2018/19 Snow Traveler’s Guide to Vermont | 5 Volunteers We live here...we love it. Winter’s more fun on a snowmobile. Find out more at By Patty Companik When folks think about snowmobiling the first thoughts may be what brand sled do you ride, two or four stroke, clothing, helmets, electronics, safety items, etc. They are all important, but none of this matters unless you have a good trail system to ride on. A good trail system doesn’t just happen; there are many volunteers working together all year long to make the system great. Volunteers are always in high demand. Like many other clubs and organizations, there is the core group who we all depend on, usually only representing 1-2 percent of the entire organization. You don’t need to be a snowmobile rider to volunteer. You don’t need to live in Vermont to volunteer. You don’t need to volunteer for many hours, either. Every little bit helps. Sure, groomers are in high demand, and that is usually a scheduling commitment, but there are many other ways one can volunteer locally or from another state. Do you have one morning a year you can help cut back brush? Do you have good office skills? Can you work in Excel or Word? Do you own or have access to excavating or construction equipment you can run or donate for a specific date/time? Can you swing a hammer and help build a bridge one Saturday morning a year? Do you have good organizational or communication skills to help a club organize one event? Don’t be shy. We all have something we can offer of ourselves. The benefits of volunteering can be amazing. You will meet new people who you will probably become friends with during this process. You will ride the trails knowing you helped create or maintain them. Every ride over a bridge you helped to build will be rewarding! Carve out some time, reach out to a club and volunteer just one hour a year. I promise you will learn so much in the process and you will be making a difference. Volunteers: Where Would We Be Without You? Thank You, Volunteers! Each year it seems that you have less and less time to get more and more done. Even with all the pressures and obligations of everyday life, you still find time to dedicate to snowmobiling! We appreciate the late night meetings, weekend phone calls, long days in the woods working on trails or out pounding stakes into frozen ground.We know this is a huge investment of your precious time into the trails and community for everyone to enjoy! We value your commitment to this association.We are always looking to the future and know that without your tireless and often thankless efforts, we would not have our world-class trail network.