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Updated Sunday April 29th 2012 at 9:00 am


TRAILS IN ST. JOHNSBURY ARE CLOSED


This is the season ending report for 2011-2012

I think this year can be best described as Quality over Quantity. We got skunked on great snowfall but what we did get, we made the most of it. My theory is there is only so much water in the atmosphere to dump out in a given year. All of ours was exhausted in the May storms and the TS Irene. Many of you will curse me for saying this but...I hope we have a drought until November of 2012 and then get snow for 2 months to bring us in to 2013.


The trips I was able to go on were memorable and the best I had seen in a number of years. I had the pleasure of visiting the Coles Pond Sledders Cook Shack and enjoyed that immensely. I highly recommend you make that a destination stop next year.

I also got to take a trip to the Wind Towers in Sheffield. That was a great day of riding and eating and ending my curiosity over what the towers look and sound like. I would recommend you take a trip there if the opportunity presents itself.


All in all, I put roughly 325 miles on this season. That is about 1700 less than I usually do. My plan is to make it up next year. I think I have the same amount of miles on my 4 wheeler from putting up and taking down trail signs!

Everyone have a great off-season. Put some money aside every week to bankroll your 2013 riding season!


Stay safe and as always,

Ride Right and Ride Safe.

Mike
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Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club Meeting Minutes
January 4, 2012


The January meeting of the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club was called to order at 7:05pm by President Ken Gammell.


Directors present: Bob Farmer, Harold Flanders, Ken Gammell, Ray Heath, Mike OHara, Marvin Olson, Ben Robinson, Bonnie Raboin, Dale Rowell, Rod & Kathy Smith, and Dennis Towle


Directors absent: Jim Carey, Bob Dexter


Secretarys Report


Dennis Towle made a motion that was seconded by Marvin Olson to accept the secretarys minutes as printed. The motion was adopted.


Correspondence


None


Committee Reports


1. Memberships


The membership report was printed on the back of the agenda. The total of TMAs sold is 644. A discussion followed about the possible explanation for the lower sales numbers. Ken Gammell noted that the TMA sales are not down all over the state as would be expected. Mike OHara thought many of the clubs in the Tropical Storm Irene areas had requested help repairing their trails, which prompted people to join the clubs they were helping to recover. Since the Northeast Kingdom did not fare as badly as other areas of the state with Tropical Storm Irene, the attention has been focused on southern and central Vermont. Bonnie Raboin felt the biggest factor was the lack of snow.


It was generally agreed that when the snow comes and riding is available, membership sales will increase. Until there is adequate riding, the members are waiting to see what kind of winter this will be. If the snow cover improves and the riding is available, everyone agreed the sales would jump back up to near normal levels.


Unfinished Business


1. Groomer Insurance Policy
Mike OHara gave the groomer insurance policy to Bonnie Raboin.


2. New Drag


Bob Farmer reported that the new drag is hooked up and the cutter bar is on it. The crew tried the lights but the wattage was wrong so blew out all the bulbs. Bob stated that Josh Nelson is going to request that Maxey send two lights and mounts to replace the ones that were damaged. The tool box is in place. The cover is also on the pan.


The subject of a publicity photo op for the new drag, to show the local area the investment the Trail Club is making to help the economy of the area, was discussed. Mike OHara stated that he had contacted Darcie McCann, of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce, about the new drag. The Chamber was in the process of moving into their new offices but agreed a promotional article was needed when there is snow to use the drag.


Bob Farmer asked about selling the Mogul Master drag. It was suggested to send a notice to the VAST News. The details were discussed and decided to ask for $4500 or best offer. The drag is a 2001 model. It is 9x18 with either a gooseneck or pintel hitch and is a dual action drag.


New Business


1. VAST Military Appreciation Ride Sponsorship


Ken Gammell explained the various levels of sponsorship available for the Military Appreciation Ride. The ride will be held February 25, 2012 in South Woodstock, Vermont. Last year the Trail Club donated at the “Club Sponsor” level of $50, which lists those donating in the VAST newsletter and on the VAST website. Dennis Towle made a motion that was seconded by Mike OHara to once again donate to the VAST Military Appreciation Ride as a “club sponsor” for $50. The motion was adopted.


2. Food for Hope


Dennis Towle suggested participating in the Dunkin Donuts “Food for Hope” event next Christmas. The Trail Clubs name would be given out over the local radio station with a challenge to the other snowmobile clubs to make a donation of an equal or greater amount. The event is the second Saturday of December and is part of St. Johnsburys Victorian Christmas celebration. Bonnie Raboin stated that she and her husband always attend and would make the challenge in the Trail Clubs name for the 2012 season.


Trails


1. Landowner Permission Forms


Bob Farmer asked the club had new landowner permission forms for Bob Audette and Dwayne Passut. Ray Heath stated that Bob Audette had told him the trail would be alright for this year but might be useable for next year too, depending on the sale of the proposed housing development. Ray further stated that he had met the new owners of the trailer park. Ray felt they would be fine to work with regarding the snowmobile trail.


2. Trail Construction Reimbursement


Bob Farmer asked if the club had received the reimbursement from VAST for the relocation and extra work to get the trails open for the season. It was stated that Trails Administrator, Alexis Nelson, had all the information. Mike OHara stated that he had spoken with Alexis Nelson and learned that there is a small amount of emergency funding remaining. Ken Gammell did not think Ray Heaths reimbursement for the East St. Johnsbury trail had come back as yet.


3. New Drag Grant


Ken Gammell did not think the Trail Clubs grant-in-aid check for the new groomer had come. The checks normally go to the club president and Ken did not have the check yet. Bob Farmer stated he had submitted all the paperwork to VAST so now all that can be done is wait.


4. GPS Units for Groomers


Kathy Smith asked about the proposed GPS tracking domes to be installed on all groomers operating on the VAST trails. Mike OHara and Ken Gammell stated that the GPS units are part of a grant VAST is trying to obtain so that it is easier to track when and where the grooming is being completed.


5. Henry Whipple Memorial Trail


The proposed Henry Whipple Memorial Trail is being spearheaded by Henrys son, Phillip. The Whipple family will provide the sign and is working with Don Glover to finalize the project. It was agreed the most visible location would be on either side of Exit 22 off of I-91.


6. Open Riding Weekends


Ken Gammell reported that the last weekend of January 2012 will be open for riders with registrations and insurance in Maine and New Hampshire to ride on VAST trails without a TMA. Canada will also be having an open weekend on February 17 & 18, 2012.



The next meeting of the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club will be held on February 1, 2012 beginning at 7:00pm at Ray Heaths office.


The meeting was adjourned at 8:00pm.


Respectfully submitted,


Kathy E. Smith
Secretary

Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club
35th Anniversary



By the mid-1970's snowmobiling in Caledonia County had grown to include trails from one end of the county to the other St. Johnsbury, being the largest town in the county, naturally became the center for the sport.


Each winter the dealers were selling more and more sleds. The riders needed more and better trails to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of enthusiasts. In an effort to meet these demands, members of several of the local clubs in the county met to determine the best way to improve the riding in Caledonia County and fill in the missing sections of trails.


The representatives from the various clubs formed a committee to improve the trail situation. At that time, VAST was nine years old having been established in 1967. VAST would provide funding for trail construction and maintenance to the clubs. However, the committee overseeing many of the trails in Caledonia County was not an organized club. In 1976, in order to receive funding from VAST, the committee quickly organized into the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club. As one of its priorities, the club quickly undertook the construction and improvement of the trail between St. Johnsbury and Island Pond. Most of that trail over Kirby Mountain continues to be used today.

The Trail Club quickly became the largest club in Caledonia County and assumed responsibility for the section of Route 2 & 5 going east from St. Johnsbury Center as well as west into Danville on corridor Route 2. In an effort to improve the quality and continuity of the trails, the Trail Club also accepted the responsibility for many miles of trails between their club territories which were not being maintained or claimed by any particular club.

Corridor trails were becoming wider to accommodate the increasing width of the snowmobiles. The recommended trail width was 8' but with the winding trails and wider groomers, the trails needed to be at least 12' wide. The first snowmobile trails were little more than paths through the trees so it took almost five years before all the existing and new trails could be widened out to the 12' width. Bridges also needed to be built to accommodate the width and weight of the Tuckers.


The Trail Club took possession of two brand new Pisten Bully 100s in October 1998. That winter the Trail Club accepted the responsibility of filling the gap in the grooming in the Burke and Lyndonville areas.

The club purchased a new awesome drag in 1996 which to meet the increasing demand for better groomed trails, the Trail Club directors obtained a loan to purchase the club's first Tucker Sno-Cat in 1976. Since that time, the club has owned a 1971 Tucker, a 1979 model, and a 1988 model. In 1998, the Trail Club became part of the VAST Pisten Bully program.


By the early 1980's, the Trail Club was grooming almost 150 miles of trails and owned two of the few Class A groomers in Caledonia County. The club groomed east and north from St.Johnsbury and Waterford over Kirby Mountain, through Victory and north to Island Pond.


As time passed, the smaller clubs within Caledonia County began growing. These clubs quickly accepted the responsibility for the trails in their local areas. With the smaller clubs doing more of the grooming, the Trail Club did not need to cover such a large area.

After five years of grooming the trails in Lyndonville and Burke, the Trail Club sold their second Piston Bully and the Lyndonville and Burke both bought their own groomers. With the sale of the second Pisten Bully, the Trail Club was able to purchase a new Trail Bully, which is the next size larger than the PB100. (Read the story in the "Snowmobile Stories" column).


Today several other clubs groom the trails once groomed by the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club. The Trail Club continues to groom the Route 2 & 5 trails from the tube under US Route 2 near the St. Johnsbury/Danville town line through St. Johnsbury Center. On the east of St. Johnsbury, the Trail Club grooms to Kirby and then onto Concord.



Going southeast the Trail Club grooms the Route 18 trail through Waterford to Moore Dam and along the reservoir on Route 102. The route going north and east covers the trail to the pipeline in Victory, then on to Burke Mountain for a total of 63 miles in the grooming contract.


In addition to the corridor trails that the Club maintains, the club groomers also take care of the feeder trails into Vinny's and Changing Seasons Motel on the St. Johnsbury/Lyndonville town line, as well as the Holiday Inn in St. Johnsbury.

The directors of the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club continue to look to the future and find ways to improve the trail system. The Trail Club built a bridge over the Sleepers River to connect the two sections of Caledonia County which were divided by US Route 2. In 2004, when the bridge was put in place, it was the longest "I" beam snowmobile bridge in Vermont.

In conjunction with the bridge, corridor Route 2 & 5 between Alright Springs and St. Johnsbury Center were relocated to get the trail out of the road into the fields. By 2009, the deck on the Sleepers River Bridge had worn and rotted to the point it needed to be completely removed and replaced.

2004 was an exciting year for the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club when long time director and groomer operator, Bob Farmer, was elected "VAST Snowmobiler of the Year".


The following year, in 2005, the dream of having a warm garage to work on the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club's Pisten Bully became a reality because of the dedication and hard work of Bob Farmer and Ray Heath. Working with about 30 volunteers, Bob organized the dismantling and moving of the old Quonset hut, located at the abandoned radar base on East Mountain in East Haven, Vermont to a piece of land owned by Ray Heath on the north side of St. Johnsbury, a distance of about 30 miles.


Once the Quonset hut was in St. Johnsbury, the volunteers put the building back together exactly the way they had taken it apart, using the numbers they had painted on each piece as a guide.


The hard work paid off not only by having a warm, dry place to maintain the Pisten Bully, but the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club was awarded the "2005 VAST Project of the Year" at the VAST Annual Meeting held on September 17, 2005 at Lyndon State College.


In 2007, the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club had several trail relocations and changes. Safety is always the primary concern with trail conditions. With safety in mind, the Trail Club changed the trail to eliminate some of the "S" turns. One such change was on the Route 2 & 5 trail between the tube under US Route 2 and St. Johnsbury Center. Another "S" turn in St. Johnsbury on Route 2 & 5, where a rider was injured, was also changed.


Another major trail change took place in St. Johnsbury Center to relocate Route 2 & 5 around a new housing development. The average rider probably won't notice the difference because they ride over the trails so much faster than the work can be completed. However, the safety factor is very noticeable.


In 2006, the Trail Club began holding snowmobile safety classes on the first Saturday of December each year. The Waterford Ridge Runners graciously donates the use of their clubhouse for the classes each year.


The safety course is required for anyone born after July 1, 1983. In the four years that the Trail Club has been conducting the classes, there have been approximately 100 students receive their safety certificate. The directors are delighted to have helped so many young people to learn to ride safely on the trails. The directors of the Trail Club plan to continue to offer the Safety course each December.


Another big change in the way the Trail Club sells TMAs will happen this year. Beginning this year, Trail Club TMAs will be available online with payment through PayPal.

The current Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club directors thank all the directors who have served in the past and given so much of their time helping to build the Trail Club into one of the largest snowmobile clubs in Vermont.


The directors of the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club also extend a sincere thank you to all our landowners. It is through the generosity of the landowners that we are able to enjoy a winter sport second to none. The beautiful vistas and winding trails through the woods are because so many landowners are willing to share.


The Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club directors are always looking for ways to make snowmobiling in the Northeast Kingdom better. We thank everyone for their continued support.

The determination and dedication of a few snowmobilers worked to get the trails open. It is this dedication to the sport that continues to make snowmobiling in Caledonia County exceptional.


Think Snow!


Kathy E. Smith

Secretary
All Material Copyright ©2011 Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club
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