Who said winter wasn’t fun? After all, it is the perfect season for hot chocolate, warm socks, family gatherings… and for exploring the beautiful snow-filled trails out in the country!
And this is precisely that last point that lead us to making it to the top 10 paid apps of Canada: designing apps for snowmobilers eager to ride on the trails of gorgeous white snow.
While going far from the city is the perfect plan to experience a feeling of freedom and peace, it also brings its share of challenges. For example, it might be hard to find gas stations and restaurants, especially with the lack of good data reception to search through your favorite mapping application.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a mobile assistant that includes all the snowmobile trails available in the state, as well as nearby services relative to your location? Well, we might have something for you…
Born from a partnership between Mapgears, Igloo Creations (Ondago) and snowmobile federations and associations, our new app available both on iOS and Android does just that. Working both online AND offline (without mobile data), it allows users to easily see their location on the trails, as well as all relevant nearby services, no matter where they are.
First released on December 16th of 2018 for the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC), the app, named Go Snowmobiling Ontario 2018–2019! for this specific federation, is currently being used by thousands of users and made it to 1st place on Google and Apple stores top 10 paid apps list.
Following shortly was the release of the app for the New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (NBFSC), which also made it in the top 10 paid apps for both mobile platforms.
How does it work ?
Once it is installed, the application will download and store the trails data for the whole territory, allowing users to use its core functionalities, even while disconnected from their mobile network.
(Don’t worry, we made keeping it lightweight a priority so you can have as much space as possible to store all your photos and favorite apps!)
Using the device’s GPS, the app is able to quickly grab the user’s location and place it on the map for easy route planning. It is then possible to navigate manually to see nearby trails and services or to go through the search menu to list all available gas stations, for example.
Looking for a specific restaurant recommended by a friend? You can type its name in the search bar to find it quickly or browse through the restaurants category to see all the available options close to you. This section also allows you to filter which services are displayed on your map, giving you the option to customize it to your preference.
BONUS: You can also view a list of snow yours featuring the most scenic routes of a specific sector by tapping the “Snow tours” category!
Once you are set on a destination, the app also enables you to map out an itinerary, giving you the distances as well as the different steps you have to go through on the trails to get there. You can then save it, allowing you to get back to it quickly at any time, or share it with friends and family through your favorite medium (SMS, Facebook messenger, email).
Talking about friends and family, the application also integrates the ability to share your location in real time with specific users. This works by entering a contact through your device’s contacts list or using their email, which will prompt them to accept your invitation the next time they go through their profile.
Note: We take privacy very seriously and no one other than the users you personally add can see your location (not even us!).
Are you unsure about the conditions of the trails after a big storm? You can view trail statuses in real time by activating the option through the legend. While the real time feature only works through mobile data, you can also view the conditions offline as they were the last time you had access to a mobile network.
Ready to ride along ?
Visit us at https://www.evtrails.com to download the app from your association and to use the interactive trails map.
Your club, association or federation is not listed on the site? Contact us at trails@mapgears.com or call us at 1 888–696–5056 #301 to see how we could bring the app over!
