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 city 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 riders. 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.

The representatives from the various clubs formed a committee to improve the trail situation. At that time, VAST was eleven years old having been established in 1967. VAST would provide funding for trail construction and maintenance to the clubs. However, the committee overseeing the many of the trails in Caledonia County was not an organized club. 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 corridor 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 other club territories which those clubs did not recognize as belonging to a 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 a wide 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 needed to be built to accommodate the width and weight of the Tuckers.

The first bridge built by the Trail Club was north of Burke Mountain on an old logging road. The second bridge built was the one on Roundy Brook in Burke Hollow which continues to be used as part of the trail system.

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, a 1967 model. Since that time, the club has owned a 1971 Tucker, a 1979 model and the one currently being used to groom the trails is a 1988 model. The club purchased a new Awesome drag in 1996 which has greatly improved the quality of the trails.

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. The club found it necessary to own two Tucker Sno-Cats in order to groom the two sections of the club’s territory which was divided by the snowmobile tube under the new section of US Route 2. The trails on the south side of US Route 2 extending from Danville into Barnet and Peacham as far as Foster’s Pond, as well as the trails northwest to Coles Pond and into East Hardwick were groomed by the Tucker stationed in Danville.

As time passed, the smaller clubs within Caledonia County began growing. These clubs quickly accepted the responsibility for the trails in their local areas. Today several contractors 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 through St. Johnsbury Center, Kirby and east to Carr Brook. The club also grooms the Route 18 trail through Waterford to Moore Dam and along the reservoir on Route 102 for a total of approximately 72 miles in the grooming contract.

The directors of the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club continue to look to the future and find ways to improve the trail system. One of the goals for the near future is to install a bridge over the Sleepers River to connect the two sections of the county which are divided by US Route 2. In conjunction with the bridge, corridor Route 2 & 5 between Alright Springs and St. Johnsbury Center will be relocated to get the trail out of the road into the fields.

The challenge of keeping the trails open is a constant struggle. The 1997-98 season was exceptional difficult for the club’s longtime Trails Coordinator, Don Glover. A grassroots organization to oppose legislative bills and some laws encouraged closure of private property to recreational use. The many acres of land closed posed a serious threat to snowmobiling. Until early winter, the snowmobile trails into and out of St. Johnsbury were closed. The determination and dedication of a few snowmobilers worked to get the trails open again. It is this dedication to the sport that continues to make snowmobiling in Caledonia County strong.