Caledonia Snowmobilers Busy Fixing Up Trails

Sally Anderson Cook
Staff Writer

ST. JOHNSBURY -- While gardeners have been out gardening and hunters out hunting, snowmobile club members are out building bridges, filling ruts and fixing up trails before the snow flies.

Members of a dozen snowmobile clubs in Caledonia County are no exception. Representatives met recently to take care of business and report on their trail conditions.

"We had a major project in the wildlife management area," said Ted Chase, president of the Coles Pond Sledders in Walden. "We used 54 bales of hay, bags of grass seed, and it took five days of excavation work. The Danville side of the lookout area is done for the next 10 to 15 years."

That section of trail is 3.3 miles long. Club members also "tidied up" the beaver dam and discovered a second dam near the snowmobile trail.

Chase has been named the Caledonia County Snowmobile Association Trail Coordinator, replacing Don Glover, who served as county coordinator for 30 years.

Glover was credited with being instrumental in guiding clubs to connect Caledonia County trails to surrounding counties.

Chase said one of his goals was to open the trail to Smith's Store in Greensboro Bend and open the trail between Wheelock and Greensboro Bend. He said he had hopes that club members from Walden or Hardwick would groom the trail to the store.

Chase, who chaired the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail project for six years before stepping down recently, said the 92-mile system had a problem through the East Hardwick area that was expected to cost $67,000 to fix.

"Now after it's been machined, it looks like a $20,000 grant could take care of it," Chase said. Damage was caused by heavy equipment, he said.

A bridge at Mt. Vernon Street in St. Johnsbury and one in Greensboro Bend need to be rebuilt. Chase said funds from an accident insurance claim would be used for those projects.

In Danville, club members have been tackling wash outs, fixing bridges, and cutting brush on the rail bed above Joe's Pond, according to the Danville S-Ski-Mos report.

In Lyndonville two trails were complete, some signage has been done, and there is a "squeeze" between a fence behind the day care center in the industrial park and a wetlands area. They were advised that snowmobilers could go across a swamp, as long as it is frozen, but they can't fill it for a trail.

The Newark E-Z Riders reported redecking a bridge on Old County Road, and will be rerouting a trail around land owned by a Californian who appeared not to be pleased to find flags on his property.

One of the goals of the Caledonia County Snowmobile Association is to attract new members to boost club membership, according to Director Ken Gammell of Newark. To that end, directors voted to publish a new color brochure and approve a five day pass.

"We need to promote ourselves, especially to younger people," Gammell said, explaining he thought the new brochure would do that. "I really like the looks of it. It says pick me up and read me."

Gammell said in the last five to 10 years the county trail system has improved 10 times.

"Today you can drive 100 to 150 miles in a day. Trails are well-marked and you can go just about anywhere in the state."