Winter 2019 | 17 Who’s In The Groomer? repair many issues. We now have Jason Hunniford, a camp owner in Norton who guides me and helps as needed. I think if you drive a machine, you should always be a part of its upkeep. I also enjoy working on it. The people at Kassbohrer, which makes PistenBully, are also very helpful when needed What is your full-time job? I retired six years ago from UPS. I always dreamed that grooming full time would be my little retirement job and here we are. What club(s) are you with? I have been a part of the Northeast Kingdom Snow Blasters in Norton since their inception in 2012 and previously with the Canaan Border Riders. Do you prefer grooming at night or during the day? I love going out overnight. I believe its much safer and more peaceful. The wildlife are more active also. My typical night runs from about 10 p.m. through 7 a.m. I also believe that most riders want first tracks and with these times, we try to offer that each time the Bully rolls. What was the last critter you saw grooming? I see moose almost nightly. However, I did have a coyote encounter the other night as it was chasing a rabbit. I was happy the rabbit got away. I am always very cautious when I see moose tracks, especially fresh ones. You never know what they will do and perhaps they may have even left an antler in the trail for me. What is your club’s biggest accomplishment grooming-wise? I was very excited and happy to be awarded the “Groomer of the Year” award from VAST in 2017. Our club also received “Club of the Year” in 2017 as well. I also enjoy working with our club on social media. Our very busy Facebook page has almost 3200 followers. We try to offer daily weather and trail reports, and we also love doing videos. We have lots of riders who travel hours to ride trails here and this information is very important to them. What are biggest challenges you face? Some of my biggest challenges would be to run the Old Bully as long as possible, and to continue to offer riders some of the best trail conditions. When the traffic is heavy, which happens often here in the top of the kingdom as many times we have the most snow totals, the trails need lots of attention. If I can, if a trail does not groom out as I like, I will do it again until I get it right. Tell me a recent fun(ny) story about a time in the groomer? I had an encounter with a cow moose. I came around a corner and there she was, staring at me. I always give them their space and hope that they move along. The moose are not as they used to be and now will usually run away when they hear or see me coming. However, this lonely moose continued walking towards the groomer very slowly and cautiously, until she put her nose down to smell the blade. It is the closest I have ever been to a moose and the funny part was a song that was playing on the radio as she was approaching. You never know what will happen out there. That’s what makes it so exciting for me. Do you have a relief groomer, shared responsibilities or someone else in training? Yes, we have three part time groomers, Dale, Dan and Steve. We have 66 miles of trails to groom and we have a part time run that heads out west and sometimes grooms in town. I usually groom 40-50 miles and our shorter runs usually do between 15-25 miles. They will also cover for me as needed. Their efforts and attention to detail don’t go unnoticed and I appreciate all that they do. Anything else you’d like to share? Our club has the best officers, directors, volunteers and members and without their support it would be difficult to maintain and run a groomer. I love working with all of them and they are always the first to offer help and support. It is a team effort and that is why our club is so fun and successful. Groomers don’t always get to stay warm and cozy in the machine. They often stop to get out and cut down whips, saw up down trees blocking the trail, and straighten/fix signs. (Beth Godin photos)