There snow in them hills!

All of these pics were taken today in the Log Job and Camel's Hump State Park. Get it while the gettings good.

Trails are open

We have some good news to report this evening. Our trails are open once again and the conditions are improving.

With the return to cold temps and a couple of light snowfalls the groomers were able to get out during the week and groom our upper elevation trails including the Log Job and Camel's Hump park. Conditions are very thin on the lower elevation terrain and it is highly recommended that you ride with the utmost caution since early season conditions do exist.

Have a great weekend!

January 2008 Newsletter

January 2008 NEWSLETTER

President: Art Dages (496-2577)
Vice President: Howard Emerson III
Secretary: Cathi Dages
Treasurer: Lois De Heer
Trail Master: Marty De Heer (496-7051)
Ass’t Trail Master: Paul Pizzale (496-4476)
Safety Officer: Skip Wallace (244-1580)

We had our January meeting at the Fayston Town Hall on Tuesday, January 8, 2008. Thirteen members attended.

Thanks to the great early snow and the hard work of our groomers the Annual Hot Dog Roast was a huge success. Members enjoyed a ride around Camel’s Hump loop and then hot dogs roasted on an open fire at Skip and Brenda’s house. Thanks Skip and Brenda for hosting the ride.

Depending on the weather the overnight ride to Saint J’s will be February 9th and 10th and will be limited to 20 members. Call Kathi Orr at 496-4161 if interested.

Next meeting will be Tuesday, February 5, 2008 7:00 PM at the Fayston Town Hall. Hope to see you there!!

Trails are closed for now.

The weather was brutal this week and with 60 degree temps and a couple of days of steady rain there isn't much left besides open water bars and mud holes. The good news is that there is a storm forecasted for early next week and cold weather is on the way.

Trail Stake Shots

Doug Wilson took these photos back in the late fall of his twin sons helping out with trail work and staking the trails. The rumor is that Santa brought the boys a Polaris 120 for Christmas. We will try to post some photos of the boys with their new sled later in the season.

More pics from Sunday's Hot Dog Roast.

Brenda sent us some more excellent pics of last Sunday's hot dog roast. Thanks to Brenda and Skip for having the club over to their place for an awesome cookout.

Hot Dog Roast & Ride

The Ridge Runners held their annual Hot Dog Roast & Ride on Sunday. We went for a ride around the Camel's Hump loop and then roasted dogs at Skip and Brenda's place. The trails were in great shape and we had a blast.

12/31 Trail Report

The 6" of powder we received Sunday night and Monday morning did wonders for our trail conditions and thanks to the Ridge Runners groomers we have some great riding. These are some of the best early season conditions we have had in years so get out there and ride. Keep in mind that there are still some open waterbars and the ground is still not frozen in places so please proceed with caution.

New Jersey Trooper helps out the club

Club member Chris Wozniak getting in some chainsaw time, clearing blowdowns on the trail. Chris is a NJ State Trooper spending some vacation time helping out the club. Thanks Chris.

Grooming Report

The Mad River Ridge Runners grooming fleet has been busy the last couple of days. Skip was out for 12 hours on Saturday and rolled the Camel's Hump loop all the way to the suspension bridge and back and then down to the Duxbury Store. Doug and Art went out yesterday and rolled the trail into town and then backtracked to Kenyon's and onward to the Duxbury Store.

Here are some pics that Art took while out grooming on Sunday.

Opening Day Nor'easter

Today's Nor'easter set us up for one of the finest days of powder riding that we can remember on opening day.

Thanks to the hard work of our exceptional volunteer groomers several of our trails including the Camels Hump loop to the suspension bridge at the Winooski River and back were in excellent shape today. Grooming will continue this week and conditions will improve as the trails set up.

Early season conditions do exist so watch out for fallen trees, stumps, rocks, open waterbars, and other hazards.

December 2007 Newsletter

December 2007 Newsletter

President: Art Dages (496-2577)
Vice President: Howard Emerson III
Secretary: Cathi Dages
Treasurer: Lois De Heer
Trail Master: Marty De Heer (496-7051)
Ass’t Trail Master: Paul Pizzale (496-4476)
Safety Officer: Skip Wallace (244-1580)

We had our Annual Holiday Potluck, Yankee Gift Exchange and December meeting at the Fayston Town Hall on Tuesday, December 4,2007. Fifteen members attended.

The trails will open on Sunday, December 16th. Please refrain from riding on the trails until the official opening.

The Annual Hot Dog Roast will be Sunday, January 6, 2008. We will meet at Kenyon’s and will depart on sleds at 11am. Please bring your own hot dogs and drinks.

There is still time to take advantage of the VAST TMA Early Bird Program. After this Saturday, December 15th the price increases $30 for regular TMA’s. They can be purchased at Kenyon’s Variety Store or the Duxbury Store.

The first weekend in February is a tentative date for an overnight ride. More information to follow after the next meeting.


Next meeting will be the second Tuesday of the month, January 8, 2008 7:00 PM due to the holiday at the Fayston Town Hall. Hope to see you there!!

Snowmobile Safety Class

The Ridge Runner's safety officer Skip Wallace with the assistance of Tony Amenta taught our annual Snowmobile Safety Class at Reggie Orr's Shop this week. We had a strong turnout with 13 participants and everyone passed the class. It was great to see that this new generation of sledders is so enthusiastic about snowmobiling.

2002 Arctic Cat ZL 800EFI For Sale

2002 Arctic Cat ZL 800EFI
5,775 miles
144 studs
Rebuilt motor last season, new pistons & jugs
Excellent running sled in good condition
Majority of miles in Quebec
Stored in heated garage
$1,999.

Contact Art Dages at (802)496-2577

November 2007 Newsletter

November 2007 NEWSLETTER

President: Art Dages (496-2577)
Vice President: Howard Emerson III
Secretary: Cathi Dages
Treasurer: Lois De Heer
Trail Master: Marty De Heer (496-7051)
Ass’t Trail Master: Paul Pizzale (496-4476)
Safety Officer: Skip Wallace (244-1580)

We had our November meeting at the Fayston Town Hall on Tuesday, November 6, 2007. Nine members attended.

Our Annual Raffle Dinner was a tremendous success. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make it a fun evening. A special thanks to the Kenyon’s. We would not have had such a great turn out without all their help and hard work.

TMA News: Lots of changes this year!
• Visit the VAST website for TMA questions http://vtvast.org/TMA/Form-info.htm
• Early Bird - Purchase your TMA prior to 12/15/07 to receive a 30% discount
• Forms are clearly marked for the type of TMA to be purchased (see attached)
• Non-resident Land Owner TMA’s – Remember you will need a copy of your 2007 paid tax bill
• Family TMA’s - snowmobiles must be registered to the same family member or the same family member's name must appear on each registration as the co-owner & same mailing address. First two TMAs purchased at the "Early Bird" or "Regular Season" rate for Regular or Volunteer categories. The third, fourth, fifth or any subsequent TMAs sold at 1/2 the applicable Regular rate
• Grooming Contribution- A donation to a grooming fund will go directly to our club
• Vermont Snow Trails Conservancy – A land trust to preserve open land for all winter recreation in Vermont. Your donation will go directly to VAST and is tax deductible

Holiday Pot Luck and Yankee Gift Exchange
Please bring a dish to share, drinks for yourself and a gift (no more than $10.00) for the Yankee Gift exchange to the December meeting.

Trail work continues! The work crew meet every Saturday @ 8am at Kenyon’s.

Next meeting and annual HOLIDAY POT LUCK DINNER/ YANKEE GIFT EXCHANGE: Tuesday December 4, 2007 6:00 PM at the Fayston Town Hall. Hope to see you there!!

Please contact Tony ( vastridgerunner@gmail.com ) if you have anything to be posted to the blog.

Trail Work Saturday November 3

Club members Reggie, Doug, Kevin, Skip, and Tony were out debrushing the trail from Reggie Orr's shop to the bottom of the steep pitch on the way up to Huntington. Doug brought out his New Holland tractor and moved several large hemlocks that had fallen along the trail during recent wind storms. Kerv and Skip also assisted in cleaning out a culvert that was completely clogged with leaves and debris.




The trail crew meets each and every Saturday morning at Kenyons store at 8AM. Working on the trails is a great way to get in shape for the upcoming season and we could sure use your help.

Raffle Dinner

The Mad River Ridge Runners held another successful raffle dinner at the Montpelier Elks Club on Saturday October 20th. This dinner is the major fund raiser for the club and proceeds are used towards trail and bridge improvements. Special thanks go out to all of those businesses who donated this years prizes, our hard working club members who helped plan out and run this event and the folks at Poor Farm Trading for the donation of the Polaris sled.



Images by Marty Deheer.

October 2007 Newsletter

October 2007 NEWSLETTER

President: Art Dages (496-2577)
Vice President: Howard Emerson III
Secretary: Cathi Dages
Treasurer: Lois De Heer
Trail Master: Marty De Heer (496-7051)
Ass’t Trail Master: Paul Pizzale (496-4476)
Safety Officer: Skip Wallace (244-1580)

We had our October meeting at the Fayston Town Hall on Tuesday, October 2, 2007. Eleven members attended.

Congratulations to Doug Wilson for receiving the Carmi Duos “Aim for Excellence Award”. This award is presented to a member who has shown outstanding contributions to snowmobiling. We are proud to recognize Doug for his dedication and hard work.

Don’t forget our Annual Raffle Dinner will be held on Saturday, October 20th at the Montpelier Elk’s Club. Social hour will begin at 6:00 pm and dinner will be at 7:00 pm.

New TMA changes will take effect this season, be sure to check the VAST newsletter or website for changes. www.vtvast.org

VAST is also offering an Early Bird TMA that will save you up to 30% over the regular season. In order to get that savings, you must purchase your TMA prior to December 15, 2007. TMA’s will again be available at Kenyon’s or the Duxbury store

We are still hard at work on the trails and need volunteers. The work crew meet every Saturday @ 8am at Kenyon’s.

Next meeting: Tuesday November 6 at 7:00 PM at the Fayston Town Hall. Hope to see you there!!

Harwood Bridge Day 2

The trail crew completed the reconstruction of the long bridge behind Harwood Union High School today and we now have a 14' wide bridge that should last for years to come. We had a good turnout of volunteers that included Art, Reggie, Kevin, Marty, Doug, Paul, Nicholas, and Tony.

We still have 80 miles of trails to brush so please come out and join us at Kenyons on Saturday mornings at 8AM. We need your help.

Harwood Bridge

The trail crew was out Saturday morning before the rain moved in. They stripped off the old decking and cut down some old dead leaning trees. Paul's tractor with the PTO winch was awsome. The lumber will be delivered during the week and next Saturday we will be re-decking the bridge.



Photos by Art Dages.

New Bridge At Turner's Farm

The volunteer trail crew was busy in September and rebuilt the bridge at the Turner Farm in Waitsfield. Special thanks to Marty De Heer, Paul and Nicholas Pizzale, Reggie Orr, and Kevin Van Schaick for all of their hard work and for our beautiful new bridge.

We still have another bridge to rebuild behind Harwood Union High School and 80 miles of debrushing to complete before the snow falls. Please come out and lend a hand, we need your help more than ever this fall. The trail crew meets each and every Saturday morning at Kenyons in Waitsfield. New and old members are always welcome.





All images were taken by Kevin Van Schaick

40th Annual VAST Meeting

The 40th Annual VAST Meeting was held on Saturday at the Champlain Valley Exposition.

Doug Wilson, Mary De Heer, Art Dages, and Tony Amenta represented the Mad River Ridge Runners.

The highlight of the meeting was when our own Doug Wilson was presented the Carmi Duos "Aim For Excellence Award" by VAST president Ann Shangraw. Congratulations go out to Doug for winning this prestigous and well deserved award.

There were several antique sleds on display including this Raider twin track snowmobile in mint condition.

The night ended with the cutting of the 40th Anniversary Cake.

September 2007 Newsletter

September 2007 NEWSLETTER

President: Art Dages (496-2577)
Vice President: Howard Emerson III
Secretary: Cathi Dages
Treasurer: Lois De Heer
Trail Master: Marty De Heer (496-7051)
Ass’t Trail Master: Paul Pizzale (496-4476)
Safety Officer: Skip Wallace (244-1580)

We had our September meeting and annual pot luck dinner at the Fayston Town Hall on Tuesday, September 4, 2007. Nineteen members attended.

Our Annual Raffle Dinner will be held on Saturday, October 20th at the Montpelier Elk’s Club. 100 tickets are being sold at $110.00 and will be available for pick up after October 1, 2007 at Kenyon’s. A ticket is a chance to win a 2008 Polaris Supersport 550 sled and a voucher for 2 dinners. Social hour will begin at 6:00 pm and dinner will be at 7:00 pm. It’s a lot fun and a good night out with your friends and neighbors. Volunteers are needed to help. Donations are also requested as raffle prizes. If you have a prize to donate please contact any club officer for pick up.

Be sure to read the current issue of the VAST News. There are a lot of proposed TMA changes to take effect this season. Those changes will be voted on and finalized at the Annual VAST meeting on September 29th.

As with every Fall season there is plenty of trail work to be completed. Two bridges need to be re-decked and the trails need to be debushed and signed. Volunteers are needed. The work crew meet every Saturday @ 8am at Kenyon’s. Come on out, it’s a good time to be on the trails. It’s a great time to meet club members and enjoy the outdoors. Just bring work gloves, water, and a box lunch.

MRRR blog site is: http://madriverridgerunners.blogspot.com.
Please contact Tony ( vastridgerunner@gmail.com ) if you have anything to be posted. This site is updated regularly and provides current information about club happenings.

Next meeting: Tuesday October 3rd 7:00 PM at the Fayston Town Hall. Hope to see you there!!

Cider House BBQ and Pub

We added a new link to the clubs blog today. The Cider House BBQ and Pub is located on the trail just over the suspension bridge in Waterbury. You might remember the location as the old Farr's Roadhouse. Don't forget to check them out this winter.

2007-2008 SEASON KICK-OFF NEWSLETTER

President: Art Dages (496-2577)
Vice President: Howard Emerson III
Secretary: Cathi Dages
Treasurer: Lois De Heer
Trail Master: Marty De Heer (496-7051)
Ass’t Trail Master: Paul Pizzale (496-4476)
Safety Officer: Skip Wallace (244-1580)


2007-2008 SEASON KICK-OFF NEWSLETTER

The first club meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 at the Fayston Town Hall. We start the season with a Potluck dinner beginning at 6:00 pm. Please bring a dish to share and your own drinks. Club business will start at 7:00 pm.

Our Annual Raffle Dinner will be, Saturday, October 20th at the Elk’s club in Montpelier. 100 tickets at $110.00 will be raffled for a new snowmobile. If you would like to donate a raffle prize or are willing to help request gifts from local businesses please contact Kathi Orr at 496-4161.

Trail maintenance is scheduled for every Saturday and will begin September 8, 2007. If you are available please meet at Kenyon’s at 8:00am. We have new projects and regular trail maintenance and will need lots of help.

To receive newsletters via email please notify Tony Amenta at vastridgerunner@gmail.com

Next meeting: September 4, 2007 – 7:00 PM at the Fayston Town Hall. Potluck starts at 6:00 PM