The New Hampshire Snowmobile Museum launches new website with an updated look and is now more user friendly. We have increased the picture size from 2MB to 4MB and we still offer the image resizing tool for any pictures that are over 4MB. In the past it has been difficult to upload larger pictures to the website, this change has taken care of that issue, we have had a great deal of positive feedback since updating. The pictures on the home page will now be refreshed on a regular basis. We will also be adding an events page to the website. Upcoming events can be posted to this page and will stay on it, this way you won’t have to keep reposting your event in the ads to keep it fresh. The museum also has a Facebook page now, click on like and you will get the most current updates on Facebook.
The NHSMA Winter Rally will be taking place on Sunday, February 18th at 9:00 AM. The feature sled this year is Orphan, which is any snowmobile produced by a manufacturer that is no longer in business. We have over twenty trophies to award in ten different classes. We are also bringing back the loud pipe contest, the one pull to start contest, and the slowest snowmobile race. There will also be trail riding from the museum if there is enough snow, the museum is on a corridor trail in Bear Brook State Park, and the trails are typically well-groomed.
The staff members of the museum have had a very busy year in 2017, starting with the Winter Rally, which was held on February 12th. With a fresh snow on the ground the riding was excellent, unfortunately a storm that was forecast for that day moved in during the late morning, and the show had to be cut short for the safety of the participants that had to travel. The spring swap meet was held on June 3rd, attendance was below average, but a good time was still had by all who attended. The fall swap meet, held on September 16th, saw a very good turnout, with plenty of snowmobiles and parts available for sale.
Late fall became very busy with staff members attending many of the fall snowmobile events. First was the NHMSA display at the NHSA Snowmobile Grass Drags and Watercross on Columbus Day Weekend. Local antique snowmobile collectors brought over thirty sleds to be displayed in the NHSMA tent. The museum’s 1923 Model T snowmobile and 1973 Innovar Sno Coupe were also on display in the tent. Museum members were very busy all weekend selling popcorn, sweatshirts and t-shirts, talking to spectators about the sleds on display, and signing up new members to the museum. Two weeks later staff members set up a display at the Uncanoonuc Mountaineers of Goffstown annual Vintage Snowmobile and Mini-Bike Show & Swap with the Model T. Chad and John were at the show offering museum memberships, along with t-shirts and sweatshirts for sale.
The next event the members attended was the HK Powersports Fall Open House, which included the Bow Pioneers Fall Swap Meet. The Model T was also on display there, along with the Sno Coupe. An antique snowmobile display was organized there by members of the Uncanoonuc Mountaineers, with help from the museum staff members. Trophies were awarded for best antique, vintage trail, and vintage race snowmobile. A special thank you to Jim Whalley of HK Powersports for sponsoring the trophies and allowing us to use one of his trailers to transport the Model T and Sno Coupe to the Goffstown and HK Powersports events.
November saw the Model T make a trip to Oak Hill, NY, and Bernardston, MA, to be displayed for a museum membership drive. The drive was a success, adding thirteen new members to the museum. The Model T also took home best of show awards from both shows. To finish off the fall, Chad and I set up a membership drive at the Ossipee Valley Snowmobile Club show at Canoe King in Tamworth, NH. On the subject of memberships we are always looking for new members to help support the museum. Anyone interested in becoming a member can join as an individual, family, or as a business. If you are interested in joining, you can contact us thru the website, www.nhsnowmobilemuseum.com, or come to one of events during the year.
Work is well under way on the museum’s 2018 antique snowmobile raffle snowmobile. The sled this year is a 1980 Arctic Cat Trail Cat which was donated to the museum by Tom White of Merrimack, MA. The sled is in very good condition overall and just needs some light refurbishing.
We want to thank Tom for donating the sled along with a cover, new trailing arms, and new spindle bushings. Steve at Livingston’s Arctic Cat donated the new rear shocks and a new windshield. John Lumnah donated new skis, Daryl Raskett and David Stroud of Stroud Racing have each donated parts sleds to help with the odd parts that are no longer available from the manufacturer. Thank you to all of you for your help. The tickets for this raffle will go on sale at the Winter Rally, and will be available thru Columbus Day Weekend. Tickets sell for $2 each, 3/$5, or 15/$20. The winner will be drawn on Sunday, October 7th 2018 at the NHSMA vintage display at the NHSA Snowmobile Grass Drags.