b'VAST Newsa A message from VAST President Tim Mills FIND THE HELMETSuzana Valentinfound the helmet in the last issue on page 16 ! She was randomly chosen from all the correct answers. If you can find the helmet in this issue, send an email to editor@vtvast.org and you could win a VAST t-shirt!IRISH SNOWMOBILE If you didnt get out and ride thisa bit cumbersome and a bit of a painBLESSINGwinter, you definitely missed out onfor those not willing to go with the some quality riding. And I realizeflow. How you deal with this is all a I am not telling you anything youin your state of mind. Snowmobiling didnt already know. When I sayis supposed to be an adventure and you could have ridden literallyan opportunity to explore new places anywhere in Vermont at one pointand make new friends. or another, you truly could have. The hard and sometimes frustratingRiding in a new area can be anMay the trail be groomed awesome experience if you take it part for some this past seasonin stride and do a bit of planning.to meet youwere the snowfall patterns that weYears ago, there was a neighboring were seeing. We are all used toclub in our area that used to putMay the snow fall heavily the weather forecaster being offup their junction signs with onlyupon your trailsa bit with their forecast. This pastthe route numbers and directional winter, they werent even close. Wearrows which used to bother meMay the wind blow gently were receiving early snow fall in places that would normally receiveterribly. One day, I finally ran intoat your backit later on in the season. The oldthe gentleman that took care of faithful areas that everyone wasthe signing for that area. I was May you travel the compelled to ask him why just accustomed to getting some earlywhy would you only put the routecountryside with an riding in received their snow a little later. Fortunately, this only lastednumbers and a couple arrows upunending smile on your on the sign? He looked flat faced for a short time and eventually all ofand square at me and said,If I putface the VAST clubs were able to buildthe town names and all that other a descent base with the snowfallinformation on the sign, there wouldAnd until we meet again, they had gotten. When you haveno adventure in it, kind of a boring winters like we experienced thisride if you ask me. I really didntMay the Lord keep you to year, it brings issues with it thathave much I could say other than Ithe right we normally have to contend with.guess I kind of understood his logic. If you wanted to get in some earlyHis early days of riding were justAnd hold you safely in the riding, you may have may have hadthat, they were an adventure and to trailer to a new area and chasepalms of His handsthe snow. honestly, that is just how it was back in the day when VAST was started. It Another issue for the new-to- was definitely a simpler time where you riding areas was if you werethey gave you the basics and you planning on riding for more thanfigured the rest out on your own. one day. Riding for more than oneRide Safely and Smooth Trails,day usually involves finding trailside hotels, motels or B&Bs, places to Tim Mills, VAST Presidentget fuel and eat. This may all seem By Tom Potanovic4 | Snowmobile VERMONT'