Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 6446 | Snowmobile VERMONT Tweed Valley Travelers Fall is in the air, and that means the club is cracking down on our summer 2016 to-do list. Our groomer finally made it up to GetSno, where it will be serviced and prepared for the winter to come. We have three larger projects to finish up in order to have the trails in tip top shape. The Ironmine bridge on Route 74 is getting some abutment work done. Some parts of Route 73 will be getting rip-rapp and a new bridge. A small bridge will also be replaced on Route 100 in the valley. Smaller details like brush cutting and installing new intersection signs also need to be completed before the first snow flies. Before you know it, club members will be going around putting trail markers and signs on all of our trails. The club would also like to remind everyone that volunteers are always welcomed. Just contact a local member of the club. Ally Martin, Club News Correspondent www.tweedvalleytravelers.com Like us on Facebook WASHINGTON COUNTY Barre Town Thunder Chickens While most folks turn their “off season” focus toward other recreational activities, the Thunder Chickens are fortunate to have the dedication of Trailmaster Jon Joslin, and two-year Director Steve Malnati keeping an eye on our trail system. As mentioned in my last article, we have been watching three reroutes and believed this year to be the summer where we had to take action. In working with landowners, we are being allowed to run an existing corridor one more year as we learn how future land sales might affect our trail system. We are lucky to have landowners working with us to help minimize the amount of reroutes that might be needed. However, one reroute did have to occur this season. Jon and Steve spent countless hours scouting out potential routes, taking into account the least amount of effort and money needed to perform the task at hand. Once they had a plan, it was time to identify landowners, knock on doors and see what might be possible to pursue. Once plans were shared with landowners involved, alternate suggestions were brought to the table, additional property owners approached and we were able to land on a viable reroute solution. After getting all the proper approvals and working with VAST, work was able to get underway. With available equipment and operators ready to roll, progress was made well ahead of our initial timeline. On short notice, we somehow pulled together a crew of 13 people that juggled their Labor Day plans and came out to help seed, hay, run chainsaws and pole saws, allowing us to bring a large section to completion. As I write this article, we are pulling together a work bee to finish up the second leg of the reroute to complete the connection back to Corridor 12/14. It’s amazing what a good dedicated crew can accomplish in a couple days of work. Many hands help make a project go much faster and prevent burnout. We hope that you would reach out to a club near you to see how you can get involved to make trails happen. Club contact information can be found on the vtvast.org website. Even if you can only come out for a couple hours during a work bee, you’d be surprised how much of a contribution you can make to the project. There will always be seasoned volunteers that will gladly take you under their wing, so don’t be afraid that you won’t know what needs to be done or how you could help. Attending club meetings is another great way to get involved, learn what is entailed with maintaining trails, share ideas, plan events and be involved with your community. This year we will again be hosting a safety class on the first Saturday in December. Information can be found on our website, as well as the VAST Safety Course tab on their website. Also on tap this year is our annual Travis Mercy Skate Park Fundraiser. As our club meetings get underway, we’ll be selecting the date, location and planning details of the event. We usually meet the second Tuesday of the month, at the Steak House Restaurant. 6:30 is the meeting time and food and drink can be ordered during the meeting. Actual meeting dates are posted on our website, or follow us on Facebook where we’ll post reminders a few days ahead of the meeting. We look forward to seeing you out there as we prepare for the 2016/17 riding season. David Rouleau, President www.barretownthunderchickens.com Like us on Facebook Club News Trailmaster Jon Joslin of the Barre Town Thunder Chickens puts the finishing touches on the Corridor 12/14 reroute around Falls Bridge Road after a crew of volunteers seeded, hayed and performed clean up with chain and pole saw.