Ride from Base Camp

Riders: MB, Bill, Tate

Miles: 97

About 5 years ago we got stuck on our access trail where a small bridge got washed out and we have been trailering our sleds down the road ever since. This weekend our neighbor, Tate, showed us how to access the new trail so we were able to ride right out of our base camp. It was only 10 miles from the camp to the main trails at CA 1. It wasn't a bad ride through the woods but there were a few fields we had to get through that were ungroomed and tough to navigate.

The conditions weren't great. There wasn't much coverage in most areas and there was lots of ski chatter and icy spots. We rode through Groton, into Cabot (why??), then into Danville. We stopped at Marty's to have some lunch and pick up steaks for dinner.

The ride back was sloppy and slushy but any day of riding is good riding, well, unless there's a fire or something. ;)

Still waiting for some good snow in the North East Kingdom.

Still waiting for good conditions.

Missed Photo Op

This was the first picture I took after I forced Gregg off the trail to tell him he was about to go up in flames.

When I was telling Shannon about what happened she said she was surprised I didn't have any pictures of the actual fire. I told her I was tempted to grab my camera first but thought Gregg would appreciate it if I helped put the fire out before snapping pictures. Of course, as soon as the flames were out I pulled out the camera and got pictures of the aftermath. I hope I won't have another opportunity to get those kinds of photos.

Unbelievable!!!

First Ride 2010-2011

Riders: MB, Bill and Gregg
Miles: MB and Bill - 71; Gregg - 20?

What a crazy day! We were excited to get out on the trails for the first ride of the season. We had a quick breakfast at P&H Truck Stop and then headed up to the Butterfield Parking Lot in Groton to meet up with Gregg. When we got to the lot Gregg said his sled wasn't running right and thought he needed a battery. We drove him back home so he could go get a new battery and made plans to meet back up in the lot.

Bill and I went back to Butterfield and were taking the sleds off the new trailer, the sleds slid out fast and the top of the new trailer came down and smashed the windshield and mirror right off my sled and broke Bill's windshield too. What the @#$%^&!!!! At that point I was ready to give in and call it a day. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go riding after all. Bill was anxious to test out his new machine so we went around the loop and rode as far as we could before the trails got really messy.

After about 40 miles we went back to the lot to meet up with Gregg. He was just finishing up getting the new battery in and we were in business. We rode around the same trails for about an hour or so and since the temperatures were rising we decided to head back before it got really bad.

Bill and I were at an intersection waiting for Gregg to catch up which was unusual because we usually ride in a tight group. After a few minutes Gregg flew by and yelled out that he couldn't stop because his sled was not running right. His sled was backfiring and popping and he was trying to ride as fast and as far as he could to get back home. We made it down the trail about 5 miles when I noticed that the exhaust on Gregg's sled was getting red, especially on the left side.

I was watching his exhaust heat up and was thinking I should try to stop him to let him know I had a tow rope so he didn't blow his motor trying to ride it all the way back. Before we got another 5 miles down the trail there were actual 6"-8" flames coming out of the exhaust and burning right up Gregg's back.

I knew I had to get him to stop somehow because he had no idea his sled was ON FIRE! I decided the only option I had was to try to run him off the trail to get him to stop. I sped up and tried to get around him but he was so intent on getting back it took him a while to even notice I was beside him.

Bill was behind me so he had no idea why I was riding like a maniac on the wrong side of the trail. I finally got up beside Gregg and forced him to stop and screamed "YOUR SLED'S ON FIRE!!!" Gregg jumped off and we both immediately started grabbing armfuls of snow and throwing it on the flames. Gregg was yelling to get back because the fire was running under his seat and getting closer and closer to the gas tank. Bill was trying to get the seat off and eventually just ripped the thing right off even though it bolted on. We finally got the fire out and then had to figure out how to get his sled back home.

Thankfully I carry a tow rope so Bill was able to tow Gregg back. It was over 10 miles back to Butterfield. It had started to warm up and the trails were barely covered so Bill had to stay on the throttle at a steady speed so they didn't get stuck going uphill. I wish I had my camera out at the time because it was hysterical watching Gregg try to hold on as Bill went over bumps and around corners. The whole ten miles back Bill's sled was throwing snow and ice rooster tails right in Gregg's face.

About 5 miles before we got back to Butterfield I slid off the trail and amazed myself by throttling it out without any help. I knew Bill wasn't going to stop 'til he got them back to the parking lot so I was on my own.

So, that was the start to the 2010-2011 season. I'm hoping the rest of the season is uneventful. Whew...we live to ride another day.

Ride on.

Welcome Back

Welcome Back to VT Riders. It's been a long time.

Here's a snapshot of the past few months.
I always have good intentions of posting about our summer (non-snowmobiling) adventures but it just doesn't seem to happen. We only got out on the ATVs a few times this season but the good news is that one of the rides was up Mt. Washington. Once again, we lucked out with good weather and had a great day. My ATV was a little temperamental at the start and I had to evict a family of mice that made a home in the seat, but it all worked out ok.

I can't wait to get out on my snowmobile. I'm happy to welcome Bill back to team Skidoo. He bought a 2009 GSX1200. We plan on getting a few miles in around the loop in Groton on Friday. I can't wait. I'm praying for lots of snow and many miles of riding this season.

See you soon. I promise.

Hope you have a healthy and very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Last Ride - Die Hards Only

Riders: MB and Bill

Miles: 34

I can't believe it is the second week in March and the trails in the Northeast are closed or are closing. Bill and I were waiting to get some good snow so we could take a snowmobiling vacation but it never happened. I'm glad we didn't book an expensive cabin and then not be able to ride.

We decided to go to the Upper Valley Grill for breakfast. We knew it wouldn't be crowded with sleds since the trail to the store has been closed for a while. We were debating whether we were going to ride the loop and the gore trails when a group of guys we know came in and said they were going for their last ride. We were just finishing our meal and decided to beat them out on the trails before it all melted.

We geared up at Gregg's camp where the sleds have been staying all week. I hate leaving them outside in the elements but it was nice to just jump on them and ride instead of having to unload and load them on the trailer.

It was below freezing overnight so the trails were really stiff. It made it hard to steer out of the tracks on the trail. After an hour or so it started loosening up and getting really wishy washy. We screamed around the heights, did the loop, the 2005 trail and 302C. We rode as far as we could towards Washington and then headed back around and did the loop again.

This season has been such a disappointment. I'm just starting to come to grips with the fact that I won't be able to ride again until December. Even if we get some snow now it won't be enough to get a base and the warm days will melt it away too quick.

I had hoped to put record miles on this year but ended the season with a mere 830 miles. The sugar is running fast and mud season is here. I'm going to have to start the countdown until next season. Only 9 months to go.

Last Ride?

Riders: MB and Bill

Miles: 48

Since I'm out of work and have the time I was hoping to put record miles on my sled this season (2000+) but it looks like I'm not even going to break 800 miles.

It was below freezing overnight so we decided to get out early and get a few more miles in while we still can. It was nice to be able to just get on the sleds and ride out of Gregg's camp instead of having to unload them off the trailer. I wish our camp had direct access to the trails. We are so close but not close enough.

Once again we were confined to riding in the state park. We stopped by Buzzy and Betty Eastman's weekend long bonfire on the way back and got to personally thank them for all their hard work. They do so much to keep the trails in great condition and we really appreciate all of their efforts. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures while we were there but we didn't stay very long since we wanted to take advantage of what was left of the snow.

It was a beautiful sunny day and the snow was quickly melting right before our eyes. I can't believe it isn't even the middle of March and the trails are almost bare. I'm hoping we get enough snow in the next couple of weeks to be able to get out a few more times before the end of the riding season but it doesn't look likely.

Limited Riding

Riders: MB, Bill and Gregg

Miles: 68

I can't remember a season where the trail to the Upper Valley Grill has been closed due to lack of snow this early in the season. What is going on with the crazy weather? Tons of snow down south but none in Canada or the Northeast Kingdom.

We did a lot of running around to get our sleds to the trail today. Our truck with the victim of a hit and run last Tuesday night so it's in the shop being fixed and we don't have a vehicle to tow the snowmobile trailer.

Last night we made arrangements to borrow my father-in-law's truck, drive it to the camp, pick up the trailer, drop the sleds at Gregg's camp, take the truck back to my FIL at the farm and then drive back to our camp.

On the way up north we realized that my FIL did not have a hitch on his truck so it wasn't going to do us any good. We ended up calling our VT neighbor, Glenn, and arranging to borrow his truck so we could get the sleds to the park. It was easier for us since we didn't have to drive so far out of our way. We had to gas up at P&H and get down the road to Gregg's without lights on the snowmobile trailer since Gregg's truck didn't have a plug for lights. Good thing we didn't run into the law and there weren't many people on the road.

The riding was limited to the high elevations in the park and the snow was melting by the minute. The snow conditions in the heights was decent but as soon as we started to get into the lower elevations it got muddy and bare. We turned around three or four times when we got to some dirt roads we would have had to skip down. We did ride down one road and went the wrong way and ended up riding about a mile in the mud. That part wasn't fun but we were able to get back on the snowy trail and wash all the mud off.

We rode out towards Washington and saw one of the groomers that lost its track stuck off the side of the trail.

On the way back we saw a group of guys there trying to get it out before it got any warmer and they would have had to leave it there until next winter. We didn't have to wait long for the crew to move out of the trail and let us pass by. They didn't need our help and we still had riding to do before all the snow melted.

It was worth all the hassle to get the sleds to Gregg's so we could ride this weekend since it looks like it may be our last.

We had to leave our sleds outside in the elements at Gregg's camp until we get our truck back so we can trailer them out of there. At least, for now, they are sitting on snow.