16 | Snowmobile VERMONT It was a snowy adventure unlike any other. I remember January 2010 as if it were yesterday. My wife, Cathy, and I loaded up the trailer for some much-anticipated snowmobiling in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. This trip was special because we would be riding past our recently purchased property which was walking distance to groomed VAST trails. The local club parked the groomer in a field just up the road. Were we in paradise? Quite possibly, yes. Our goal was to spend a few days riding fresh powder near gorgeous Lake Willoughby. Then we would trailer down to the Lancaster, New Hampshire Commerce Zone and rack up some miles on the power lines and pipeline of Essex county. We also had to prepare accordingly as we were on duty with the New Jersey Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT). Cathy was a nurse and I was the team’s communication officer. Nothing could disrupt our winter fun… right?! On Trail & In Touch Keeping Connected On The Trail By Mike Mutascio It was just a year earlier in 2009 when we were riding well-groomed trails in Island Pond. Our last day included squeezing in a morning ride on Corridor 111, my favorite trail. During the afternoon we would find some lunch, pack up and begin our long journey home. But this time the plan was to break up the trip with an overnight at the luxurious Comfort Inn in St. Johnsbury. Fate had other plans as we drove south. Cell signal kicked in as we neared Interstate 91. We laughed as a symphony of text messages drowned out “Kodachrome” on the radio. Unfortunately, the fun stopped after reading one message. We had an immediate mission assignment for the presidential inauguration. Yes, being out of touch can be troublesome. Instead of a comfy hotel stay, we found ourselves in a sleepless night of driving and repeated cups of hazelnut coffee. In 2010, we tried another January trip while again being Part 1 of 3