16 | Snowmobile VERMONT Who’sintheGroomer? When did you start grooming? Who helped you learn? I started grooming about 15 years ago part time, grooming trails for the Canaan Border riders while both our clubs were as one. I was trained by both Joe Daley and the late Reggie Ellingwood. I also received much advice from master groomer, Paul Jackson of Canaan. What is your favorite part about grooming, and why do you groom VAST trails? I just love being outside, I love the snows, the scenery and the many adventures with wildlife encounters. Moose, coyote, and deer sightings happen regularly. I also love the challenge of turning tired trails into a white carpet for riders the next day. VAST gives me the opportunity to groom the best signed trails, with the best scenery in New England. VAST also has many programs to assist clubs in repairs and purchasing of equipment and we take advantage of that. Do you also ride the trails on a sled? Unfortunately, the only time I really get to ride a sled is either when I am checking the trail conditions or performing trail work. I used to ride more often when I was grooming part time. I prefer experiencing what VAST and our landowners offer us in the groomer. How many miles of trails do you groom each season? I average about 2,500–3,000 miles in a year with good snows. Tell us about your club’s equipment. We have one groomer, a 1999 Pisten Bully 200. I learned to groom in a New Holland tractor refit, a Bombardier 180, but the Old Bully is by far my favorite. I have been through so much with it: broken tracks, hydraulic lines, final drives and hoses and the repair list goes on. There’s not many repairs in the field or in house that I haven’t been a part of. I drive it so much and I know how the Bully should sound and am very cautious and listen to it very carefully. It will usually warn me of a potential problem. I’ve learned so much about it I would hate to use another machine. I would like to continue to operate it as long as it allows me. There are some beautiful new machines out there, and when she retires, my dream would be a new PistenBully 400 but they are very expensive. I have always used a Mogul Master 1810 drag. Do you work on your grooming equipment? Yes, I have learned so much over the years about the Bully and I had a great teacher. The late Brad Shepherd of Norton taught me how to do most of the maintenance and troubleshoot to DaveDiminicoSr.-NortheastKingdomSnowBlasters