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 6816 | Snowmobile VERMONT By Mike Mutascio I remember waking up and lifting the blinds to check the weather on Feb. 11. There was a coating of powder on my snowmobile as light snow continued to fall. The morning was spent ensuring that my gear, sled and supplies were in top form. The Connecticut Valley Sno-Riders (CTVSR) Roost Cookout was the destination. The Lunenburg Polar Bears (LPB) group ride would get me there. I arrived at EX62 just before noon and snowmobilers soon arrived from every direction. Amidst the handshakes and laughter, we noticed a freezing fog mixed in with the snow showers. But that was no problem for LPB veteran Ron Desjardin. He took the lead with a plan of frequent stops and well-being checks along Corridor 102. A convoy of sixteen snowmobiles confidently launched north on a freshly-groomed trail towards East Haven. In less than an hour, we made the turn at EX401 onto Corridor 1. The smell of hamburgers and the haze of bonfire smoke quickly greeted us as we approached The Roost. Endless walls of parked snowmobiles lined the trail with a backdrop of mountains plastered with snow. It was a snowmobiler’s paradise, and it was packed! The Roost Cookout is an annual celebration hosted by property owners Bob and Carolyn Godbout and the CTVSR. The club transports loads of supplies and equipment to this remote off-grid site using utility snowmobiles and a PistenBully. Members work hard and fun remains a priority at this event. I recall entering the front door of the small camp, only to duck beneath an array of defrosting helmets hanging from the ceiling. Carolyn was busy guarding the homemade chili on the stove. Guests were filling out 50/50 tickets. Looking out the window, snowmobiles continued to pour into the site. By 1 p.m. there were more than one hundred fifty sleds! Back outside I checked in at the donation table, purchased a club cap and then hooked up with Linwood Mixer of the CTVSR for a guided tour of the setup. The lineup at the food and beverage stations allowed me to scan for friends while meeting new ones. Chatter at the bonfire included a history lesson of the abandoned Cold War Radar Base, some 3,000 feet above. By 3 p.m., I said my goodbyes and extended a sincere thanks to the Godbouts and CTVSR for a job well-done. I warmed up my snowmobile and gently throttled south towards home. I recalled my first group ride twenty years earlier that introduced me to Vermont snowmobiling. We set out on an adventure, watched out for each other and went home as friends. I can’t wait to do it again and see where it takes me and what friends I might meet along the way. Ride To The Roost Jordan and Todd Colby present Roost owner Bob Godbout with a Lunenburg Polar Bears coffee mug Ron Desjardin leads the convoy of snowmobiles at EX52 in East Haven. NEK Snowblasters Joanne Kahaiyan, Darlene Gilman, Mike Benson, Missy Benson, Paul Christensen, Karen Nelson, Kim Lampert, Sonia Koehler and John Lampert enjoyed a group ride to the event in their new club logo hats. (Mike Mutascio photos) Veteran CTVSR members Sam Gorham and Dennis Bacon await some chili from Bert Desrochers.