24 | Snowmobile VERMONT Jordan Kimball, Devin Lewis, Nelson Rickert and Kevin Heiden of the Weathersfield Pathfinders Snowmobile Club groom 66 miles of trails between the four of them. Jordan Kimball started riding snowmobiles at a very young age. About four years ago, he started getting interested in grooming. His friend Devin Lewis was already an operator, so it was just natural that Devin take him out grooming with him on a Friday night. Twenty minutes into his first groomer ride, Devin stopped the groomer and told him, “The only way you are going to really learn to groom is to drive the machine.” He assured Jordan that if he didn’t think he was capable of doing it, he wouldn’t ask him to take over. Jordan says that the best part of grooming “is knowing that you’re putting down a great riding surface for others to enjoy!” Being an operator provides a whole new perspective regarding the trails. Jordan thinks back to all the trails he ripped up on his snowmobile. He never thought about all the time that other people had spent volunteering to make them as best they good. “I take a lot of pride in the final product that the drag leaves behind.” Jordan believes it is critical that we keep trying to get the younger generations involved. It is a key component to VAST’s future. Devin Lewis started riding when he was in middle school at a friend’s house. As soon as he turned 18, he bought his own sled. Devin’s boss, Kevin Heiden, who also happened to be the club’s trailmaster, got him involved in trail work at first. Five years ago, at age 23, Devin became a groomer operator. Devin enjoys the fact that he is able to groom in a warm comfortable groomer with a radio. Since he is going at a much slower speed, he says he gets to see more of the trails while grooming. Devin feels very fortunate that Trailmaster Kevin Heiden was willing to give the young guys a chance to be groomers. Devin says that is not the case everywhere. “I think more clubs need to be open to young people trying to help. If we don’t get the younger generation interested in the work it takes to keep up the trails, the trail system will deteriorate.” Nelson Rickert started working as a teenager at Okemo Mountain doing maintenance on the groomers. Many years later, he joined the Weathersfield Pathfinders and quickly volunteered to help the club with their groomer maintenance. It seemed like a natural fit based on his past experience. It was just a matter of time before Kevin asked Nelson if he would like to learn to be a groomer operator. Grooming can be challenging. Nelson said, “It’s not as easy as one would think. There is a lot of eye and hand coordination involved.” Nelson appreciates all the gratitude and “thumbs ups” that he gets from riders while he is out there grooming. For Nelson, volunteering for this sport is very rewarding. Kevin Heiden rode with his parents at a very young age and had his first Kitty Cat at the age of 4. By age 16, he was involved with the Weathersfield Pathfinders pulling a wooden drag on their local trails. In his early 20s, his role became “official” and he started running an old Tucker Sno- Cat. Kevin became the trailmaster and head of grooming operations for the Weathersfield Pathfinders within 10 years of starting grooming. He enjoys seeing their club grow each year with new members and volunteers. Kevin shared a story, “I went riding just the other day and saw a Ford Explorer about 4 miles off the trail. The stuff you see while riding the trails is amazing.” Kevin generously allows the club to store their 2004 Tucker Sno-Cat on his property. Because of the great setup he has there, they also do all the servicing at Kevin’s. Club meetings are also conducted at his place. Kevin is the lead guy in recruiting groomer operators and they all speak very highly of him. Weathersfield Pathfinders Jordan Kimball, Devin Lewis, Nelson Rickert &Kevin Heiden By Patty Companik Nelson Rickert, Devin Lewis, Kevin Heiden and Jordan Kimball (Patty Companik photos) Who’s In The Groomer?