10 | Snowmobile VERMONT VAST News By Patty Companik Many of the small towns in Vermont struggle to attract tourism to help the local economy.  Of course, those with ski resorts have an advantage, and every season, many people come to their area to ski, eat, sleep, and shop, all boosting the local economy in that town. Chester is a small town. It does not have the attraction of a ski resort. Folks coming in from out of state, turn onto 103 and head to Okemo Mtn in Ludlow, bypassing the town of Chester. This creates a struggle for the town. How do we get people to come to Chester? With great restaurants, inns, shops, a snowmobile dealership and a charming center, it really is a great place to visit. To help draw people to Chester, several folks worked to create a town event, that the Chester Snowmobile Club supported. On Columbus Day Weekend, the Town of Chester hosted the first annual Wheels in the Field event, organized by Doug Morrison, Stuart Morton and Chester Snowmobile Club Vice President Lee Whiting. Approximately 100 BMW GSs participated. There were also 12 Porsches displayed on the town green for folks to view and vote on. There was free camping, guided off-road GS rides, Historic Scottish Trials event and guided pavement rides for the on-road BMW enthusiasts. The Chester Snowmobile Club set up two food stations to support the town-wide event. One was on Main Street and the other at the “pinnacle” on Lovers Lane, a well-known parking spot for snowmobilers. Breakfast sandwiches and lunch were served by Stan and Joan Choiniere, Russ Cumming and Keith Jungermann. Lunch consisted of burgers, dogs, and, in support of the fall season, bratwurst. Over at the pinnacle, Patty and Frank Companik, Todd and Brenda Rotti and Richard Wood served lunch to BMW participants consisting of dogs, burgers, and sausage with peppers. Working in partnership with the WHEELS IN THE FIELD committee, the Chester Snowmobile Club helped support a new annual town event. Several business owners in the area said it was one of their best weekends in business.    Sure, they are a snowmobile club and they focus on trails and riding, but like many other clubs, they support their local town. It’s really a partnership between the club, town businesses and landowners. We all need each other to succeed. A special thanks to our neighboring clubs, Andover Mountaineers and Cavendish GM Snow Fleas, who also came out and supported the event. Be sure to check out the Wheels in the Field event next year on October 4–6 in Chester. For more information about the event, check out wheelsinthefield. com. If you want to get the most out of your rides this winter, planning is the key! VAST offers several tools to help you plan your ride. The VAST Online Interactive Map offers route planning. This feature uses GIS data to show you the shortest trail route between points as you click on the map. You can make a route and save it or load a public route. Once a route has been saved, you can also export it to use in the VAST smartphone apps or other devices. Another helpful feature is a trail conditions layer that is updated by the clubs showing open/closed trails and caution notes. Markers for businesses and services near the trail can also be shown. A current snow depth map is also available to view. The VAST smartphone app is handy to have out on the trail as it does not need cell service to function. Easily orient your own location on the map with a click of a button. Use the Route feature to set a breadcrumb track of your ride and save it for later. Mark up the map with your own waypoints. GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR RIDE Folded maps printed on waterproof material are available from your club or to order on the VAST website. We have pre-loaded microSD cards for Garmin GPS devices available through the website as well as direct downloads of the file. Don’t forget a copy of the Snow Traveler’s Guide to keep in your bag on your sled! It is a great reference to find more detailed information about trailside businesses. The guide is available to order for free from vtvast. org or pick up a copy at a Vermont interstate rest area or trailside business. Frank Companik, Richard Wood, Brenda and Todd Rotti, and Patty Companik worked one of the two food booths operated by the Chester Snowmobile Club.