Winter 2018 | 37 FRANKLINCOUNTY Franklin County Snow Raiders  Happy New Year, everyone! As of this writing, we are at 13 degrees below zero in St. Albans. I am hoping we can continue with the cold weather we have been experiencing the past few weeks. We received about 6 inches of snow on Dec. 22 and unfortunately, have not received any more measurable snow since. We have worked the trails the best we can with the groomer by panning our entire trail system twice. We are now set up with a great base. We just need a shot of 6–8 inches of new snow to make things great. Thanks to our entire club of volunteers who have made things easy for the groomer operators and for the riders to navigate the trails. Through much hard work over the summer and fall and through monies spent on signage, bridges and culverts, we are in great shape for years to come. Yes, we have a couple more areas to hit in 2018, but all in all we are in great shape. Our next meeting is Feb. 6 at the VFW in St. Albans at 7 p.m. These meetings are always open to all club members, so come and sit in and share with us your thoughts about the sport, our club and give us ideas for the future. Send us an e-mail at fcsnowraiders@gmail.com to join our mailing list and/or like us on Facebook. Scott Guptill, President Like us on Facebook Northwest Riders  Happy New Year, snowmobilers! The Northwest Riders have been busy so far this year. Trails are all open and groomed. We’ve had some of the best riding that we’ve had in years. We hope that you have had a chance to get out and experience them through all of this cold weather. Please feel free to join us at any of our club meetings, which are the second Tuesday of the month at the Abbey Restaurant in Sheldon at 7 p.m., located directly on the rail trail. Please follow us on Facebook. Jennifer Baker, Secretary  Like us on Facebook Northwest Riders President Bruce King grooms the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail in Sheldon with the club’s 125 horsepower Kubota tractor with a Soucy track system and a Mogul Master drag. GRAND ISLE COUNTY Alburg Sno Springers  The 2017/18 season is off to a great start here on the Alburgh peninsula! Our trails have a packed base, which is staying thanks to the cold temperatures and the efforts of our riders, Groomer Operator Dave McFadden and his co-pilot, Rachael! More snow is on the way as of this writing! Our second groomer has undergone some major repairs to the hydraulics. Our vice president and master mechanic, Chad Lafarr, has spent countless hours and saved the club more than we can ever repay. A little more tweaking and we’ll be “Alburgh Strong” again. The reroutes that were accomplished this fall have enhanced the trail system immensely. Trailmaster Neil Christopher and others worked with key landowners to eliminate road travel and minimize road crossings. We have active law enforcement this year and are grateful to Game Warden Matt Thiel and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department working in cooperation with the Grand Isle Sheriff’s Department to increase safety on our trails and stop illegal riding. We’ll be planning some club events at our next meeting. Think snow, and as always, ride safely!  Dave Ladd, President Like us on Facebook Mike Holmes, Neil Christopher and Dave McFadden are the Alburg Snow Springers’ groomer operators for the 2017/18 season.