• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

NH Snowmobile Association

  • Join a Club
  • Snowmobilers
    • Snowmobile NH
    • Registration
    • Trail Map
    • Trail Conditions
    • Snowmobile Safety
  • News
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Grass Drags & Watercross
    • Ride-In
    • Trails Workshop
    • Annual Meeting
  • NH Grass Drags
    • Grass Drags & Watercross
    • Spectator Info
    • Race Schedule
    • Camping
    • Lodging
    • Racer Info
    • Race Results
    • Vendor Info
    • Sponsorship
    • Swap Meet
    • Directions
    • Fundraising Opportunities
  • Clubs
    • Club Resources
    • Fundraising Opportunities
    • Volunteers
    • Landowners
    • Annual Awards
    • Scholarships
    • Resources
  • Contact
    • Membership Voucher Help
    • Contact Your Club
    • Contact NHSA
    • Advertise
    • Officers and Directors
    • Committees
  • Shop
    • Club Membership
    • Store Account
    • Cart

Working Together For Better Snowmobile Trails: Part II

January 15, 2019 by Kevin Gagne

Groveton NH Snowmobile club house

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.

Kevin Gagne of the Trail Dawgs.
Kevin Gagne of the Trail Dawgs.

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.

Read part 1 of this story.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: Clubs, Volunteers

Primary Sidebar

Poll

Trail Food - What's your pleasure?

FOLLOW US

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Tags

Access Arctic Cat Awards Camp Sno-Mo Charity Clubs Design DIY Electric family Freestyle Fundraising Guest Writer Health History Ice ISMA Landowners Let’s Get Cookin Map New Hampshire Snowmobile Museum NH Grass Drags NHSA Office Polaris Race Into Winter Registration Fees Reviews Ride-In RTP Russia Ski-Doo Snowmobile People Snowmobile Rentals Snowmobile Safety Technology Trail Conditions Trailers Trail Riding Trail Work United Snowmobile Alliance Volunteers Watercross Yamaha

Footer

Shortcuts

  • Purpose of New Hampshire Snowmobile Association
  • New Hampshire Snowmobile Association History
  • NHSA Board Minutes
  • Privacy Policy

FOLLOW US

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • NH Snowmobile Clubs Raise $105,541 for Easterseals Camp Sno-Mo
  • How to Lead a Group of Snowmobiles: Essential Tips for Effective Rides
  • Seth Meyers Thanks Clubs – Win 4 Tickets to His NYC Show in Exclusive Auction
  • Snowmobile Clubs Donate Winter Gear to North Carolina Storm Victims
  • Ultimate Redneck Ice Cream Recipe: A Hilarious Sweet Treat!
  • North Carolina Hurricane Victims Request Help From NH Snowmobilers
  • The Bosak Power Toboggan Snowmobile Legacy

Tags

Access Arctic Cat Awards Camp Sno-Mo Charity Clubs Design DIY Electric family Freestyle Fundraising Guest Writer Health History Ice ISMA Landowners Let’s Get Cookin Map New Hampshire Snowmobile Museum NH Grass Drags NHSA Office Polaris Race Into Winter Registration Fees Reviews Ride-In RTP Russia Ski-Doo Snowmobile People Snowmobile Rentals Snowmobile Safety Technology Trail Conditions Trailers Trail Riding Trail Work United Snowmobile Alliance Volunteers Watercross Yamaha

New Hampshire Snowmobile Association © 2025

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.