New Home for the Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club's Pisten Bully
During the 1950's the US Government built a radar base on the top of East Mountain in East Haven, VT, for defense in the Cold War. Before, the radar base was completed the base was abandoned. For decades, the buildings have outlined the skyline above East Mountain. Ed Sawyer, a resident of East Burke, bought East Mountain from the government and used some of the building in the base camp for a workshop and storage.
In the past few years, East Mountain has become the object of wind power studies. Two years ago, Ed Sawyer sold the radar base to Matthew Rubin's wind power company. To promote wind power in the Northeast Kingdom, Matthew Rubin's company; East Haven Windfarm, has held an openhouse at the top of East Mountain for the past two years. The only access during the winter is by snowmobile. There were approximately 150 riders who made the trek to the top of the mountain last winter.
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| Open house at the Radar Base on East Mountain in East
Haven, Vermont Trail club directors Ray Heath and Bob Farmer are second and third from left |
In an effort to clean up the radar base site and prepare for the experimental wind towers, Mr. Rubin wanted to get rid of the old buildings and Quonset huts.
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| The Quonset hut at the East Mountain radar base before the work crew started to dismantle it. |
During last winter's openhouse, Mr. Rubin discussed the possibility of giving
one of the Quonset hut shaped buildings to the Caledonia County Snowmobile
Trail Club if they would dismantle and remove the building. Bob Farmer, one
of the Trail Club's directors and Pisten Bully operator, saw an opportunity
to obtain a garage for the Trail Club's Pisten Bully. Since the Trail Club
has participated in the VAST lease program since it began five years ago,
having a warm garage to work on the grooming equipment has been Bob's dream.
Since the Trail Club had to purchase the two leased Pisten Bullies this year,
the need for an enclosed garage has become even more critical.
All Bob had to do was get a work crew together, dismantle the Quonset hut, move it to St. Johnsbury and put it back together. No small task for anyone, but Bob has done it.
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| After the trees were cut, the crew started taking the old Quonset hut apart. It took many weekends of volunteer labor to dismantle the old, dusty building, |
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Workers removing the roof from the Quonset hut... |
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...load it on trucks and bring it down off the mountain. |
After the trees were cut, the crew started taking the old Quonset hut apart. It took many weekends of volunteer labor to dismantle the old, dusty building.
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| The ladies provided wonderful lunches for the hungry workers. |
Derochers Crane Service and Winterset, a local contractor, tried to move the building in one piece. Larry Stewart was operating some of the equipment as they tried to move the building onto one of Winterset's trailer when the building collapsed.
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The workers then decided the best plan would be to cut the building into four sections and physically handle and move the building onto trucks and trailers. Bob Farmer, Ken Gammell, Mike O'Hara, Jeff Goodwin and All Around Power came to the rescue offering the use of their personal pickups and trailers for the big move.
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| Trailer loads of parts |
Bob has been the driving force behind the operation, not only on East Mountain and the dismantling of the building, but obtaining the building permits and preparing the cement pad in St. Johnsbury where the building would be reassembled. Ray Heath donated the land and fill the garage sits on which was a big savings.
Bob Farmer said the original idea was to put the building back together the same way it was taken apart. So the workers numbered some of the building parts in an effort to know where those parts were supposed to go. The parts that weren't numbered didn't go back together as easily as the numbered pieces. Bob says it all worked out just fine and is all back together now.
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| Ready to start re-assembling the building in St. Johnsbury. |
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| Ted Faris, welder, attaching the roof beams. |
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| The walls are up and the roof is next. |
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| Finishing the roof and the new door. |
Since the building has been reassembled, the next steps have been taken. A furnace and an oil tank have been provided. Although, the oil tank was stolen one night just about the time cold weather set in; another oil tank has been found and installed.
The electric was the next big step. Knight Electric of St. Johnsbury donated all the fixtures and the labor to connect the power. The doors are in and the building is tight for the winter.
In the spring, the building will be pressure washed and Blake Jenkins will paint it.
The new garage will provide a much-needed place to work on and maintain the Trail Club's Pisten Bully. Having a warm place to check the equipment for cracks, change the oil or the hundreds of other jobs it takes to keep the grooming equipment on the trail will be a welcome change. Congratulations, Bob, for a job well done! Thank you to everyone who helped!
The following people deserve a special thank you for their tireless efforts to make the new Pisten Bully garage a reality: Ray Heath, Bob Farmer, Marvin Olson, Milt Lund, Rod Easter, Ken Gammell, Mike O'Hara, Jeff Goodwin, Don Raboin, Marcel Raboin, Dave Giguere, Walt Neil, Polly Verge, Neil Goodwin, All Around Power, Jim Carey, Gil Mann, Harold Flanders, Reg Garand, Danny Bennett, Howard Bennett, Herbie Bennett, Elaine O'Hara, Chantel O'Hara, Bonnie Raboin, Jeannette Farmer, Brian Goodwin, Alan Farmer, John Gammell, Mayo's Glass, Mike Bean, Mathew Rubin, Larry Stewart, Norm Daignault, T & T, Ted Faris, Walt Dodge, Bernie Timson, Bill Villeneuve, LeClair's Sheet Metal.
Think Snow!
Kathy E. Smith, Secretary
Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club
Photos by Bob Farmer and Dale Sherburne
© 2003-2008 Caledonia County Snowmobile Trail Club