In the fall issue of the Sno-Traveler I was happy to read that three clubs jointly won the Club of the Year award at the NHSA Annual Meeting for their cooperative efforts. Congratulations to those clubs.
This is not a new concept but certainly one that should be practiced more often. I was fortunate to be part of a similar experience back in the early 90s. I grew up in the Lincoln-Woodstock area. One of my childhood friends left the Lin-Wood area and move to Groveton. After high school I eventually settled in the Suncook area and soon became a Trail Dawg.
We kept in touch every now and then. We even bumped into each other on Phillips Brook Trail one day. I was snowmobiling with buddies on my 92 Cat EXT. He was operating one of Groveton’s groomers.
Goat Path
Over the years I had done lot of riding out of Pike Pond in New Hampshirewith friends from the Suncook area. The old trail we used to take was basically a goat path, one snowmobile wide. Oftentimes we would arrive on Friday night, unload gear into camp, fire the wood stove, get suited up, and begin the 2-3-hour adventure breaking trail though 1-2 feet of fresh snowfall. It didn’t matter which direction we went, either toward Groveton or towards Milan or Berlin, in search of fresh groomed trails.
Better Snowmobile Trails
We got pretty excited when we heard about a new trail which would become Primary 117 coming from Groveton through Pike Pond to access Berlin and points toward Millsfield. We also understood the club had to overcome a lot of US Forest Service red tape. Eventually the trail came to be.
Help With Bridge
My friend from the Groveton Trail Blazers knew our crew snowmobiled out of Pike Pond. He reached out one day about helping his club build a 120-foot bridge across Philips Brook. Part of the new trail. I got on the phone right away and called a few Trail Dawg/Pike Pond buddies. Word spread through our club like wildfire. From what I remember we had like 22 Dawgs show up that day along with members from the Groveton and Paris Road club.
Friends For Life
After introductions we looked out at those 120-foot-long steel beams set into bridge abutments. It was intimidating. Soon after a large cherry-picker truck loaded with decking arrived. It was all-hands-on-deck. Butts up and elbow to elbow.
We worked side by side with our new comrades and had that bridge finished by midafternoon including side rails. The Groveton club treated us to BBQ. We all celebrated our achievement. Everyone there made new friends between the clubs, relationships which still continue today.
If anyone has a similar story to share with fellow readers let the NHSA know. Please don’t be bashful. I’m also looking for anyone who may have pictures from that day. Shoot me email through the Trail Dawgs website. Happy Trails.
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