The trail grooming equipment and the men who use it

We have been very fortunate to have a dedicated trail administrator over the last few seasons - Steve Miller - and we have also had very good support for our mission from the New Hampshire Trails Bureau, and from all our club members and especially our groomer operators. NH Trails Bureau equipment grants have helped the BMSD club to acquire a significant amount of new club owned equipment in the last several years, including:

- In 2001 we acquired a 2002 Ski-Doo Skandic with a Mogul Master Drag
- In 2002 we acquired a 2003 Ski-Doo Skandic with a Mogul Master Drag
- In 2003 we acquired a 2004 Ski-Doo Skandic with a Mogul Master Drag

As you can tell, we really like the quality trail that can be laid down with the
Ski-Doo Skandic and Mogul Master drag combination. While we aspire to some day run a larger grooming unit in the future, we'll always be very glad to continue to benefit from the personal contributions of club members who donate both their own time and the use of their personal equipment to groom our trail system. The stars in our trail grooming universe have been:

- Warren Legacy, senior trail master and master groomer, and Jonathan Fox, club vice president and groomer operator - both of whom keep our Skandic's moving and regularly take them out laying down the magic on our trails.

- Dennis Peterson and his "hot rod" Cushman. Not just anybody can stuff a V8 engine into a Cushman! You can't miss Dennis when he's out working on laying down a trail - and if you see him - make sure to stop and say hello and thank him for putting down a great trail!

- Briar Freak, and his personal fleet of grooming equipment - including Alpines, a 1950's era Ford tractor on tracks, and for the 2003 - 2004 season a Ski-Doo Bombi.

- David Barton, master machinist and mechanic, and the fleet of Alpine's  and self designed and built drags that he has used over the years. McGyver's got *nothing* on David - if his equipment ever needed a replacement part, the odds are better than even that he fabricated it and installed it himself!  David's dedicating his time to other trails this season, but if you rode in our area last year, chances are you can thank David for having ridden on some of the best trails in the Upper Valley.

- Our trails have also benefited from the dedication and efforts of Fred Reney, Donnie McGuire, Craig McGuire, Dick Beaulieu, Joe Beaulieu, and Norm Beaulieu. We sincerely thank them all (and anyone else I've overlooked!) for their significant contributions.

    (Winter mountain biking with the pooch!)

The 11th annual Radar Run - 2/19/2005:

The Radar Run is held annually on Stocker Pond in Grantham, NH within the first few weeks of January (or February) - weather and ice conditions permitting.  This is an event where friends and family can finally settle the debate about whose snowmobile is the fastest!  Yes - hearts are broken and heads are swollen, but most of all this is an important fundraiser for the club and it is a safe and friendly way to spend some time with other snowmobiling enthusiasts. Come visit us, have fun on the ice, and settle that debate once and for all - at least until next year!

(Sleds, riders, and spectators at the Radar Run on Stocker Pond in Grantham, NH.)

This year's top speed: 130mph

Club donates snowmobile to Grantham Fire Department:

The club was pleased to donate one of it's little used groomers to the Grantham Fire Department/FAST Squad to be used as a rescue machine.  In an ongoing effort to serve the community, the club and the fire department have also developed a list of club members who wish to be called, if needed, in the event of a snowmobile accident.  

The FAST Squad and their newly donated snowmobile.  

(left to right) Paramedic Jill Davis, BSMD trail administrator Steve Miller, firefighter David Beckley, BSMD trailmaster Warren Legacy, EMT Stuart Gillespie, EMT Jeff Figley

Community Dinners:

In an effort to bring club members, landowners, and friends together - we host several fundraising dinners throughout the year.  You can have your choice of either ham and baked beans in the fall or ham and baked beans at the Land Owners Appreciation Dinner in the spring!  We provide great food, reasonable prices, a wonderful atmosphere, and - best of all - you are supporting your local outdoor recreational trail systems. Wonderful supporters contribute a tantalizing array of desserts and side dishes at each of these events. There's also an informal running contest around who brought the tastiest baked beans to share at our Ham and Bean Suppers!

Old Home Day:

Old Home Day is a chance for the Grantham community to celebrate, and the event is held each year around the fourth of July holiday.  The Blue Mountain Snowdusters, Inc founded the Grantham Old Home Day almost 25 years ago and the event continues on, well into the next millennium.  The festivities include a parade through town, softball, Frisbee, and as much fun as you can handle.

Group Rides:

During the winter we have several club snowmobile rides, including the Easter Seals ride, which is a weekend long event that raises money for the Easter Seals. A group of BMSD club members usually rides from the Grantham area up to see the "Old Man" each winter too. There are usually more "local" excursions as well - including rides to Sunapee, the "World Famous" Ruggles Mine, the Park Loop, and other nearby venues. While the Old Man of the Mountain will be missed, the great trails of NH shouldn't be missed!

Conditions:

We have set forth a very aggressive grooming schedule that includes utilizing our 3 Skandics (2002, 2003, and 2004 models) to their fullest potential and we will also be deploying some additional groomers, such as Dennis Peterson’s retrofitted Cushman and Briar Freak's Bombi and other equipment. Now - if it will ever stop raining - we can lay down some awesome trails once again for the 2003 - 2004 season.

The Senior Trail Master has reported excellent riding conditions beyond the North Grantham hut toward Leavitt Pond and Exit 14. You should always use extra caution when riding in the early and late portion of any riding season. Some trail sections will have been re-routed to avoid rocks or washed out spots. And you'll need to be alert for the possibility of open streams and thin ice due to the warmer weather and rainfall that usually comes in these portions of the season.

The Trail System:

Our 2003 Skandic and Mogul Master drag arrived last December 14 and we're anxiously awaiting our 2004 grooming package and the opportunity to put all of our grooming equipment to work on the BMSD club network of recreation trails that is over 80 miles in length.

We have two warm up huts where you can stop, get warmed up, have lunch, and head back out on the trails. Our Sr. Trail Master (Warren Legacy) is responsible for the maintenance of the club equipment and he is the point man to contact (at 863-1061) if there is trail work to be done.

When on our trails you'd better keep your eyes peeled! It's not unusual to catch a glimpse of a moose (or other wildlife) on our trails - so it pays to be alert. And to keep yourself and others safe, ALWAYS KEEP TO THE RIGHT! Additionally, remember, our trails are shared with cross country skiers and other non-motorized recreational users (and are groomed) *at all times* of the day and night. Please respect all recreational users of the BMSD trail network!

Last season Warren and David Barton installed a new gate near exit 14 of  NH Route 89 that was deployed at the request of Mr. Bill Ruger Jr.  Mr. Ruger is by far one of the biggest supporters of the BMSD club, and many of our trails run directly on or thru property that he controls. This new gate is designed to allow legitimate access for snowmobiles and non-motorized traffic and to keep out illegal trespassers in cars and trucks, which have been damaging private property, leaving their trash behind, and causing significant damage to our trails and to the good will that we've established with landowners.  If you see abuse happening on our trail system, please report it to one of our club officers ASAP. Contact information for our club officers is available on our Contact Us page.

For the 2003 - 2004 season, Warren oversaw and worked on massive improvements to the "Sugar Hill" section of trail 396 beginning at Walker Road and heading up the hill towards the North Grantham warming hut. This work was possible thanks to strong support and funding by the NH Trails Bureau, and your snowmobile registration fees! Joining and contributing to a snowmobile club, and registering your snowmobiles is what will keep snowmobiling a viable sport!