Ok, here is your chance to vote for your fovorite trail groomer! This is not a poll on where the best (most) trails are, but which area has consistantly the best conditions. I have been very pleased with the conditions in the Morrisville area, while in the next town over the conditions have been horrible. I gotta give a shout out to anyone who grooms our trail system, it is a thankless job that goes unrecognized by the majority of people.

Consistantly the best trails? My vote is for the Canaan Border Riders, always great signage and great grooming time and time again. There are alot of other areas that are good too, but not at the same consistantcy.

:div20:

This one is too easy, it's going to be a blowout! I agree with Jay. :div20:

The Canaan Border Riders get my vote. :div20:

The Cannan Border Riders also get my vote. There trails are usually Great

My vote is for Drift Dusters.

Middle valley Polar Bears hands down! I know their trails dont get ridden as much as the NEK but they were consistently the best trails I rode in Vermont this year! Second place for me would be a toss between Canaan border riders or Drift dusters. Drift dusters has an awesome groomer operator and they do a great job grooming. Only twice this season did I ride there trails when they werent good. Canaan border riders does an exception job with all there trails except trail 105(I think) which connects to drift dusters turf. Other than that they are great. Still Middle valley by far had the best trails all season! They have one hell of an operator and a commitment to good trails!

i agree with jay

I gotta agree with One ton. Our (Middle Valley Polar Bears) groomer knows his shit and is in the tucker CONSTANTLY when there is snow. I haven't ridden much in the NEK, soI don't have much to go on there. I rode some awesome trails in Stowe this year though ,and also along the railbed in Enosburg was awesome the day I rode it.

Hopefully I can get everything in order and get the bulldozer out to widen/smooth a few spots on the polar bears trails this summer so it'll be even better! Overall though, I can not remember riding better trails statewide than this year. Except for a few miles, there was nothing I'd call extra rough all year. The groomers as a whole outdid themselves this year!

You can thank the club Brian, he puts in a ton of hours gettin the trails ready, then grooming. He is totally dedicated to snowmobiling. "Thanks Brian for such a wonderful job"

WOW, what a tough choice.

Well I have to disagree with of all of ya. Cannons trails were horrible this year. The groomer sat more than it was out. I might be wrong but from what I've heard I think the club is accepting applications for more operators. I know they do an excellant job on projects and pre-season work. Cannon come's in fourth

Brighton, what can I say 3 huge groomers and boat load of miles to groom. Every early Saturday morning was a joy to ride your trails. You come in third.

Country Riders did an awesome job. I love there trails, the best views I've seen in VT. Great job you come in second....

Derby Driftdusters, comes in first. I don't think that groomer shut down all year. I've met the operator on the trail now several times. With the both of us helping fellow snowmobilers and stranded vehicles in the trail. Mike is one of the most dedicated operators I know and puts in countless hours. When I grow up I want to be like Mike. Thanks Mike.

Derby gets my vote they do not have dirt roads to groom like alot of IP and Canaans trails are.

Middle Valley Polar bear trails in late March. On average I think this club groomed 4 times a week or more.

All in all almost every trail and area I rode this past season were excellent (with few exceptions) considering the late start. Personally some of the smaller less traveled club trails were best (Lunenburg Polar Bears,East Haven) little traffic to rip them apart and groomed by dedicated Volunteers on sleds with small drags. My Vote goes out to all the groomers and club volunteers that make Vermont one of the most scenic and fun places to ride in New England.
(I love the twisty/turnies)
Thanx to all!

Our club exceeded our grooming money from VAST by quite a bit because we were out so much. Our groomer operators were putting in 50-60 hours a week grooming. We had to pay alot of money out of our own pocket to keep the trails smooth.

I am sure that i am speaking for ALOT of clubs in the NEK. We get the most traffic and have the hardest time keeping the trails smooth.

[/quote]I am sure that i am speaking for ALOT of clubs in the NEK. We get the most traffic and have the hardest time keeping the trails smooth.
[/quote]



Nobody will argue with that!

My vote goes to the Mad River Ridge Runners of Central Vermont (Waitsfield, Fayston, Moretown, Duxbury). Our 80+ miles of trails consist of some of the highest elevation terrrain in the entire state and we consistently receive among the highest snowfall totals. Our early and late season conditions are among the best and crowds are almost nonexistent. We also have one of the most experienced and well equipped grooming fleets in all of Vermont.

There is a rumor floating around that there is great riding outside of the NEK. Can it be true?

Being active in a club has perks ya know....you get to know your favorite trails intimately, you get to ride early early season in the course of club dutys, and late late season as well. You might become "qualified" to be trusted with the new Tucker 1000 on a solo banzi midnight run during a white-out to keep the snow packed as it falls, you might wear a trail patrol vest and watch the sky-pilots hit the brakes in the tight stuff, you might even meet some guys you become good friends with. Do some research, and become active in a club that shows an effort but is overwhelmed for lack of member participation. I bet there are a few in VT.

that is so true...




You are exactly right. Club volunteers are "technically" the last ones to ride the trails, even though it might be on a fourwheeler. You would be amazed what those trails look like in the summer.

Your is a biased opinion!!!!! It would be true if you could keep the trails through Derby Center to Newport flat....fat chance with the traffic they get.

You mean the river trail under the interstate? haha thats a tough one... esp. when our groomer has been off the bank before... After the river trail, that is the north country mountaineers problem.

The trick for heavy traffic areas is repeated short grooms, hitting a section 4-5 times in a span of minutes before moving to a new section. It works the snow enough to get a good solid pack/freeze, where going through and comming back 45 minutes later does about nothing for getting the snow "worked".. Takes longer, but it works very very well.
Also, i am pestering industrial vacuum manufacturers to make "Sno-vacs" that pin on in place of the blade on tucker Snow Cats. Suck snow from 15' away off trail and deposit it in the boo-boo on the trail. Think of the market...most clubs would put in for GIA for one..

Good call ... someone could make alot of money with a rig like that however, filling in the holes wont work. A trail can be properly hit ONE time if the moguls are completely scraped down, the snow can be processed in the drag, and the pan can smooth it. THE MOST important part is the "set up" time... which we all know is hard to achieve because of us "Hard-core sledders".

I think Stowe's trails were mint year round this year. Credit goes to Wendall Mansfield and Alan Boyea.

It can not help but make the problem spots better. The friction of being vacuumed up and out should have the snow in great order to freeze solid if you can stop, move a bunch of snow into the trail, then collect and distribute the snow in the bare corner/ whatever @ 2:30 AM. It would be noisy, so naturally you coudn't do night time vacuuming near homes.. I really want input on this idea. Thanks for taking the time to discuss it.

Now you are talking. This process along with proper grooming would be something to look into.

GaderX

check out this groomer anyone ever see one up close?

http://www.mtukrc.org/groom_vid.mov

Where in vt. are the mid valley polar bears???? Mid or uppper? or lower???
Looks goood

My vote goes to the Woodford SnoBusters. Scott and his crew did agreat job
for all the traffic they get

In the center of VT... Randolph, Brookfield, etc.

Same here.

Mr. John D how the hell are ya im sure with all the traffic you guys get you are definitely right, its just sad that i didnt get to ride the system this year with my sleds motor going down a few weeks ago you know i would have been there. Maybe this weekend my little leprechaun! The picture with the cardboard burnt is my buddy at 3am trying to cook the frozen pizza with the cardboard underneath it. Also a couple of the boys having a beer on the shores of lake champlain before going in for a bite to eat.

I think I hit some of your trails early season, I rememeber how great they were!




Stowe was awesome when I rode it, and no traffic! They get extra credit for just keeping anything open. I stopped and talked with one of the groomers, and he told me of the several trail closings they had this year due to yuppie land owners and stupid snomobilers.


East Randolph, Vermont! We meet every second Tuesday from September to April I believe at the East Randolph Community Hall. Which reminds me, I missed election of officers last night...

Lyndon Snowcruisers, hands down the best.

the little ascutney snowmobile club in reading has by far the best groomed trails in the state, they are smooth as glass and signed very well #1 in my book . the club pres. himself does the majority of the grooming and does an outstanding job ! oops do I sound biased? I am the club vice-pres.

Nice to meet you.

I have to go with Canaan as well.I love the width of the their trails and they keep them "MINT".It's really tough because ALL the clubs bust their ass!This past winter I was critical with some of the grooming in a particular area but,If you really think about the increased HP of sleds,technology of sled tracks it's pretty easy for a few sleds to smash a perfectly groomed trail....I hope the proposed draft that VAST will be voting on will bring them back on track membership wise..........P.S GaderX whatever you guys are doing with the Driftdusters,keep it up.The grooming in your area was noticeably better over past years!

Thank you, I will pass that along to the board of directors.

WELL, THANK YOU!!,
Maybe as the best secondary trails, but not sure about corridor trails although Hawks Mt. club does a very nice job grooming those.
I will be the first to admit that the grooming done by Little Ascutney has improved drastically over what we were trying to do 5 years ago with the wide track and your personal favorite the supertrack, which was poorest excuse for a piece of grooming equipment ever . I am pretty sure the compliments that the club gets on the grooming is becuase the A.T.V.S are doing such a nice job , and not that people remember what shape the trails were in 5 yrs ago.

By the way, you are the nicest nappy headed ho ever to be railroaded into an officer's position with-in our club!!

Duhnis

I have to agree with you snojockey. The driftdusters have improved significantly over the years. For a while I wouldn't think of heading that way on a weekend. Now no problems at all going to Cow Palace for dinner on Sat night.

Gader X to you and the whole club