14 | Snowmobile VERMONT By William Thomas Sr. & Fellow Snowmobilers Why I Volunteer and Snowmobile I am looking at the weather station in my garage that reads negative 5 degrees with a wind chill of negative 25. You have to love a sport to be out enjoying it in those conditions. In the first three weeks of the current season, many of us not only were riding in those conditions, but were out working on the trails as well. Why we snowmobile and volunteer is a common bond we share between us. For some brave souls, not even negative 25 temps can keep us away. The need to get out and enjoy the trails and deal with conditions is just part of the process of riding and trail work. Making sure you are safe and warm is vitally important. If you’re riding alone, making sure someone knows where you are going is important. Having an extra pair of gloves could also be helpful. If you do not plan for the unexpected, then you could find yourself in a situation that you are not prepared for. I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable season! When you see those hardworking volunteers trailside, make sure you thank them. Glenn Jurgen – Dummerston, Vt. My wife and I purchased a weekend house in Dummerston about nine years ago. We are really into downhill skiing and figured that would be the primary winter activity. Once we experienced a few winters in Vermont, I started to get the itch for a snowmobile. I wasn’t looking for anything high end, but rather a modestly priced machine that I could zip around the back woods on.  I ended up finding a 1996 Arctic Cat Puma two-up not that far from us in Newfane. It became our first sled. We had fun riding around the yard, woods and our neighbor’s property, but wanted to explore more. In talking with some friends, we found out we could access the local Roger Rushworth – West Halifax, Vt. I volunteer both formally and informally because it involves experiences that create memories. Volunteering is an excellent way to enrich your life with lasting memories of helping friends and family with vehicle or household chores or riding trails on quads and sleds posting signs for rider navigation and safety at the E-Z Riders’ trail work bees. Volunteering puts me in situations to create stories of these rewarding and exciting experiences. My wife and I are never happier than when we are sitting around the dinner table with friends and family swapping stories of the day’s adventures. Sometimes, it is about building bridges to clear a stream on the trail and misadventures like sliding down a hill with a ton of lumber for that bridge and making it out safe and sound except a little trailer axle damage. Volunteering infuses your life with these trail system and join the Black Mountain Snowmobile Club. This opened an entirely new opportunity for snowmobiling. One friend introduced us to another and that friend to another. It snowballed from there (pun intended). We’ve met so many wonderful people through the club, rides and club events.  A few years later, I rescued a 1996 Arctic Cat Jag from a backyard in Connecticut. It was in rough shape when I brought it home. With a lot of work and some polishing, we had another trail-worthy sled. My wife and I have really enjoyed getting out on the machines and driving through the woods. The trail system winds through the woods of Dummerston along tap lines, old logging roads and paths through various properties. It’s a fun way to get away from it all and experience the sights and beauty of the Vermont countryside during the winter months. This winter, we’ll be riding in memory of our friend Steve Glabach. Steve and his wife, Maria, were instrumental in introducing us to the trail system and snowmobile club that we enjoy so much.