For two years in a row there has been this problem getting from Groton to Danville through Peachum. I think the trail is 232 somewere around CA 14 or maybe CA 19. There are many story's as to what the problem is. and what the cause was. The land owners name is Frank Berwick from Peachum, He was or maybe still is a big wig in the Bayley Hazen club in Peachum. He did the same thing last year closing his land. I was told by a friend that he is a really nice guy. I can't understand what the issue is and why he is doing this. If someone knows the real reason ( I'V HEARD MANY) could you please take a moment ant explain it to us all. Also what does the future looks like for this problem? How and when might it get resolved? We are all frushtrarted with this problem so lets try not to use this forum for land owner bashing because we don't want to add fuel to the fire. Just the facts would be nice.

My Aunt and Uncle are members of the Bayley Hazen club and attend the meetings. The problem with this land owner is that he was accused of lying by VAST and he pulled the rights to use his land. All he is asking for is an apology from VAST and they simply will not budge. This whole thing is absolutely ridiculous. All the money that we pay to VAST and they can't even try and rectify a situation that they have caused. There are so many trail closures now. This land owner owns well over 100+ acres and pretty much every trail in Peacham is closed because of that. Peacham has always been one of our favorite places to ride for the scenery and the trails. I wish VAST would get their act together and rectify the situation, the goal should be opening the trails and not worrying about the pride or ego of an organization!

The people of VAST are generally very logical and comprimising people. Seems odd that they wouldn't simply apolgize, if thats all it would take to open the trail. I don't know anything about the situation, just my $.02

Hello catgirl, I also live in Ct. But I have camp in Groton. What are the details of the accusation of lying? Why is he being so stubborn if this the only problem? It seams to me that it's the heads of Vast that he has a beef with not all the dedicated ridders and their familys who now are paying the price. I'm looking for more details and facts. Thanks for your input.

I agree. Seems like there is a lot more going on here and I just want to get to the bottom of it. Thanks for your two cents.

First off, the land is open now. He opened it this week. The fact that people know his name is part of the problem. At no time should anyone use the landowner's name anywhere. Just not good practice. There have been some major communication issues with the county, VAST officers, and our club. Let's just leave it at that. We are in the process of trying to work with the county and VAST officers. I would hope that this can be worked out, but it will be an uphill battle.
The groomer broke a U-Joint the other night, so everyting hasn't been groomed yet.
So there is a real good reason for him to close his land. We are working on things in our area, and yes there is a lot more to the story then most people know.

Thanks for your input, but this thread is looking for facts and details.

Not for anything, but why do you think you deserve details? The landowner had a problem and he closed his land. The landowner comes first, always remember that.

Never said I deserved them. This is a forum is it not?

Hey Sledman, I have a camp in West Danville. I am not sure of the details of the accusation. I just know what I have already said. I wish that I knew more details but I do not, and I am sure that there is more involved in the situation as 1madcat has stated there is. I am happy to hear that the land owner has opened his land, I just hope that it lasts and the situation can be permantently rectified.

When you ride from Groton to Danville which route do you take? Can you do that with Peacham trails having been closed? We wanted to ride to Groton last week but were told by several people that there was no way to do it??

Very happy the land is now open. To get to Groton you have to go thru Cabot, not my favorite trail system but they are working on it and they have gotten alot better.Don't pay attention to trail numbers much so I don't know what trail to tell you to take. I do know my way around very well just not always by trail number. It adds several extra miles onto the trip compared to the old way thru Peacham. I love West Danville, nice area. Great trails too. If you make it to Groton stop by Upper Valley Grill for gas and a meal, Bill the owner loves snowmobilers.He's a great Guy.

Just came from the VAST website. No mention of this property now being open as of this week as 1madcat stated earlier. The website does still show it as a closed trail. Does anyone else know anything about this.

Might want to believe me, since I think I know them pretty well. If the county doesn't know about it, they will find out at the county meeting tomorrow night. Like I said, the groomer was out but had equipment trouble. They were still trying to get a part today.

On the phone right now, and the groomer is fixed. The trails are open, groomed and ready to go. They will be groomed again Thursday. How's that for up to the minute info.

Hard to get better trail info than this place, Thanks.

Groton to Danville via Cabot....



Hello...aside from the closures in Peacham...you can come from Groton on corridor 2 and pick up 232 into Cabot from Cabot Village head for the LVRR bed and away you go to Danville...our trails are in super shape...worth the ride!

www.cabotskylighters.com

Cabot club has made many huge changes...



Three years ago the entire Board of Officers turned over... since then we have repaired or rebuilt 14 bridges in Cabot... widened the entire trail system.... debrushed the entire trail system.... had an excavator smooth and de-rock most of the system... redirected the trail off Coits Pond Road.... started up a website.... started publishing a Newsletter that goes out every three months.... and reestablished a relationship with the independent groomer who does our trails....he has done a FABULOUS job the past two years, especially this year with the snow we have had...if you are not riding in Cabot because of past experience then you are missing out!

Brigitte Codling (aka IcePrincess)

www.cabotskylighters.com

I agree... 100% this forum is a super way to get out local up-to-date info...

Peacham trail closures....can you give us more info?



Hello....

I assume you work with the Peacham club... here in Cabot we are tring to get info about who is designated to groom ~ Corridor 232 from CA18 to CA 19 ~ I am pretty sure that is the strech anyway... its about 2 miles....Also, we understood that Corridor 233 from CA 19 to CA 20 is closed is this the trail you say is now open? What about 232 from CA 18 to CA 13? We just want to make sure we are informing our members correctly and anyone else who asks that comes through town...are there currently any trail closures in your area that we should know about? If you could be very specific with JCT and Corridor labels that would be super helpful...

Thank you!

www.cabotskylighters.com

isn't or wasn't there two different trails and ways to get from groton to peacham? along with the way through cabot

Ok Ice Princess, here's the deal. I give you the info if you answer my question I rode through Cabot a few years ago and went through some place called the Haunted Valley or something like that. You give me the scoop on that weird stuff, like what the hell were the metal figures with scythes and stuff. You tell me that the hell was with that stuff, which scared the crap out of me every time I rode through there and I'll give you trail info. Well, either way I'll give you the trail info, but I have to know the story on that place hehe.

Thanks for the info 1madcat. Do you think this trail problem is solved or might it rehash itself at a later date?

wow!!! I am going to this area tomorrow and I thought I was going to have to loop back through cabot and avoid peacham, but if it is open then I'm excited! I'm going from barre to groton, to cabot, to danville, peacham and back to barre, I'll let everyone know how it goes!

Please do lets us know. I am taking the week of March 10 – 18th off and want to ride from my camp in Kirby to Groton and past. We always go north, and it’s nice but I want to go to different places. We where un-able to get to Groton the past two years (no snow). Where we have to cross under 91 in St. J it gets pretty thin real quick. I want to ride Peachum and Groton and Cabot this trip.

Keep us posted 1MadCat

I rode to peacham twice it was so nice! I'll post more of a route tonight - but the loop through groton to peacham and back all around groton lake is open and BEAUTIFUL!!!

okay - if the trail everyone was referring to was 2 between CA18 and CA12, then this is open and beautiful.

I rode all around peacham from CA16 through 14 to 11 and went up to CA18 and south to CA4 and it was all OK.

If this isn't the one - then I'm lost.

I beleive the problem area is CA19 to CA20 connecting rt 232 and rt. 2. And also what I think used to be ca13. Just going by memory because I don't have a map in front of me so I'm not positive. I looked at the map on the VAST website but I couldn't read the trail numbers or the junctions clearly. Bottom line is could you bvtmattc get from Groton to West Danville without going thru Cabot on an open groomed trail? Maybe 1madcat could shed some light on the specific junction and trail numbers. Without the map I'm not sure.

So I rode it yesterday and yes you can do that. If you take 232 all the way up to West Danville. The problem is that there is like 2 miles of ungroomed and I mean not groomed ever right now right before the juction that heads towards Cabot. When you pass that junction, and right now it's not numbered, you get on a class 4 trail that is groomed with a 4 foot drag. That is in decent condition. The other stuff, south of that before the new trail the Buckaroos created is real bad. There is an issue with who should be grooming it, and they are trying to work it out.
So the bottom line is that you can get through to W Danville without going all the way into Cabot, but there is a really bad section in there.

The "new trail" off of 232 is now open and groomed, and labeled 2B east. Last week that gate was still closed. It connects to West Barnet and Peacham on what used to be called 2A years ago. At the jct overlooking Peacham village it still indicates only local services into Peacham village, no through connections north. So you end up continuing west to what used to be the jct of 2 and 232. Now there is only 232 (2 closed at this point) up to the jct of 234? (sorry I don't know the junction numbers. 232 continues into Cabot and 234? goes over Cow hill down to West Danville. So there IS a second way to go to the Groton area that avoids the "no man's" ungroomed section, however a section of the old 2 trail is still closed.

Also most trails in the Barre-Montpelier area are great right now. 16 and 12 in North Montpelier are super. Also trails in Newport area are great also.

Thanks Rob, It's nice to have you back, with the extra snow this weekend it should be nice.I will be there next week.

Thank you 1madcat. This sounds good. I know the rough section your talking about. Seems like it would be tough for a groomer to get through that area either way. Seems as though someone is doing some logging in that area. it's only a couple of miles though.

This is off of the VAST Website:

FYI

Yesterday we received word that Bayley Hazen Road Club opened their trails. Today I took a ride up rt. 232 from Jct. CA 4 to CA 11. At the jct. CA 11 the trail is open and groomed to rt. 2B to Jct. CA 14 and on to CA 20 where you can go either rt. 234 into West Danville or rt. 233 back towards Jct. 19. Keep in mind that the grooming stops 2 or 3 miles beyond Jct. 20 on rt. 233. From there it is single lane and rough. You will not pick up grooming again until you get to Andy Cochran's logging on rt. 232. Rt. 234 is all groomed into Joe's Pond.

Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait to get up there and ride into Peacham!

The Haunted Trail.....



This was more than just a couple years ago...but the senior class at Cabot School put on a haunted trail from the Old Center of Town, down the trail into the village...it comes out behind the Willey Building...they did this haunted trail as a fund raiser but then left the props up throughout the trail knowing that the snowmobilers would be coming down that trail all winter...made for an interesting ride through there that winter....maybe we should do it again!

Hey are you the one that stopped in the Walden Store and told me about the monday night meeting at EHV in St. Johnsbury?
I almost think it was you but if it wasnt' then someone said thier was going to be a meeting monday night at EHV ( I think thats what its called) about the whole Peacham trials issues.