I don't mean to undermine the team planning the rescheduled (or 2nd if you made the first) Vermont HCS ride-in on Saturday February 19th but this is also the same day as the East Mountain Radar Base Open House (10am-4pm). I was wondering how people would feel about making the radar base either the meeting spot or a destination before or after the Chez Pigeon? There is also a fund raising spaghetti dinner that the club holds after the open house (12pm-3pm).

If you haven't been there, it's a very cool place:

2004 Open House:




2003 Open House:

I think that's a good idea. That radar base is a very spooky place. On a clear day the views are spectacular

Spooky is the best way to describe that place. My first time there was at night @ about -20 with a blasting wind.

I'm down with going to the Radar Base

Count me in. Can't wait.

That's a great idea!

Count me in.

I've never thought of it as spooky. In fact I feel right at home there. Probably because I was in the military on a mountain top installation. I'd love to go to both places on the 19th but I'm planning on leaving that day for a week in Canada. One thing about that radar site there is no real place to hang around without freezing to death unless it is a warm day. I agree on the views, I can't think of another spot in New England with an equal including Mt Washington. DT

i won't be making this HCS trip, will be riding with friends and family. but i'll be at the radar base that day for a littile while, so if anyone sees my sled, come over. it's the sled in my pic to the left here, but now also has a blue skid plate and m-10 suspention.



brad

Where is the radar station & how far from NH border- Canaan, thanks.

Does everybody still plan on the Radar base for this Saturday. I am going to try to get down there . Does anybody know if the secondary feeder trail that is shown on the map that goes from 114 down to 1c is really there and if so ever groomed. Thanks for any info.
JOHN

And what town is Chez Pigeon in ?

Norton

I am thinking of going to the Radar Base at 10:00 am and from there heading to Norton to have lunch at the Pigeon. My wife has suddenly expressed an interest in the cuisine at the Chez.
My plans are not set in stone- I feel bad that I missed the first HCS Ride In and want to get a chance to see everyone.

What was the time they we were meeting at Chez, maybe we Could try to do both also.
JOHN

hey guys i am new here i am going out for my first ride of this year sat did not know how far the radar is from ludlow.
let me
know thanks
mike

rutcgr18 its near island pond, a good 2 hours from ludlow by car.

Planning on taking rt. 5 from Barton/Willoughby area and heading south to CA 86.
Then take secondarys to 1C to 1 and up to the radar base. Is there still a problem getting though the West Burke/Burke Hollow section of Rt. 5? Thanks in advance.

I have heard 3rd hand reports that the trail relocation in Burke Hollow is not finished yet.
Check trailclub.net for the latest updates

so what time everyone meeting at the base? 10-10:30am?

i'll be there at some point in the day with my group, not sure when though. won't be able to meet up and ride this time, but if i see any HCS stickers i'll come over and say hey.

Thanks ZLSS. I didn't find any info on that site, but I did email them with my question. I'll post the results when they come. Hopefully before the weekend.

Where is the Radar Base? I know from camp I can see a tower of some sort on a mt. ridge just NE of Burke Mt. Is that it?

Ryan

That is it. Take the 1 loop and you will see the signs to the open house. DT

Cool, well I might have to swing through then. I'm not sure of our exact ETA since I've never been there but I'll try and make it 10-10:30 like someone said.

If you see a green 98ZR, a red 03RX-1, and most likely other sleds also then throw a hand up at me.

I will be there with the wife and kid. Seeing that it is only 25 miles or so from my camp in Kirby the short way and the wife has never been I figure why not. There is also drag races that day at Walts field in Victory right on cor. rt 2/5. It can be a good show and they have dogs and burgers. :div20:

Finally figured how to add a PDF file. :banana:

The trail through Burke Hollow (which is Rt. 5) is still closed. I am at a loss as to why. If you venture out this weekend and get stuck heading north or south on Rt.5 in the Burke area- be prepared for some road riding.

Rt. 54 that connects Rt 5 to East Burke is groomed only part way. There is a huge washout that has not been groomed all year ( you can get around it but it is a one lane trail) and a logging operation near E.Burke has left this trail a mess.

Thanks, again, ZLSS. Guess it's plan B. A little longer route, but riding is riding.

ill be there too...great views from the top

Checking in from Millinocket Maine. Unfortunetly we can't make it to the radar base this weekend because we are "stuck" here. Lots and lots of snow here and we've extended our vaca here thru Tuesday.

Wish we could make it! Have a great time and take pictures!

SnowCrazed:How are the trails over in Maine. I'd love to see a trail report. DT

I'm not going to make it this weekend. Seems like every year there is something that comes up that prevents me from getting up to the radar tower. Have fun guys.....take some pictures.

I did a run yesterday and 5 South is open in that Burke Hollow area but GNARLY for about the first mile or so. It's do-able after that. Avoid it if possible but as of yesterday it was open going south. Once you get to the main JCT near E. Burke the signs have closed written on them in magic marker, nothing official though.

Pipeline was good, Trail 102 was a PERFECT 10, as was Trail 1.

The feeder trails from E. Burke (East Haven Area) directly too the Radar area were being groomed as I went through yesterday evening. Tight trails but nice conditions! Watch for lots of icy corners in and around the Burke areas.

Have fun!

no luck selling the sled huh mark? see, you're not supposed to get out of the sport.

I'll be there this year but won't be able to post a report for at least a week as I'm heading off to Quebec on a saddlebag tour afterwards. If I'm there you can't miss my sled! DT

i will be there, look for a 02 red XC 600

Just got home from the HCS ride-in and put on 142 miles. It was our plan to do both..attend the Radar base open house and have lunch at Chez Pigeon. We started off by unloading at the top of Lake Willoughby and before we even were suited up RevMan and MXZ man came by with several friends. They stopped and said Hi and we said we'd see them later. Suited up and headed through Island Pond and on to the Radar Base. We got to the Gate at the bottom of the mountain we found it still closed and locked and a line of impatient snowmobilers. The "open house" was supposed to start by 10AM. Not a very good start to this event. :banghead: By nearly 11AM many sledders had turned around and left, but certain individuals decided an open house meant an open house so we jumped the bank and went around the locked gate :augen41: After we got to the top we climbed to the top of the tall structure and took a few pics (below). By the time we got back down it was apparent that the gate had finally been opened, as sledders were coming up en masse. By now we haden't seen any hcs members so we started back down the mountain.. On the way down we saw RevMan, MXZman and their crew, also saw Brad (Viper 1+2=3) all headed up. We continued on as it was our plan now to still have lunch at Chez Pigeon. Trails were great, and it was a bluebird day, so were enjoying our ride north. Well the thought of a Pigeon Superburger must have been too much for me, as I got pulled over for "speeding" by Fish & Game. I got clocked doing a blistering 47mph on radar :augen41: :augen41: After some fast thinking I was able to talk my way out of a ticket by promising the cop a HCS sticker and saying I'd be more mindful of the 35mph speed limit in the future :wut60: He was also a little embarrassed about saying to Jane, "Sir, could you turn off your engine?" :doh: After my confrontation with F&G we continued on to the Pigeon where my dreams were fulfilled by a delicious burger (on a somewhat stale bun). At lunch Jane remarked that I was rather the outlaw today, and that she wasn't sure I set the right kind of example for the forum. She said that in penance for my misdeeds that I am not to mention headlight covers, loud pipes or hand-signal nazis on the forum for at least a week :drunk:

It was a great day and a great ride, and I'm sorry I didn't get to meet up with more members today. :banana: :beerchug:

At the locked gate:

Click to view attachment

Line of impatient snowmobilers waiting to head up the mountain:

Click to view attachment

At the top:

Click to view attachment

From the top of tall stucture:

Click to view attachment

Another looking north:

Click to view attachment

Awesome pics. I'm living vicariously through everyone that DOESN"T have a broken kneecap, so pics are appreciated. These were awesome.

Had a great ride today up to the Radar Base. Left Brattleboro at 6am this morning to head up to the NEK. Rode out of Burke up to the Radar Base....and let me tell you the trails were amazing as well as the views from the top of the base. Hats off to the groomers and thanks to those that allowed us to go up there. We also were in that long line of sleds going up the moutain just after the gates had opened. Thankfully we had just gotten there so we actually didn't have to wait at all.

Also if someone could tell me how to attach pictures on this site I would love to do so.

Matt

Made up to the loop 1 and 102 by 9:30am We could not find any signs for the open house and the one trail we thought was it had the gate across. (Did see the tracks up the snowbank and around the gate) So we ended up doing the loop two times and finally the gate was open around 11am. Must have missed you guys by an hour.

Sorry didn't get to meet up with you guys, just couldn't seem to find it easy and did not want to trespass. We headed to Chez, excellent ride all the way there. Did 175 miles for the day, not to shabby.

hey rob, wasn't sure you saw me, figured you were trying not to run over the hunters :doh:


RevMan actually reconized me up on the top floor of the high tower and came over to say hey. "any HCS'ers here?".... "yup".


great trails this weekend. except for a few close calls...

Hey HCS's glad my son (MXZ MAN, now on a REV 800) and I were able to make it and see you guys and girls at the Radar Base.
MXZ MAN said we passed you going the other way, Sorry, didn't see you coming off the mountain. :doh:
Went to the spaghetti lunch at East Haven River School, not allot of sledders, flavorful but no seconds, come on for spaghetti?
Did 250 miles that day out or Barton, arrived at Chez Pigeon about 3:30, everyone had left. For the most part the trails were awesome.
Walden had a Pancake breakfast today at the church put on by Coles Pond Sledders. :banana:
It was the best, they encouraged you to have as much as you wanted.

what would have been a big $$ raiser for the club would be if they sold hotdogs up at the radar base, rather then the spegehtti (sp) dinner at another location. hotdogs on the mountain... put me down for 2. good to see ya rev man 1!

brad

The HCS ride in that was not meant for me.
I was looking forward to this ride in for weeks, My son and I got up at 6:30 Saturday morning and were to meet 3 friends at Marthas Diner at 8:30. We left Newport Center at about 8:00 and had a great ride down to the Diner the trails groomed the whole way. We left the Diner for the trip,after a couple of miles I looked back and my son was the only sled behind me. so we waited a minute the next too sleds wern't coming. Turned around and went back a1/4 mile to find my friend laying on the ground with his wife kneeling next to him. Luckily we were in a good cell phone location and not too far from a road. The Orleans rescue squad did an excellent job bringing him out with their rescue sled, One of the people said that this was the first time that they used it. And they have had it for 2 years.
After we were finished with all of that and had figured out who was going to pick up the sleds of my friend and his wife. My son and I decided to continue on. When I started my sled I heard a loud noise coming from the engine. So back to Newport center on my sons REV 380 to pick up the truck.That sled rode very good with the 2 of us on it. We got back to the sled and loaded it up and off to Kingdom Cat we went. After a little time at the dealer and finding a couple of issues with the sled. I decided that it would be best to ride out on a 2005 Sabercat 600 lx.
I left the truck in Island Pond and rode the sled back to camp. I really wanted to go to the radar site. My friend got transfered to Dartmoth-Hitchcock Hospital with a Compression Fracture. And my wife is not real happy with me. I did get to ride about 85 miles. About 150 less than I had hoped for. My son and I are safe and happy. My new sled runs great and my wife won't be mad for too long. I stopped at the Hospital on the way home and my friend is in good spirits but is having some pain. He will be out for the rest of the season.
JOHN

Had a great time on top of the Mtn. As you can see Daytripper is parked behind me. I had my wife and kid with me so it was just to the Pub out back for lunch. fixer5000 was with us to.

Well got to the radar base at around 1PM. Didn't see any HCS stickers on any of the other sleds there. Rode from Willoughby area, down 16 through Barton & Glover, 122 to CA 90 in Sheffield, 51 to 51f to West Burke, Rt.5 to East Burke (trail relocation was some rough), up 52 to some of the secondary (red) trails to 1C, and headed to the radar base. After the radar base came back to 1C, beginning of the yellow bucket, left up to 114 at Jobe's Pond, right on 114 through East Charleston, left on 5 to Willoughby and back to my brother-in-law's place. Mostly very good riding except for icy corners and the Burke Hollow trail relocation area. Met one of the guys that groomes part of the Yellow Bucket trail. He said next year that that trail will be widened and groomed double wide from 1C to 142. All in all a good day of riding.

My sled on the left w/HCS sticker above headlight. Brother-in-law next to my sled.

Another photo on radar mtn.

It looks like it was the perfect day to be up there you could probably see forever
JOHN

Click here for the full size (HUGE pic).
http://www.speedfreaks-ct.com/uploads/Panoramic2Tower.jpg

Rode out of Mooselook Restaurant area north to the Tower (via an extra loop or two looking for the darn thing).....over to NH for fuel, then up to Norton/Chez for a delicious meal...then back to the trucks by 6pm....190 miles of pure fun. Sorry to hear somep people didn't have as much fun (hospitals, broken machines, etc) but it makes you appreciate a good safe trip!!!! :beerchug:

Wow what a view from up there huh? :fluffy: Cloud 9 litterally!!! I didn't make it up there until later in the day (4ish) and didn't see any HCS stickers while there. But I'm so glad I found out about this on HCS, it was deffinately worth going!!!

Damn, sorry I missed it. Looks like a great day.