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 6416 | Snowmobile VERMONT Southern Vermont’s 710 A Class 4 Trail With First Class Heart If you ride in southern Vermont on Corridor 7, more than likely you’ve passed the 710 trail: a little-known, class 4 trail located a few miles north of Kelly Stand in Windham county at junction WM10. The 710 passes through the town of Wardsboro where riders can get fuel and food. It also provides an important connection between two major Corridors: C7 in Bennington/ Windham counties at junction WM10 and C100 at junction WM20. The 710 allows riders to loop southeast from Dover, then northwest on the 710, then over to C7 south back to Dover. Where most area trails are wide and fast; the 710 offers a slower pace, giving riders an opportunity to see new landscape. The 710 trail is maintained by the Wardsboro Pathfinders Snowmobile Club. “The 710 is a great ride because of its wide variety of terrain,” commented Rich Rochette, north trailmaster. “Its 26 miles have many narrow, single-track sections, technical climbs, switchbacks and open vistas for a varied riding experience.” The 710 starts and ends in the National Forest, and in between, passes through private property. In order to open the trail for snowmobiling, the 710 needs a fair amount of snow to fill in and level the terrain. Conditions can range from deep powder in high elevations to packed trails in lower elevations. Boulder fields and water bars require a lot of snow to make those areas passable. Blowdowns and ice build-ups can pull birch trees down, thereby covering the trail bringing an additional set of upkeep challenges. Pathfinders have an all-volunteer grooming team. Club President Jesse Parsons said, “We have two trailmasters, Rich Rochette and Gary Urbinati, who do most of the grooming with the help of club members Bob Allen, Jerry Cloutier and Kevin Sabourin.” Because the 710 has many narrow sections, volunteers don’t have the luxury of riding in an enclosed and heated grooming machine. Volunteers ride a club sled with a drag and are exposed to harsh winter elements. Trailmaster Gary Urbinati and grooming partner Kevin Sabourin make sure the 710 is ready for the Annual Rescue ride-in each year. By Melanie Tregoning The club grooms the 710 with a Ski-Doo Skandic grooming sled, shown here near junction WM20.