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 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Late Winter 2017 | 13 MichCanSka Alaska after 20 days. Billed as the “Iditarod of Snowmobiling,” the event is the brainchild of Bill Bradfield of Cadillac, Mich. Bill is a retired sheet metal worker and Vietnam veteran who has type 2 diabetes. Some participants have diabetes and others are riding in honor or in memory of a loved one with diabetes. Their challenge for 2017 was the Maine to Michigan ride which started in Lincoln, Maine on Feb. 13 and ended in Michigan with 1,150 miles. Their travels are documented and videotaped daily at MichCanSka.com. After our introductions and paperwork formalities, the group left Canaan and headed west on Corridor 96F to link up with Corridor 105. But one mile into the trip, at EX506, one of our VAST entourage zipped when he should have zapped and found that getting off the packed trail was not conducive to forward motion. It was amazing that with 25 riders in the group, how 40 cameras were produced to capture the moment. After the photo op was done, a little digging and a Snobunje tool made short work of getting the sled back on the trail. The Snobunje was needed a little further down the trail later in the morning. Again, it was one of the VAST guides that ventured into the deep powder. The group continued west through a multitude of trail conditions, from freshly groomed, to a couple of feet of powder. Stopping for lunch in Derby at Vermont Pie and Pasta, several members of the group, along with Orleans County Director Roger Gosselin, were interviewed by a reporter from the local newspaper. During lunch, we heard many comments about the beauty of Vermont and the diversity of our trail system. The group then continued west, stopping to top off the two strokes at Lucier’s Store. The next stop would be at the top of Richford Mountain. After a few pictures, the group left the peak as the weather was poor, with snow and high winds. Unfortunately, there was no view. After leaving the mountain, the group R TM and the BRP logo are trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates. www.huntersskidoo.com www.huntersskidoo.com $1,500 rebate on Summit, MXZ and Renegade 800 E-TEC models $800 rebate on MXZ and Renegade 600 E-TEC 900 ACE and 1200 4-TEC models GET 2017 MODELS Financing as low as 0% APR for 60 Months (in lieu of rebate) * See Dealer for Details continued on to the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail, then west to the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail and on to Swanton. The group arrived in Swanton around 6 p.m. with 130 miles for the day. MichCanSka will raise tens of thousands of dollars for diabetes research on this trip. Over the past seven years, they have raised over a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. For those with diabetes, a cure cannot come fast enough. (Roger Gosselin photo)