8160-R3_MSA_October2022_MaineSnowmobiler

An Official Publication of the Maine Snowmobile Association The Maine Snowmobiler

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October 2022 • Vol. 54 • No. 2 MSA, PO Box 80, Augusta ME 04332 United we trail, divided we fail www.mainesnowmobileassociation.com

Take a Ride in the Eastern Region By Eileen Lafland

The Eastern Region of the Maine Snowmobile Associ ation covers four counties and a great deal of area in the state. With over 70 snowmobile clubs located in Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock and Washington county there are many, many areas snowmobilers can ride and be on groomed trails that have beautiful scenic areas. There are numerous destinations that snowmobilers all ready

know about and some that are hidden gems. Let’s start with Pisca taquis County. The most recognizable area in the county is the Greenville/ Moosehead Lake. This area is well known to snowmo bilers far and wide. Did you also know there are some wonderful club trails in this area that will get you out in the county and away from the high traffic areas if you choose to do so.

Anyone every heard of or seen the Onawa Rail tres tle that looks toward Bore stone Mountain? No, then you should you plan to ride out of Dover to the Narrow Gauge Riders trail and hit the club trails that lead to this spectacular site. You will ride through Monson and around Sebec Lake. Stop under the trestle and take in the view. Then take Connector Trail 110 through Katahdin Ironworks and hit

ITS 82 back to Dover. Watch for deer as you travel this route because they like to walk the groomed trail. Other areas to check out in this County are Brownville, Ebeemee and Jo-Mary areas. You can start in Brownville or con tinue on and start on the KI Road. Use Connector Trail 110 to get to the B Pond Trail. Follow it to the con nection with ITS85/86 near Kodadjo. Stop at this inter

section and sit for a bit as you may get visited by the Canada Jays that like to wait for someone to share their snack with them. These are just two of the trails in the county off the main area and away from the high traffic if that it what you want. You can find more interesting and scenic trails by contacting the local clubs. How about different areas in Penobscot County? We all know the Millinocket area but have you tried riding out of Newport or Dexter and around that area? There is a park and ride in Newport that connects to ITS 85 and then you can take other trails to get to Atkinson, Corinna, Charles ton, and or Corinth. Watch for signs and take some of those club trails as well. Want more northern areas of Penobscot County? Med way, Millinocket and Shin Pond are very popular spots

and can be reached from different locations. If you want to have a meal with the bears, a moose or other small mammals from Maine go to Matagamon Wilder ness store. You can dine with the animals (taxidermies of course) as you watch the East Branch of the Penob scot River flow by. Go in the opposite direction and head over to Lincoln, Lee and Springfield areas. Check out Quad County SC breakfast schedule and plan to be there for that. Then head north on Connector 105 to Danforth and beyond or south on it to Grand Lake

Stream area. Again, watch for the deer as they like to use the trails here as well. Hancock and Washington Counties depend greatly on snow conditions so you should check with local clubs before you plan to ride here. The main trail in this area is the Sunrise Trail that starts in Washington Junction and goes to Pembroke. You will ride across the causeway in East Machias and depend ing on the tide you may have water close to you. Watch for the Eagles here as they are usually sitting in the trees as you go by. You can Continued on Page 2

you may have to do a “spur of the moment” type trip when they get snow. Other areas receive snow more frequently and give you a chance to get in some great rides. Planning for these rides should include checking for gas availability and know ing cell phone service is not always reliable. They can be long distance rides if that is what you like or shorter ones depending on your style. In all cases, whether going to the more popular destina

tion spots or choosing more club trails and a little “off the beaten path” route, PLEASE make sure you check with the local clubs and know what to expect BEFORE you go. Safety should ALWAYS be Number One as we want you to have a great experi ence and go home to tell oth ers what an incredible day or days you had. See you on the trails!!

get off this trail in Cherryfield and take ITS 81 to Bedding ton and then on to ITS 84 to Grand Lake Stream. You can cross the dam at Grand Lake Stream and head to the store for gas and food. It’s a long, long ride from Ellsworth so you might want to start at the Narraguagus club house. If you choose to stay on the Sunrise Trail, you can take Connector Trail 101 outside of East Machias that will take you to Alexander and con nects to ITS 84 where you can go east to Calais or west Continued from Cover Maine has over 14,000 miles of snowmobile trails across the state. These trails wouldn’t be possible with out the landowners. Land owners are the base and backbone of all recreational activities in Maine. 95% of all land in Maine is private. Landowners are the num ber one connection for all outdoor recreation sports including snowmobiling. The 280 plus snowmo bile clubs across this state work long, hard hours get ting landowner permission, clearing trails, putting up signs, and then grooming the trails once snow comes. This work is done by VOL UNTEERS who enjoy riding the trails and making sure they are safe for every one to use. Respecting the landowner, no matter how big or small, should be the number one goal of anyone recreating on land in Maine. They own the land and are being gracious enough to

to Grand Lake Stream. As you can see the possibili ties to ride in the vast Eastern Region are endless. These are just a small portion of the rides you can enjoy if you come to this region. All of the 70 plus clubs work very hard to get trails open, groomed and signed so everyone has a great ride. Remember, it is volunteers who do this work and they welcome help. Con sider joining a club or two or three or more and show them you support what they do. Some areas are very depen dent on snow conditions and RESPECT THE LANDOWNER By Eileen Lafland

allow snowmobile clubs to use their land. Establishing a good working relationship with the landowner from the beginning will go a long way with them. Snowmobile riders need to Ride Responsibly and Respect the Land you are on. Club volunteers have worked with the landowners to find where the trail can go and then mark it with signs to keep people safe and in the area the landowners want them to be on. Even though another place might look like a better area to ride in, there are reasons why the trail doesn’t go there. Under the snow where it looks bet ter could be winter crops or blueberry lands planted, or small trees that are not showing. Riding over these areas could cause perma nent damage to them and the landowner could experi ence financial loss resulting in the loss of the use of the whole area. May be down

that ungroomed, unmarked road what you can’t see is a logging operation or a washed-out section that is not safe. There are many, many reasons for the trail to not go there. As responsible snowmo bilers we need to respect the land and FOLLOW THE SIGNS and MARKED TRAILS . Club volunteers have put them there at land owner requests and hopewe all obey them just as we do the signs andmarkers on the highways we use every day. Unlike those highways, trail locations can change yearly, and sometimes monthly or even weekly depending on conditions and landowner requests. This is when, we as responsible snowmobil ers, need to watch for the changes and follow the new route. Just because the trail was there the last time you rode, doesn’t mean you can go that way again. Snowmobiling in Maine

is a family orientated sport that gets people outside and enjoying the wonders of Maine in winter. You can see wildlife walking the trails, beautiful scenery that is only visible in winter, and meet some of the best people from around the states and other countries all because generous land owners have given permis sion to snowmobile clubs to use their land. If we as snowmobilers ride respon sibly and respect them, landowners will continue to support us and our sport. Otherwise, we could find ourselves wondering why we can no longer ride a cer tain trail or area, and it will be because the landown er(s) wishes were not fol lowed and the trail has been closed. THANK YOU, LAND OWNERS, FOR ALLOWING US TO USE YOUR LAND!! WE APPRECIATE YOUR GENEROUSITY!

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Madawaska Snowmobile Club

Pine Tree Snowmobile Club Pine Tree Snowmobile Club is excited for snow as the recently purchased a Pisten Bully 100 groomer. Thank you to Jon and Jim Rudnickl for doing all the legwork. You guys are great!

When themaple leaves start changingcolors in far northern Maine, you know its time to start talking snowmobiling and club activities in Madawaska. On Saturday, August 27 t , they held their annual Landowners Appreciation Bar-B-Que. With over 230 meals served, President Mark Guerrette, Grill Master Glenn Daigle and crew were hard at work to prepare a delicious half chicken bar-b-que for landowners and snowmobile enthusiast alike. During a short meeting following the dinner, landowners and members were welcomed by club president and MSA’s northern director Denise Duperre thanking all landowners for the use of their land. Denise introduced IF&W Kris McCabe, guest speaker and landowner relations liaison who talked to landowners about the value of their permission to recreate on their land and the benefit to the snowmobiling industry. McCabe emphasized that he was there go-to as well as club directors for any issues that might arise during the following months. He also talked about the clean up day on September 18th. Denise then introduced MSA Executive President Alan Swett to the group and his wife Val. Making the trek up to Madawaska to attend the affair was well appreciated by landowners and club members alike. Alan talked briefly about MSA and thanked landowners with an appreciative artwork gift.

While out mowing trails trail Master Larry discovered a bridge that had floated partially away. Don N came and helped him get it placed! Good Job Guys!. Eastern Maine Snowmobilers

Ripley Trail Riders SC By Don Gower

On Sunday, September 25, the Ripley Trail Riders Snowmobile Club put on a dinner at the town hall in appreciation of the many people who allow us to use their property for snowmobiling each winter. About forty honorees were treated to a dinner of ham, chicken, pork loin

and salmon. These wonderful and generous people allow the sport of snowmobiling to flourish in our town. We are are indeed very thankful for the use of their property. It is the snowmobile rider’s responsibility to respect these landowners by staying on the marked trails and leaving nothing behind except tracks in the snow. Enjoy the coming season and say thank you to the landowners you encounter along the trail.

Molunkus Valley Sno Drifters

Molunkus Valley Sno Drifters has been hard at work! In May, they held a Landowner Appreciation Supper & Awards with a great meal & visit with their Landowners. This offered valuable insight between the club and their Landowners. Also in May they held the Mighty Molunkus Family Fun Day/Duck Race & the last Meeting of the Season with a Pizza Party!!!! Great turnout as Always!!!! The Pictures say it all. MVSC would like to send out a Big Thank-YOU to Bates Fuel of Stacyville for Their Generous Donation ~~~Appreciated More Than You Know!!! Molunkus Valley Sno Drifters - The Club Where There Are No Strangers Only Friends You Haven’t Met!

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2021 Groomer of the Year - Travis Roderick

Maine Snowmobile Association

Drawing on December 13 th , 2022 Location: Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine 205 Church Hill Rd, Augusta, ME 04330 Time: 5PM to 9PM

TICKETS $2 Each or 6 for $10

GRAND PRIZES

Ski-Doo Renegade 600 Sport 136 Black & Yellow

2022 Polaris 850 Switchback XC 146 Black

2023 Nitro X Sport xs 101x12 Two Place Trailer

Arctic Cat Z120 Snowmobile

GIFT CERTIFICATES

2022 Sno-Pro 101x12 Aluminum Hybrid 2-Place Snow Trailer

Bingham Motor Inn 2 Nights Lodging for 2 Central Maine Powersports Chandler Farms, Inc Chandler Farms, Inc Corriveau Arctic Cat Plus

North Country Rivers Whitewater Rafting for 2 Northern Door Inn One Night Lodging for 2 Northern Outdoor Adventure Resort 1 Nights stay for 2 Overlook Motel 1 Night Lodging for 2 Pisten Bully USA to Shaker Hill Outdoors $100.00 Rev-it-up Sport Shop $50.00 Richardson’s Boat Yard $100.00

$100.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $100.00 $100.00

GIFT CARDS

Huff Powersports Huff Powersports

Inn by the River - 2 Night Lodging for 2 International Motel,Calais One Night Lodging Jackman Powersports $100.00 Jackman Powersports $100.00 Kramers Arctic Cat $50.00 Kramers Arctic Cat $50.00 Long Lake Inn One Night Lodging for 2 Moosehead Motorsports $50.00 Moosehead Motorsports $50.00 NEOC - 1 day sled rental

Sally Mountain Cabins 2 Nights Lodging for 2 Shaker Hill Outdoors Shaker Hill Outdoors Shaker Hill Outdoors Shaker Hill Outdoors Shin Pond Village Wallingford Equipment Wallingford Equipment White Rock Outboard

Kittery Trading Post

$500.00 $250.00 $250.00 $100.00 $100.00

$50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $100.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00

LL Bean LL Bean LL Bean LL Bean

Raffle proceeds benefit the MSA & participating MSA snowmobile clubs. Grand prize winners will be notified by telephone. Gift and lodging certificates will be mailed to the address on the winning ticket. Maine Snowmobile Association, P.O. Box 80, Augusta ME 04332 www.mesnow.com

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From The Executive Board

From the President

it was a successful day for the Lexington Highlander’s and the Kingfield Snowanderers they each had half of the raffle prizes the trailer and Polaris to show and sold a good many tickets! We went to Limerick for our monthly directors meeting. An excellent time! We met some determined snowmobilers in this Maine town. A huge turnout from Dave’s Coastal region was a welcome site. Matt and his club are doing it right. One-step at a time. We talked a lot after the meeting, they have a vision and I’m confident they’ll make their goals! In addition, the food was excellent! Well lets head up the Interstate to Benedicta, I think I gained five pound after Keith’s pig roast! Wow what a following these folks have! A nice groomer barn along with a new garage to store the supplies. John and Mel Monk came along to a full house. Another successful great time, old friend and made new ones! This what we’re all about! Thanks to Keith and his crew for a wonderful Saturday afternoon. Heading south, I stopped at the Glenburn SC. Another landowner supper! Wow sorry I was still full from Keith’s pig roast! This little club outside Bangor has been around a long time. Marion Pinkham past MSA President and her family of friends make it happen here. Thank you! Pejepscot Snow Chiefs in Lisbon Falls. A Sunday afternoon trip took Harvey Chesley and I to this little clubhouse. More great eating steak, lobster and all the fixings! Wow! Another great club getting it done. With nearly or over 40 miles of trail this small group has it together. What an awesome team. Met new friends and saw old ones! Thanks for all you do! THANKS to all of you that make snowmobiling in Maine a worldwide destination. Every club is very important you’re a piece of the big puzzle that makes us the best place to ride! Hope to see you at the snowmobile show! Appreciate everybody’s passion and love for a great sport. Al

Off we go to Madawaska, The club held a big landowner appreciation supper at their groomer barn. A wonderful time and wonderful people! It was worth every mile to get there my wife and I had a great time and made some new friends! The Kingsbury Club is located near Kingsbury Pond. A beautiful place indeed! This is a small club and they get it done! A cookout out at the dam parking area was another big success with a large turn out to support them. They sold MSA raffle tickets t-shirts, bread along with some great tasting food for a Saturday afternoon Thank you! Let’s go to Rockwood, yes the Blue Ridge Rider’s annual Pig Roast. Oh my goodness what a meal up there and a club raffle with some fancy prizes, lots of food, great friends, made new friends excellent time as always! Dottie’s last year making it all happen. She’s leaving it all up to a new young lady that I know will do a great job. Thank you! I think I gained 5 pounds after this weekend, But, it’s not over yet. Lexington Highlander’s here we come. Was joined by Mark Chinnock the EVP and Lori Hemmerdinger the lady that does it all! A chicken dinner, few club raffles and the MSA raffle helped the Club of the Year have a profitable Sunday! It was a huge success, with over 350 dinners sold! The Happy Horseshoe Campground once again hosted the event out front supplying the tables and whatever else they needed! Another awesome time! Thanks! Off to Ripley, their annual auction was another stop on the MSA tour. And what an auction it was, this year had some incredible donated items that help this little club that has enormous pride and passion. Past MSA President Ken Ingalls helped me out selling MSA raffle tickets for the club. It is always a fun time with Kenny he is a great friend. Thank you. And thanks to the Ripley SC Mr. Jeff Hanson is the new President for inviting me! The North New Portland Fair was well attended the rain held off until Sunday but A.C.F. Snowmobile division, as both contain important documents that are time sensitive and require action, taking note also that some of the application deadlines have changed. As for the MSA, I can tell you that we have been on the move from attending open houses, landowner events, grass drags, as well as a number of crucial Trail related meetings, not to mention our monthly Director’s meetings. Traveling to some of these events as well as holding our Director’s meetings at various clubs around the state definitely has its advantages, as in the number of like-minded people that you meet and talk with. We have the opportunity to meet some interesting people and to be able to have great snowmobiling conversation. I love it! You see that there are people all over from within our snowmobiling community that have the same passion for the sport as we do and the energy resonates from person to person and club to club, I guess that’s what helps keep us going. I would like to totally change directions for just a minute and not preach but more to remind people to ‘Watch your stuff” and by that I mean making sure that your belongings are safe. I was earlier this month an unfortunate victim and had my 4-Place enclosed Snowmobile trailer stolen, it was taken in broad daylight and without consideration of any consequence. I was fortunate enough to have surveillance video and with the overwhelming help from social media and local PD’s I was able to retrieve my trailer 9 days later and bring it back home unharmed. I am sharing this because I don’t want anyone of you in my Snowmobiling community to be next! I’m afraid that as the economy weakens and people get more desperate it probably is only going to get worse. So please don’t be like me. Make sure that all of your insurances are up to date and at TODAY’S values. Also, take extra precautions when parking or storing your valuables, lock them up and if you go away, if nothing else park something in front of them, at least let’s make them work for it! I didn’t think it would happen to me but it did! Once again thanks for reading and until next time stay safe and Think Snow! Respectfully Mark Chinnock, Executive Vice President.

Lori Hemmerdinger (207) 890-5455 544 Plains Road Poland, ME 04274 Treasurer@mesnow.com Treasurer’s Report

Alan Swett, 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com

H i Folks! Welcome Snowmobiler’s, Season’s changing summer is gone!We’re coming up on another Maine winter. October is a big month; clubs are preparing trails, holding landowner appreciation cookouts along with first of the year meetings with yes, more food! The Super Raffle is moving along smoothly. We’ve had lots of tickets and posters made for you. The Snowmobile Show at the Augusta Civic Center in late October is filling up. That’s a good sign! “Team MSA” has been all over the state attending many club events. The Portage Lake and Ashland Snowmobile Clubs held the Ashland Grass Drags with a large turnout of racers, vendors and spectators. It was a great time. Mike Grass, John Monk, Barry & Gail Ryan and Brent Spaulding manned the MSA tent with lots of success! People from all over New England attended. A big thank you goes out to these two clubs it is a big money maker for them that helps during groomer season.

Respectfully Submitted, Lori Hemmerdinger, Treasurer

Monthly Income Monthly Expense

$ 35,346.40 $ 17,746.05 $ 17,600.35 $215,606.02 $ 76,467.80

Net Revenue

Checking (9/30/22)

DedicatedAccount (9/30/22)

Pay Pal (9/30/22) - Special EventsAccount (9/30/22) $ 4,987.53 Credit Line (9/30/22) $ - Building Fund (9/30/22) $ 53,906.28 BrianWass Safety Fund (9/30/22) $ 1,285.27 $

Scholarship Committee

From the Executive VP

Safety Committee

T he Scholarship Committee is planning to meet more regularly this year and develop plans to increase donations and more impor tantly get the word out that there are two MSA scholarships given each year to quali fied recipients. With the passing of the former leader of this committee, Dick Peck, a few years ago and then COVID taking over for the past three years, things at the Scholarship Committee level have fallen behind. Current Chairperson Harvey Chesley and Co-Chair person Barry Ryan along with rest of the com mittee are committed to making the scholar ship program strong again. One of the goals of the committee is to get information into the hands of clubs so they can promote members to appy. Anyone can submit an application; it doesn’t have to be just a high school senior. Applications from former winners are also accepted as well as graduate school attendees, Masters programs, vocational schools, etc. if you are going to further your education in any way, please con sider applying. There is also no age limit if the person has been a member of MSA for the previous two years and submits the required items with the application. The application is now available on the MSA website and we will have copies avail able at the MSA Show, Oct. 21st-23rd at the Scholarship booth. Please stop by, donate, buy some 50/50 tickets, and ask anyone work ing there to explain what the scholarship is all about. You can always contact any of the scholarship committee members as well. Harvey Chesley, Chairperson- harv.chesley@gmail.com Barry Ryan, Co Chair- skidoo6000ber@gmail.com Bob Lafontaine- bobiswim@gmail.com Gail Ryan- skidoo6000@aol.com Larry Lafland- L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com Eileen Lafland- L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com Mike Grass Jr- mgrassjr@gmail.com Eileen Lafland, 207-843-7813 PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com

Alan Swett, 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com

Mark Chinnock, Vice President 207-754-9874 544 Plains Road, Poland, ME 04274 napadude66@hotmail.com

W ell October is here!, It’s a great time to check over your sled and trailer. Do it yourself or bring it to one of the dealers in your area. It’s that time of year for trail work, Remember don’t take short cuts wear your PPE. Protect your eyes, hand, feet and body. Noise is noise wear a set of ear plugs. Prevent long-term damage to yourself by wearing gloves good shoes/boots, eye pro tection and decent clothing. Sometimes those quick jobs turn out to be widow makers and we don’t want that. We want everyone safe out there. We have safety signs available; they are laminated so you can use them outside. Let me know and I’ll get some out to you. Snowmobile safety courses are available through IF&W watch for a date near you. We’re planning on having a course at the show October 23 rd - Sunday morning. Watch for more details online. In addition, if you would like a safety display and/or safety talk at your local school let me know. Thanks for all you do Be safe out there! Al

H ello Everyone, Welcome to the October edition of the Maine Snowmobiler, which means that we are knocking on the door of what is slated to be an Amazing winter season according to most of the more traditional methods of predicting weather patterns. Snowmobilers are a unique group when it comes to this, in that it doesn’t matter what happened the year before or the year before that, we are always more than excited, anxious and hopeful that this Winter is going to be THE ONE!, And for that reason this makes us the most passionate group of outdoor enthusiasts hands down. This is also the time of year, as we all know, that it is all hands on deck at the club and at the MSA level. By this time, most clubs have had at least a couple of meetings, and work details are a weekly routine. Touching base with our landowners is priority one and should be done sooner than later. It is a good practice to show respect to them and will pay big dividends in the long term. Make sure that someone in your club has eyes on both the MSA membership packet as well as the Grant packet that comes from Joe Higgin’s office at the Dept. of

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From The Executive Board

Secretary’s Report - Brad Barker 576 th Directors Meeting - 576 Route 11 Streakers, Limerick, Maine - September 20, 2022

A t 6:40 President Al Swett called the meeting to order. Pledge of Allegiance. Secretary’s report for the 575 Meeting will be in the paper, to be brought up and voted on next month. Treasurer’s report. Read and placed on file at the office. President’s Comments - Al Swett: First time in Limerick Maine, this is awesome - thank you for having us. August and September I’ve been to a lot of events- Kingsbury, North New Portland, Rockwood, Ashland - grass drags, Madawaska BBQ, Greenville pig roast, Landowners cookouts and BBQ. Having a great time. This is a great group and I’m proud of all of you. The Katahdin Works Monument map on the table - public land trust wants to buy 43,000 acres to make a new road into the monuments. Joe’s crew wants to buy 20 acres to preserve the trails there. Keeping our fingers crossed that that will go through. If not they will be in serious trouble in Millinocket. Executive Vice-President Mark Chinnock -Great to be down here, a whole group of new faces. Thanks to Lori and Bob for making this Zoom connection happen. The sound is better than last month. Getting ready for Epping and then the show. Membership packets - pay attention to the officer update forms. Look at deadlines and timelines please. Important to us for the database. Joe has added in some time sensitive stuff as well. We do have a whole bunch of new ideas and we’ll see what comes out of it. Summer was busy, had met once or twice a month. We just have a good crew and everything is going in a positive connection. Northern Region VP-Matt Stedman (From a parking lot in Caribou), Thank you to Lori and

Bob for that. Cold nights are starting, feels like trail work weather. Meeting with landowners now and doing a lot of appreciation dinners and such. A lot of new iron, groomers and drags coming up to the county. Fundraising for the price of fuel. Had some really good events. Eastern Region VP-Eileen: First time in this part of the woods. All packets have been delivered to the clubs. More landowners suppers. Trail work has started in a lot of places. Central Region - Jack Lord: Starting on trail work. Stuck with re-routes. If you’re riding in the Central Region READ THE SIGNS - everything north of route 2 stuck with changes. Thank you for supper! Everything is going along pretty well. Thank you to Liz for being so cheerful. Western Region VP-Jim Boyce Unavailable…MC- If you ride Carrabassett Valley region pay attention to signs for re-routes and trails shutdown. Call ahead or PAYATTENTION TO THE SIGNS. Coastal Region VP-David Watson - Thank everyone for coming out and for Rt11 Streakers for the great job and for doing and the food tonight! The swap-meet coming back this year!!! The longest running in the state. Great turnout for the Coastal region. Thank you all for being here!! Robert Libby - Thank you Matt (Route 11 Pres.) and all you guys for coming from a long way off. This trail my son rode on when he was 8-9 years old on a 73 Moto-Ski.. Now we have a nice trail to ride on. The snowmobile industry was almost dead and then Matt came along and sparked this thing up like crazy. Thanks for “My son’s trail.” Joe Higgins - Has ridden these trails and request to Senator Russell Black for the MSA supported bill of Snowmobile Trail Enforce ment. We will continue however, working the wording for the best option. He in-turn shared some communication with me of a meeting that he plans on attending with some large landowners to hopefully secure some trail a bit sooner in the season then has recently been demonstrated. With the strange markets we have seen, it sure is tough to predict on where crews may be, and the outcome is to find some more common ground or advantages for the landowners to avoid trail changing surprises. We sure are looking for options of win win here and thank you senator for getting involved to work on this. Another communication gap has recently surfaced, and it again involves the KWW monument. Senator King proposed and Col lins co-sponsored bill S-4784, “Katahdin Woods and Waters Monument Access Act” on August 4 th . Did you hear about it? Well, MSA didn’t either until President John Raymond of the Northern Timer Cruisers and Trailmaster, Ossie Stanley of the East Branch Sno-Rovers brought it to the table. I will share, there was some very heated moments on this as snow mobiling was completely left in the dark. How H ello again Maine Snowmobilers. By now, many of you have enjoyed your first frost or killing freeze. That means trail work has started in earnest. It amazes me every year how clubs make sure their respective trails are always ready with brush cleared, bridges re-decked, new signs and backers installed and a phenomenal amount of landowner relations that prepare for that endless ribbon of beautiful snowmobile trail from one end of the state to the other. I’m going to say, Thank You now, because I know it will be done and done well from Kittery to Ft. Kent and Bethel to Calais, clubs and trail workers are the hardest work ing, “It’s gonna snow 8ft.” optimists I know and I love you all because I believe that too. This season will see many clubs debuting new groomers and/or drags. Almost every club that applied for a Capital Equipment Grant this year was awarded one. What a great accomplishment as additional funds from the snowmobile registration increase went

they are very nice trails. Good job and thank you very much. I work for the state of Maine Snowmobile Program. Working to make their programs better, to better help the clubs. Handouts - at least one per club. Deadlines for municipal grant and club grants are all due by December 1 st . Reimbursements April 30th. Also, the deadline for buying equipment is June 15. One change - the deadline of September 15 - If you can’t keep that deadline, the office can work with you. Disaster relief grant - one club put in for help that did qualify - weather events qualify for relief. The Paper handouts show revenue/registrations over the last few years. Even during COVID there was an increase. Colorful paper gives you an idea of where your funds go when you register your sleds. Insurance - nothing has changed in the way the state is protecting the landowners. It is a SECONDARY insurance. An umbrella insurance. Thank you to the landowners allowing trails and working with us. MSA Trails Committee- Mike Grass: ITS trail maps are going to print. Steering Committee Chairman- John Monk: Wish I could be there,( was virtually), but hoping to be down to the swap-meet. Formulating a couple letters to Senators Collins and King about the Katahdin Works Monument near Millinocket. A little disappointed that we have been a bit overshadowed. We are a larger industry than the lobster industry and run by almost all volunteer work. Really need a full time person for MSA at the state. Scholarship Committee-Barry Ryan: Read financial report. Hall of Fame - Beth Bowie: Starting our year for the hall of fame. Eager to get new can this happen? Shouldn’t we know about these issues for a 606-million-dollar indus try? Communication? I know Maine brass jumped and ran for the lobster industry when they were attacked. Why not an industry that puts up comparable numbers with only four state employees and one MSA employee, and a WHOLE BUNCH of the best volunteers out there! (Here’s YOU members chance to com municate). A big shout out goes to President Al Swett as he called them on the carpet and got it in writing that existing ITS 85, 86, 83 and Connector Trail 112 will remain. I will also add that a nod is due to Les Hill of Shin Pond as while all of this was churning, he simulta neously was rounding up all the clubs in that region to brainstorm and see what the entire region could set for goals to try and provide a better product in the region for all. While the dust is literally still settling, and I will admit that the panic button was under minutes from being pushed to all you loyal MSA members on the alert list, it does appear the NPS peo ple, as they are being called, understand the value that snowmobiling brings to the region. I may be going out on a limb here, but there are people among us that could have helped in avoiding this, and I would kindly ask that directly into that fund. Thank you to everyone who registered a sled last winter, you changed the game when it comes to clubs being able to purchase new equipment. I know some of you clubs will be doing new projects fixing water holes and bridges. Please make sure you contact any landowners you will be crossing to get to these projects. Landowners expect to see sleds and/or work ers heading into the woods to work on trails BUT they are not expecting tractors with back hoes, mini excavators or other large equipment. Having a conversation ahead of time will save a lot of aggravation and possibly a trail closure due to a misunderstanding. Make sure to make that conversation part of the project and do it before any work takes place. The annual MSASnowmobile Show is com ing up on Oct. 21,22 and 23. Make plans now to attend the Trails Workshop to get the latest grant, trail and industry updates from IF&W, DOC and Groomer Retailers at the workshop.

nominations from everyone. Nomination form has been updated so it can be filled in digitally if you would like to or on paper. Looking forward to Epping. Membership Committee-Eileen Lafland: Liz, thank you so much. Over 500 memberships already in. The Northern Region has the most already submitted. Look at the papers in WELL. If you do send the cards, we can use the barcode on it and scan in seconds, so much easier, so please send the cards in. Safety Committee-Al Swett: Please use PPE!!!, please protect yourself. Use gloves, good shoes, protect your eyes. Hoping to get into schools this year, maybe get some game wardens out as well. Hospitality - Gail Ryan: Cards have been sent out. I don’t send out JUST sympathy cards. Can send out any cards you want!! Al - Everyone of you makes snowmobiling in Maine possible. You are making Maine a world destination. Very proud to be part of this team. Old Business - Snowmobile show, update - only have like six booths left in that show which is incredible. Super raffle - tickets are going like wildfire, Liz ordered more yesterday. New Business - North Anson section of railroad was just purchased by the state - crew in they’ve ripped up all the ties. Won’t have to cross both Kennebec and Carabasett Rivers. Thank you for having us. Pot of Gold: Skowhegan Sno-Hawks, forfeited- no director present. 50/50 Raffle- Jack Lord won $84.00 donated back to Brian Wass safety fund. Adjourned 7:35 On another front, the first meeting of the Abandoned and Discontinued Roads Commis sion was also just held. The goals, or objec tives, and hopefully outcomes were primarily thrown out, but clearly there is a lot of work to do. Many of the inconsistencies are with defi nitions that are not consistent throughout the state and need to be updated. Towns are also at different levels on the concerns and need to be all brought up to the same page. This will clearly be a work in progress to move forward. The crew on the committee do have a concern of improving things. The overwhelming sights of trail work going on right now is incredible. As I mentioned last month, reach out to your trailmaster, and see what you can do to help. Your time is SO, SO, SO more valuable than a few extra dollars and the appreciation level and your feel-good meter will be off the charts. I inked in some time already and I know of at least 1.5 miles of the 14000 is ready. I’d like to thank the so many active, loyal snowmobilers that I have “communicated” with this month. You all are making it happen! See you at the Show! Johnny Always a great day to get those nagging ques tions asked or clarified so that planned proj ects go smoothly. Once again, hoping the long-range forecast ers are correct in their cold and snowy winter forecasts. My 50 plus years on this rock tells me that when we have an active hurricane sea son, we usually have a good winter. We’ll see how good my prediction is as right now Ian is pounding Florida. Hope to see you all at the show! Think Snow, Mike Respectfully submitted Brad Barker, Secretary if you know, communicate these issues going forward. Upward and onward!

Steering Committee

John Monk Chairman of Steering Committee monksdoomopars@hermon.net Communication O ne would think that for someone that has worked in the communication industry all his life, things would be easily to understand and transfer from one person to another. Some how, that just doesn’t always seem to be the case. It’s been a busy couple of weeks for sure. First up, MSA has now submitted our

Trails Committee

Mike Grass, Jr., 207-368-2316 249 Condon Rd, Plymouth ME 04969 mgrassjr@gmail.com

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From The Membership Corner

steady pace. Liz, in the office, has been entering them as they come in and by the looks of the numbers as of Sept.22 nd , her fingers have been busy. Keep up the great work everyone! We have been asked if a club needs to send the pre-printed cards to the office if they are doing a transmittal form. The answer at this point is, YES. The preprinted cards have a bar code on them and thanks to Bob F. we have a scanner unit that can read that code and enter a member into the system much quicker than typing everyone’s name and ID number. Totals as of Sept.22 nd With sixty-four clubs sending in memberships as of this date, we have 708 members and 126 business members for a total of 834. Totals by region

Eastern Region clubs, that is the number one request they had: “How do we get more peo ple to join and help? We are getting tired and there is no one to step up and take our places.” I also heard from a couple clubs that with only 3 or 4 members they can’t keep going and will not be operating this season. If this keeps hap pening, we could find areas where the trails are not brushed, marked, or groomed, and then safety becomes an issue. So go out and find that one new person, family, or business and tell them why they are needed! Eastern region clubs are once again work ing hard and getting memberships back to the MSA as soon as they get them. Remember everyone- you will not receive the Novem ber paper unless your memberships are in the MSA office and entered the system. Clubs, please send them as soon as you get them. Membership suppers are happening weekly in this region and I am sure in the other regions as well, so renew and get in on the fun! If the amount of Super Raffle tickets that I have had requests for in this region are any indication of what the sales will be like, it is sure to be a great year. Clubs that haven’t taken advantage of this fundraiser in the past, what are you waiting for? The only “cost” to you is selling the tickets, since all the prizes, posters and tickets are provided to you from MSA. Then, once you sell the tickets your club keeps half the money you have taken in. It really is a great way to earn extra cash for your club, so get it on it today. As November approaches, more and more clubs will be holding suppers and breakfasts to raise money. Watch the local calendars and find one to attend. From my experience these club meals are the best food around, home made and homecooked and served, buy who else-volunteers! Watch for the cold temps to come, the ground to freeze and then snowflakes in the air as winter will arrive soon! Until November, Eileen

Eastern Region VP

Eileen Lafland, 207-843-7813 PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com

Coastal Region 76 memberships Central Region- 79 memberships Western Region- 83 memberships, Northern Region-183 memberships Eastern Region- 403 memberships

Eileen Lafland, 207-843-7813 PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com

T he 2022-23 membership season has begun and memberships are rolling in to the office at a

W elcome to October Everyone! The cool air is here, the leaves have changed colors, and the summer toys have been put away. Fall has arrived and snowmo bile clubs across the state are getting ready. Club meetings, membership drives, land owner suppers, raffle ticket sales, fundraising dinners and breakfasts, trail work days and everything else the hundreds of snowmobile club VOLUNTEERS do to make snowmobil ing in Maine the best it can be is all happening now. Clubs have received their memberships packets and are contacting members from last year to re-join. When you are contacted, here is a small challenge for all current mem bers- Try to find at least ONE new person to join your club. I bet we all know at least one person, family, or business that snowmobiles or benefits from snowmobiling that is not a member or a club. Convince them why they should join. After all the volunteer “trail fair ies” and club workers that are keeping the doors open and the trails in great shape would like a little time to enjoy their work and this can’t happen unless more people step up and offer to help. In delivering club packets to the

Central Region VP

Western Region VP

Jack Lord Home: (207) 672-3915 Cell: 207-717-7131 17 Dinsmore St. Bingham, ME. 04920 Email: jacklord5256@gmail.com H It is time to get serious about getting trails ready, cutting brush, making sure the trails are safe. Checking to make sure all equipment is serviced and ready to go. The snow is coming and we don’t want breakdowns to get in the way of our fun. It is a lot less work if everything is in working order. While you are out there working on trails, please be careful, work safe so you can be out on the trails with everyone having fun. Something else we all need to do is while you are completing the paperwork that goes back to the MSA make sure you have a good drop-off address and telephone number. We cannot deliver to a post office box. From the 58 membership packages, there were six I could not find valid addresses or telephone number. Well there again I find myself on my podium, Ok I’m off, that said, I hope to see all of you at the Snowmobile Show, I am going to try to be at the show as much of the time as possible. I would like to shake everyone’s hand and thank you for all you do. It is hard for me to get to all the clubs, but if you need me, please give me a call and I will do my best to get there. That is what I’m here for. I don’t know all the answers, but I know where to get them and I will work as hard as I can to get them for you. Keep Smiling, BE SAFE Jack Lord

James Boyce, 207-265-6512 1168 Fosterhill Rd, Freeman ME 04983 Jboyce1168@gmail.com H ello Everone, With fair season behind us it’s time to get busy. Get your memberships in and register your sleds if the wooly bears, high bee nests and the almanac are all right we are in for a great riding season. Check in with your local club and see what you could do to pitch in. Remember from year to year, there is a lot of trail changes so please follow the signs and stay on the marked trails. As of right now Carrabassett trails are closed to all traffic respect the landowners wishes and stay off them and maybe one day we will have access again. Remember support all the clubs where you ride. Don’t forget the MSA show hope to see you there. Until next month THINK SNOW!! Until next month THINK SNOW!!! Jim

Coastal Region VP

David Watson, 207-205-1558 412 Roberts Ridge Rd East Waterboro ME 04030 dwatson6841@gmail.com

O ctober!!! Leaves have changed color and are falling, as are the temperatures. September’s MSA director meeting was held at Rt 11 streakers and it was a great job! Thank you Streakers. The Ossipee Mountaineers held their swap meet and did a great job. Clubs are kicking it up to get trail work done waiting for the WHITE GOLD to fall. It won’t be long. Thanks to all clubs for your continued support. Dave

CLUB MEMBERS Once grooming begins submit your trail reports to: EDITOR@MESNOW.COM Please include your name and club affiliation

H fellow snowmobilers, It’s the first day of fall, rainy & cool, typical fall day here in Aroostook County. It seems as soon as the local farmers start to pick potatoes the fall rains are right behind! A sure sign that snowmobile season is coming at us at a rapid pace is the MSA snowmobile Show on the horizon. We can all get together, have a chance to check out sleds, groomers, trailers, gear & accessories and attend workshops on grants put on by the State snowmobile program. I hope to see you there. Have you purchased super raffle tickets this fall? There are many great prizes and your dollars support both the local club and the MSA. Clubs have been hard at work all summer behind the scenes raising funds, securing trail permissions from landowners, doing machine maintenance, filling out grant forms and the

Northern Region VP

list goes on, all so folks can enjoy a great time on a snowmobile. If your club has a need, please reach out to me or one of the Northern Region directors and we will help you in any way we can. We may not have all the answers but will work with you to help resolve your questions/ concerns or needs. We are here to support you and your clubs. Most clubs’ have had the first meetings of the season and schedules of events are being set. If you have not been contacted yet, do not wait, please reach out and see what you can do to lend a hand. Don’t be afraid to step up. If you are not quite sure how you may fit it in to the club, just be up front & ask. Clubs and their dedicated membership are what make it all happen, without them we cannot continue to ride.

As a club, share your success and challenges with the surrounding clubs, feed off each other and what we can learn from or leverage from others will make the whole even better. And finally, your club should have been emailed a link to a survey from the MSA, we are trying to gather data to find ways to better assist the clubs and this information is a way to do that. If you have a question, problem, concern, or idea on snowmobiling in “The County”, get in touch with me. You can contact me at the phone # or email below. Matt Stedman

Matt Stedman 207-557-1921 (call or text)

PO Box 621, Ashland ME 04732 Stedman.matt@jdirving.com

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Deadlines for club news is the 25 th of the month prior to the publications. Please submit articles to editor@mesnow.com

four stroke smoke and cheered your favorite snowmobiler to a win. More things to follow as the year goes on. We will be one of the snowmobile clubs given the honor of helping to sell Super Raffle tickets at the upcoming Maine Snowmobile Show.October 2l-22-23 at the Augusta Civic Center. Friday night, the 2lst is our night. Come see us! We’d love to meet you. Make new friends or renew our old friendships. If you have questions on our Northern Trails we’ll happily answer them if we can. We sincerely hope each and every one of you have the opportunity this year to visit our Club, try out our trails, but most of all just enjoy the serenity of Northern Maine. Nowhere in Maine is the snow whiter, deeper or colder. Nowhere are people friendlier and genuinely glad to meet you. Nowhere else can you experience wide open vistas like here, breathtaking scenery, the occasional wildlife on the trail, (careful this is their home too). And after you’ve ridden to your hearts con tent, stop in and see us at the lodge. You’ve heard the stories from other people who have made the trip. They’re all true. Come experi ence them for yourself. Looking forward to meeting you all. Respectfully, Kim M Ouellette, Secretary Fall is Here! The air has a nip, the leaves are changing, and big things are happening for the Portage Lakers! We survived a super busy month of summer of fundraising, now the small crew of guys are cracking the whip to get the new building up and closed in before snow flies. They are making quick work of the project and things are really coming together. As always, if you are interested in volun teering your time, please reach out to Bruce Laveway or Glenn Cusack and they will let you know the work schedule. All help is much appreciated. We would like to thank everyone thus far that has made donations to help fund this project. The generosity of our members and community is amazing! We will be hosting our monthly meetings on the first Friday of each month at 6:30 at the Portage Municipal building. All are encour aged to attend the meetings. We love to see new faces and hear new ideas. Check out our website portagelakers.org if you would like to join our club, make a dona tion, or see our schedule of events. Jen will be sending out memberships soon, so please watch for them. Love our trails? Join our Club! The Portage Lakers work hard and play harder! Until next month, PORTAGE LAKERS sc Portage Lake, ME How about those Fall colors!! Always won derful. Hopefully a precursor to wonderful snowmobile season. As mentioned previously, trail work has begun. We will be evaluating, the week of (9/26), the havoc that the winds from Fiona may have caused. Please give Dan Champany a ring (207-376-6534) if you have any time to assist with trail work. And, of course, feel free to work on the trails in your neighborhood. If there are large trees down, please notify Dan before removing. Some landowners have requested notification before cutting into short lengths. Besides seeking a reroute of the East Shore Road crossing, there are no other imme diate issues. A reminder, the Christmas party will be a potluck supper at the Duff’s on December 10th, 5:30 social and 6:15 supper. The 4th annual Snow Fest co-hosted with the Embden Pond Association will be held noon to 3 PM Tammy Kenney Club Secretary CENTRAL REGION EMBDEN TRAVELERS sc Emden, ME

winter. Brush has to be trimmed; some bull dozing gets done, ditching, bridge repair and mowing the trails. It takes many man-hours to get this finished in time for grooming. It has been an extremely unsettled time since August, as we have lost 5 members or landowners so far this year. We are saddened by the passing of such generous people, who always helped with the club and were great volunteers. Richard Brown worked behind the scenes and helped others to work on the trails. He was a hardy soul! Karen Hilt was a long-time member and benefactor, always willing to bake pies or cook for our Thanksgiving/Landowner Sup per. She was a delicious cook and we always waited to see what kind of pie she made. Louise McPherson was a founding member of the club and helped in every way she could to build our new clubhouse. She cooked for the workers and came to check the progress while her husband Vinal, was putting the poly on the inside tongue and groove or staining the log siding. She was a very positive person and loved to see the work being completed. She was always willing to help out the club. This couple was a dynamic pair of workers. Caroline Gough and her husband (Arnold) were landowners and were always willing to help us figure out a new trail or a detour around a problem area of the trails. She was such a great cook (all homemade) and when I worked on the harvester for them, we always received warm treats and hot chocolate when the weather turned cold and we had to get those potatoes out of the ground. She was a true Aroostook County farmer’s wife. Gene Gough, a club director for many years, just recently passed away. He was the most generous person I ever knew. He was always willing to loan his equipment to the club or do the work for them. He could always figure out a way to fix a problem and knew how to fix all of the machinery. He was a great cook too, always bringing something to eat to the potluck suppers, even if he came alone. Many club members made food for the gathering after his committal and they deserve a huge “Thank You.” We will miss all five of these members or landowners and thank their families for loan ing them to us for the work they could and did do. These people are members of a different generation and we hope we see some replace ments for them. The club will purchase a Christmas light in their memory for the Aroos took Medical Center’s “Lights for Life” huge tree on the hospital grounds. We will always remember them. We are disappointed to report that we have had more damage on our business-advertising billboard. Why would anyone spray paint on our signs purchased by area businesses to sup port our club? When a business purchases a spot on our billboards, the club pays for the sign and the mounting of the sign and we look after them year-round. The business pays an annual fee to support the club and to have their advertisement on the billboard. Now we have to replace the sign at our cost. Is that our thank you for providing a groomed trail for sleds or a trail (which we have been bulldoz ing and ditching) for ATVs? There are very few clubs that provide trails for both sports. That is a real balancing act with landowners. In closing, we’d like to start out with a few activities, maybe every other month. The directors will make some decisions about this. Stay tuned-watch our Facebook page. Looking forward to the winter! Sue Maynard, Secretary. O ROCKABEMA SNOW RANGERS Patten, ME Woo hoo it’s the 2022-2023 snowmobile season!! Rockabema Snow Rangers began with a landowner’s appreciation dinner, we know that without them we would not have a snow

mobiling season. THANK YOU, landowners! Bob Howes- President started out our club meeting by introducing Ron Blum from Katahdin Area Trail’s. Ron was asking for support to create a new trail system in Patten. These trails would be for those would like to enjoy the woods and like to walk/bike in the area. RSR members voted to support Katahdin Area Trails thinking that this would improve the visitors in the area. Dan Ruttenberg-Treasurer reviewed our financials and was excited to share that we were granted the Capital Grant! Which in turn means that we are able to move forward with a purchase of a 2012 Pistonbulley 400!!! Krissy Ruttenberg- Secretary explained that we now have a website up and running! www. rockabemasnowrangers.org, Folks are now able to make payments for memberships or donations online. Jon Harvey (Big Jon)-Trail Master, explained that we will need to build a brand new section of trail due to logging on a section of ITS trail 112. Dee Hunt- Member Chair has set a goal of 150 members for this season, we got so close last year with 136. Rockabema Snow Rangers were all glad to be back together and excited for the season to come. You can expect some fabulous trails this season!! Krissy Ruttenberg-Secretary Big Valley Snowmobile Club welcomes you to the 2022-2023 season! We plan on an exciting season. We have a spaghetti supper and membership drive on October 15th at the clubhouse. Please drop us a message either on facebook, email at Bigvalleysnoclub@gmail. com or let one of the members know in person if you will be there! We hope to see you there! Follow our facebook page for details on the time! (Big Valley Sno Club) We had an appreciation dinner for our landowners on 9/24 at the VFW! Be sure to respect landowners when you ride, it’s a privi lege! without them we don’t ride. We have many more events to come this year and can’t wait to see you on the trails! Hoping for a snow filled season! Happy Fall, Y’all. We’re all sincerely hoping everyone has had a wonderful summer and now you are plan ning your winter recreation fun events. For us this far north, it is completely conceivable we will have measurable snow staying on the ground anytime in November and December. (It has been known to even snow a little in October.) In early September, we met and elected our 2022-2023 slate of officers. David Con nors remains as President, Erwin Jackson, our Vice-President, Judith Taggett, our treasurer, Kim M Ouellette, our treasurer. Roland Tag gett will be our trail master. After 7 years he has this job down to perfection. We have a few changes upcoming on our trail, more info to follow, but fear not this will only improve our already pretty spectacular trails. Just a few things on the docket for this year. We will definitely be serving hot meals on Saturdays at our nice warm comfy lodge. Our menu will be posted each week on our website, St. Francis Sno-Angels. Visit us on Face book. We’ll have updated postings each week on our menu, upcoming events, snow condi tions, etc. March will hold our annual snow drags. This is an event you definitely want to attend. You haven’t tasted anything like our chili, hot dogs, hamburgers, mixed fries, etc. until you have stood on the banks of the St. John River, within a stone’s throw of Canada, felt the wind in your face, inhaled the smell of BIG VALLEY SNOWMOBILE CLUB Island Falls, ME ST. FRANCIS SNO ANGELS St. Francis, ME

NORTHERN REGION MOLUNKUS VALLEY SNO-DRIFTERS Sherman, ME

Happy Fall to you all! Well here we are new season is starting up! Memberships are rapidly coming in, trail work beginning and pot lucks too! Excitement in the air @MVSD THE ONLY CLUB WHERE THERE ARE NO STRANGERS ONLY FRIENDS YOU HAVEN’T MET! LEAVES ARE CHANGING AND IT WON’T BE LONG BEFORE WE SEE THE WHITE STUFF! YUPPERS WE ARE EXCITED! WEWANT TO THANK EACH ONEWHO STEPS FORWARD AND LENDS A HAND! MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK! OFFICERS FOR UPCOMING SEASON ARE AS FOLLOWS! PRESIDENT ~Deb Long Treasurer~ Steve Bechard Trail Master ~Rick Long Assistant~Shawn Southard Club Board of Directors~ Earl Cummings ,Rick Long ,Chad Lane, Chris Smith ,Chris Cummings & Roger Bouchard! Thank you All for your Dedication of Vol unteerism it’s Greatly Appreciated! Until Next Time Keep On Keeping On! Deb Long :) Hi Gang, Here I am typing right on the deadline, as the winds from hurricane Fiona have taken my WIFI out for the last two days!! Only have a couple of things to talk about so here goes. Our annual Landowner Appreciation BBQ was held at club President Keith Sanford’s home in conjunction with the Katahdin Val ley Wheelers ATV Club. The meal of smoked beef/pork,pulled pork, chicken, salads, des serts was prepared by Keith, with members from both clubs lending a hand. Along with a great turnout from our landowners, we had some special guests including present MSA President Alan Swett, past MSA President, John Monk & wife Melanie, and 2022 Snow mobilier Of The Year, Ossie Stanley from the East Branch Sno Rovers. Everyone seemed to have a great time, even when the power went out for over an hour. Thank you to all who made this a great event. Memberships are coming in at a record pace, and we may be in membership record territory again this season. Trail work has already started, and with the 50--60 mph gusts for the last couple days I think the guys are going to be pretty busy. Our Caribbean Cruise raffle ticket are all gone I am told, but there is always one that shows up -- LOL!! Well, It’s bird season so the Mountain Lion and I are going to take a stroll down on the back 40!! Jim Splan, Reporter @ Large P.S.-- You can shoot 13 birds a day in Benedicta! P.SS. -- You can bag 3 moose in Benedicta! P.SSS -- You can shoot 7 turkeys in Benedicta! P.SSSS -- Not everyone has a mountain lion!! Vice ~Roger Bouchard Secretary~ Kim Qualey Membership~ Heather Willett BENEDICTA SNOW GANG Benedicta, ME

CHAPMAN RIDGE RUNNERS sc Mapleton, ME

The potato trucks keep rolling by and we can hear the harvesters going on early morn ings and until late into the evening. It’s a rite of passage, just like getting the trails ready for

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