your membership forms and fees to us before December 10th to be included in our raffle for a $200 gift certificate to one of our participating Business Members – it’s your choice of which business, while the gift certificate is on us!

DISCOUNT PROGRAM OFFERS FOR THE 2022/2023 MEMBERSHIP YEAR

We are pleased to announce that several local area businesses are providing discounts to our club members this year. If you haven’t renewed your club membership or need to join us for the first time, you can download the membership registration forms from our website. And these great businesses will provide you with the following discounts when you show them your membership card:

  • AJ’s Outdoor Power Equipment: 5% on Ski-Doo parts/accessories (in stock only) (at both locations in Mansfield & Coudersport)
  • Baxter’s Baker (Frome Acres): 5% discount on dinner meals
  • Clymer’s Auto Repair: 5% discount on all repairs
  • Coach Stop Inn & Tavern: 10% discount on all dining & lodging (excludes specials & alcohol)
  • Colton Point Motel: 10% discount on lodging
  • Great Valley Cabins: 5% discount on booking
  • Larry’s Sports Center, Inc.:  5-10% off new select Yamaha machines, new adult snowmobiles, UATVs (adult), side-by-sides (except XYZ1000), street and dual-purpose motorcycles
  • Pine Creek Inn: 10% off check total (excludes alcohol)
  • Tshudy’s Mountain Properties: 15% off base rate

Be sure to check our website regularly for any additions to this list.

Join us for snowmobiling, friendship, and fun!

  • NEW DISCOUNT PROGRAM OFFERS FOR THE 2022/2023 MEMBERSHIP YEAR are now appearing on our website! Club members, be sure to check the Discount Program and Business Members pages whenever you’re going to be in the local area and show these businesses some appreciation by frequenting their businesses. Let them know you heard about them from us!
  • 2023 Calendar of PAGCSC Events:
    • Trail Ride to Black Forest Inn – Jan 7th
    • Hot Dog Run to Slate Run – Feb. 18th
    • Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament – May 20/21
    • Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup – June 10th
    • Club Picnic/Work Detail – Sept. 23rd

IMPORTANT NOTICE: SNOWMOBILERS: ROUTE CHANGE TO THE PAGCSC CLUBHOUSE – WINTER SEASON 2022-2023 ONWARD

Please use the NORTH MEADOW TRAIL that starts behind the Burnin’ Barrel, goes through the field and crosses Route 6 approximately 100 yards down the road from the Barrel. Stay to the right of the “RED BARN,” following the marked trail, which will bring you out across the road from the clubhouse on Route 6. 

REASON: South Rail Bed Permanent Closure due to the Ongoing Trail Flooding Issue.

Back in 2017, our club did a major rebuild on the old bridge just east of Pine Creek Outfitters on the South Rail Bed. The new “Dave Hassler Memorial Bridge” served everyone well with water flowing freely under the bridge and out to Pine Creek. Over the last several years, conditions have worsened to the point that water is no longer flowing under the bridge at all. We’ve tried addressing the problem but have not been successful. Unfortunately, this has caused the west lagoon at the Pine Creek Outfitters access road to stay high and is constantly FLOODING over 100 yards of the rail bed in that low-lying area, which has forced us to make the decision for a new route.

A big shout out to Ed Holden, who graciously donated 44 tons of 2RC stone toward the North Meadow Trail improvement project. Thanks very much, Ed!

The only section of the South Rail Bed that will be Permanently Closed is from the Pine Creek Outfitters access road to the PAGCSC clubhouse. Sledders coming from the west (McCarthy Trail/Log Cabin Inn) to the clubhouse on the South Rail Bed will not be affected until they reach the clubhouse. AT THE CLUBHOUSE, THE SOUTH RAIL BED WILL BE CLOSED, and you’ll be directed to the North Meadow Trail that is directly across Route 6 from the clubhouse, coming out by the “RED BARN” just down the road from the Burnin’ Barrel and the Colton Road. 

  • MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION FORM MAILINGS: For those club members that we have email addresses for, the 2022-2023 form was emailed to you on September 13 along with an enlarged map of the North Meadow Trail, and a survey we’d like our members to fill out and return to us. If you did not receive the email, the registration form and map/survey will be mailed to you through the USPS, so be on the lookout for that in the next week or so. And you can also download the registration from this website. Happy and safe snowmobiling, everyone!
  • TRAIL CLEANUP: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, is the day we’ll be doing our annual trail cleanup. As we have reported previously, the trail behind our clubhouse that runs toward Burnin’ Barrel is permanently closed. At the clubhouse, we will be directing snowmobiles coming from/going to the west on that trail across Route 6 to the North/North Meadow Trail. That North/North Meadow Trail is what we’ll be working on for cleanup day, along with the usual cleanup to the west of the clubhouse. While the North Trail is an existing one, it’s not been much used, so there’s a lot of work to be done it. —- VOLUNTEERS: Meet us at 7 am at the clubhouse and we’ll carpool over to Baxter’s Bakery for breakfast on us, then head back to the clubhouse and the trail. Bring tools and saws, weed whackers if you got ’em, and anything else you think we might need to clear this trail. YOUR HELP WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!
  • Notice: The May board meeting has been moved up a week to the 7th because of the Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament. The meeting will be at 6 PM at the clubhouse and all club members are invited to attend, most especially if you are planning on volunteering to help us during the tournament.
  • We have a new board member: The club is excited and pleased to announce that Dianne Tshudy has agreed to become a club board member! Welcome to the board, Dianne!
  • Trout Tournament Rules have been posted on the Trout Tournament “About” page and on our Facebook page.
  • Trout Tournament Scholarships: We are very pleased to announce that Seneca Resources is partnering with our club on the 2022 Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament Scholarships. The scholarships will be awarded to three deserving seniors from local area high schools and each scholarship amount is now $1,000. We look forward to receiving the insightful and inspirational applications we always get each year. Thank you for partnering with us on these scholarships, Seneca!
  • New Business Member: Rough Cut Lodge is giving a discount to our members of 15% off cabin rentals. Welcome to the club, Rough Cut, and thanks for supporting us!
  • New Business Members: Welcome to the club, Kurtz Performance LLC and Pine Creek Inn Family Restaurant! Pine Creek Inn gives a 10% discount to our club members!
  • Volunteer Call to Our Club Members: The Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament is set for the weekend of May 14-15. Volunteer for it and come have some fun with us!
  • Notice: The South railbed is closed because icebergs are all over the property owner’s yard and over the trail from Pine Creek’s eruption. Ice is blocking both access points through the yard. Please use the North Route/North Meadow Trail for the remainder of the season to our clubhouse if riding from Colton Road.
  • Cancellation: The Hot Dog Run this Saturday, February 19, 2022, has been cancelled due to lack of sufficient snow on the ground.
  • Notice: The club’s monthly board meetings have been moved forward an hour and will now begin at 6 pm, every second Saturday of the month, except for July, when there is no meeting. Tonight’s meeting (February 12, 2022) will be the first one to be held at 6 pm. Club members are encouraged to join us at these meetings.
  • Club members: SPAM FILTERS: If you gave us your email address but are not receiving our monthly newsletters, or you’ve asked a question through our website but got no reply, check your spam filter. We are getting notices that a few replies, etc., are being bounced back as undeliverable because of spam filters on your accounts. Our email address is admin@pagrandcanyonsnowmobileclub.com
  • The club’s board of directors and its officers wish to extend a warm welcome to Brian and Nicole Shoop as the newest board members. Welcome, you two, and thanks for agreeing to serve!
  • Membership renewals have been mailed out to all 2021 members. Let us know if you didn’t receive yours! Contact Us
  • Club policy is that anyone 18 years old and over must have their own individual membership. Children 17 years and under are included in family memberships. Please take this into account when renewing your membership!
  • Monthly club newsletters are now being emailed to those members who provided their email addresses on their membership renewal forms.
  • The club will again be selling gas to our members (cash only, members only) this riding season. It’s 89 octane and 10% ethanol.