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(4/25/23) We continue to make progress with growing the club. Over the past 2 seasons we have done the following…

New Trail Head Aluminum Signs with QR Codes installed at trailheads and intersections where sledders can use their phone’s camera to scan and access our website for important information such as trail updates, where to eat, buy gas and lodging options.

Our First Ever Website!  Our new website is simple and effective giving information on trail conditions (updated every 3-4 days during the season), lodging, where to eat, local trails and links to other clubs that our trails connect to.  You can view it here at: eastgrandsnowmobiling.com or use our new 2nd web address: Mainesnowmobiling.com

Increased Memberships from 37 in 2021 to 117 in 2023,  before we had a website, we would end up with about 40 members per season. Now with the ability to join and make payments and donations online, we increased our memberships to 59 last season and 119 this season, a record high for sure! This is our 2nd season with a website and we log on and maintain it often!

Better Signing: We set a goal of continued improvements to our signage with the end goal being safety and assisting sledders new to the area with finding their way around easily and all the feedback is saying it is working very well! March 5th we had a sign inspection done along with our trails GPS updated. George Hurteau, Recreational Trail Coordinator with the Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry & BPL, gave us high marks on our trails!

New Local Loop Trail: This is our 3rd season with our new local 12-mile loop trail #7 that serves the majority of camps and businesses in the Greenland Cove and Sandy Beach Road areas on East Grand Lake. It used to be a one way 5-mile dead end trail ending at the Boulder Road. This is a huge improvement and it is multi use. The local ATV club uses it as well. An improvement with recreational riding in our area for sure!

100 Mile Loop: we’ve been promoting by sharing a link on our website and through social media with what we call a 100-mile loop over four local snowmobile club trails including Quad County Snowmobile Club in Springfield to our southwest, Linneus Sno sports to our north, and Eastern Maine Snow Riders to our west in Reed Plantation. As a result, we’re seeing a lot more through traffic on our ITS Connector Trail 105 as many are discovering the trails south of interstate 95. Many coming from the Sherman area are looking for trails less traveled. See supporting documents. Talking with a local who lives south of town and in view of trail 105, Carl commented that he has seen way more traffic this winter on the trial then any of the previous 13 years he has lived here!

Northern Maine Snowmobile Trails Map 2022-2023: We worked with the folks at Visitaroostook.com to get our trails updated on the present map. We also encouraged the only gas station and restaurant serving lunch & dinner in town to buy an advertisement so folks could easily find gas & food from the map.  See supporting documents.

Higher Usage of our Trails: we’re seeing more traffic and hearing from many that our trails are a well keep secret, well maintained and less traffic than the trails to our north.  Local businesses report increased sales as a result.

From 2 to 8 Lodging Partners: There are now over 100 beds trailside in the East Grand Lake area offered by our lodging partners in the towns of Danforth and Weston setting us up for future economic growth making the East Grand Lake area a sledding destination!

Five Certified Groomer Operators: We’ve gone for 3 to 5 certified groomer operators which gives us better consistency when it comes to grooming our trails during the peak season. There is nothing more frustrating when you are short on groomer operators and they/we are all off sledding and unavailable to get the trails in good shape during peak season!

New One Mile Reroute:  This past November, we had a landowner issue intown which threatened to shut down our Connector Trails 105. Our local game warden Tyler Leach visited with the land owner and reported back that he thought it was best to processed with a reroute so as not to lose the trail during the sledding season. Our members sprang into action gaining permission to build this 105 reroute keeping trail 105 open for traffic north and south as well as accessing the region’s only fuel. We also went from more than 12 land owners that we crossed over down to three!  This trail will be multi use and the local ATV club chipped in funds to assist with this last-minute project!

Landowner Appreciation Dinner: Wee had what is our first landowner appreciation dinner in many years with over 30 in attendance.

Our Next Steps/Goals:

Land Purchase and a Groomer Garage: We’ve never owned property with a building to store our machines in.  On March 23rd, we made an offer on a piece of land strategically located on our trail system in town Danforth directly across from the Millyard restaurant and the region’s only gas station and it was accepted! Our next step is to build a groomer garage to store our machines in. Presently, our machines are stored in a building that one of our members has. He owns a construction business and when his equipment comes out in the spring, we’re able to store our machines during the summer into the fall but this is not a long-term solution.

Professional Grant Writers: We are actively engaging professional grant writers to assist us with pursuing and finding grants for our club for brush cutting equipment and to fund our groomer garage. Our efforts to promote the region as a sledding destination work well with the overall vision of the Greater East Grand Region Economic Council.

Our Trail Extending to The South: We used to have a trail towards Vanceboro but it shut down many years ago due to lack of involvement. The Vanceboro Lambert Lake Snow Hounds to our southeast recently purchased a ‘new to them’ New Holland tractor and drag from another club and we are in discussions with extending our trail south to the Forest City Road and the Vanceboro/Lambert Lake Snow Hounds are very interested in connecting to us at the Forest City Road. With our 2nd machine, this is very doable. We’ll be submitting plans to Joe Higgins.

 

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New Groomer, Trail Reroute, Volunteers Needed

(12-28-22) Trails are still not open, only 7 out of 45.5 trails have been inspected and blow downs removed after the heavy rains and wind storm. We’re really in need of volunteers to give us a hand clearing downed trees from the trails so we can be ready to groom once we do have enough snow. If you can help, please contact us, every bit helps as we are few in number.

(12-23-22) We’re excited to put our new to us 2006 John Deere 6420 into use this season. We purchased from the Presque Isle Snowmobile Club this past fall. this machine has 1/2 the hours (2500) of our older John Deere 6420, a 10′ wide drag with a 2010 upgraded undercarriage. It looks like we have a buyer for our older machine and the sale should happen next week.  This will be our 3rd season having two machines to groom with vs one. The 1 mile reroute intown came as a last minute surprise learning in October that there was a very good chance we wouldn’t have our trail in town this season due to some landowner issues so we felt it was best to do what we have talked about for a few years now, rerouting 105 in to town over 3 landowners vs 16 (see map of reroute on our trails webpage).  The trail has been completed and just needs to be signed, many thanks to those full time workers JOsh, Ryan, Clay & Troy, Ron and Eric that made this happen on their time off!  After Christmas we’ll get out to finish signing, cut blown downs and low leaning trees over the trail. But we’ll need a good snow storm or two before we can groom trails. We’re few in number and most active members work full time so we are dependent upon the help of others to step up and give us a hand removing brush and trees before we can groom. Contact Dave, Troy or Ryan if you can help (click on contact webpage).  Ryan Wellington has cut 1 mile of trail 105 in Weston with his excavator and mulch head made passible with a generous donation from Rick & Kathleen Pettengill.  We have about 3.5 miles we would like to cut from the Number 9 Road to the bridge over Scagrock Stream if anyone wants to help cut or make a generous donation of a mile or part of a mile. The cost is $1400 per mile and takes about ten hours with using the excavator &  mulch head. We’ll keep you updated and joining our club helps financially as every bit helps! Note, joining can all be done online using a credit card, family/individual memberships are only $30 and business memberships are $60, thanks in advance for your support! LINK: https://eastgrandsnowmobiling.org/join/ DONATE: https://eastgrandsnowmobiling.org/donate/

Our New 2006 John Deere 6420 Tractor with 10′ wide Drag

Intown Trail Reroute

 

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2004 John Deere 6420 Tractor with Gilbert System & Drag For Sale

FOR SALE: 2004 John Deere 6420 in good condition with the Gilbert System. 9’6″ wide drag. the tractor measures 9’5″ wide at the tracks. 5015 hours. $38,000.00 Contact club president Troy Fish at 207-538-6980, reason for selling is we are upgrading.

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East Grand snowmobile Club Meeting 6/14/22

Attendants: Ryan Fish, Kasi Fish, Troy Fish, Dave Conley, Josh Jones, Eric Young, Clay

  • 2021-2022 Memberships: 27 Business and 32 Family memberships for a total of 59 Memberships.
  • Still waiting for the grant money for this past season to come in.
  • Club sled still needs to be serviced
  • Crane Matts over a stream on 105S need to be reset.
  • Good feedback from the re-route going around a landowner in Haynesville
  • Is there something that can be done about the mud hole/trough on Scagrock?
  • 105North for brush- Needs some brushing completed. And brushing of the underbrush.
  • Brush Cutter- needs to be fixed this fall before it is ready to use.
  • First Aid kits were put together for each of the 2 groomers and the club sled.
  • Need to fix ruts between the horseback and reservation road. Will take the excavator in once land is dry enough. Also ruts behind trailside that needs to be fixed.
  • Stump behind Morse old house 105S needs to be cut. May be able to dig it out with the excavator
  • Dave will follow up with Matt Apgar about bush hogging in August trail 105S
  • Pursuing replacing our John Deere tractor and drag for a newer machine. Ryan, Josh and Dave took a ride to check it out

 

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East Grand Snowmobile Club Latest News

(4-29-22 Update) the 2021-22 season has come and gone and was way too short for our liking. Lack of snow played into it with grooming taking place mid January to the middle of February. While the trails remained open longer then that, we just didn’t receive the snowfall to keep grooming. We did accomplish completing our first ever website, double our membership from the previous year, and placed new welcoming signs with QR codes at our trailheads and other key areas along the trail were folks could log onto the website for the latest trail conditions, make a donation and gain information on lodging, fuel & meals. Ryan & Josh put many hours into upgrading and installing a new brush cutter while Troy tackled electrical issues with our John Deere. Looking ahead to the 2022-23 season identifying some of the bigger needs include how to more efficiently remove brush from the trail while only having a handful of volunteers to do the work. We’ll discuss fixed cutter blades with very sharp cutter plates that can remove whips and smaller branches the hang out in the trail interfering with sledders. Work needs to be done on 105 south of town with a small bridge over a stream as well as bush hogging in the fall. Josh Jones has proven himself as a groomer operator and passed the online quiz receiving his certification as a groomer operator. Josh was a candidate for groomer operator because of his commitment to working on the groomer drag (welding) & his willingness to get out to sign and brush trails. We welcome others to get involved with the 2022-23 season and thank you all for your support! THINK SNOW in 2023!

 

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East Grand Snowmobile Club Update 1-8-22

(1-14-22) All of trail 105 north and south of Danforth cleared of blow downs and signed. Deep ruts just south of town will need about a foot of snow before we can groom and we advise waiting until we are able to groom them or you’ll experience a rough ride! Caution, logging is taking place on the Kimble Farm Road (105), just off Route 1 in Weston and for about 2 miles. they should be done be the end of next week. The Chadwick Point Road from two mile turn and north for about 2 miles will be plowed and logging activity taking place on that stretch this winter. Some logging is taken place on the Blaine Williams property and just behind the East Grand School. Caution, a cable is up on a the school property, sleds can get around but we are waiting for the school to remove so we can get the groomer through that part of 105 when we are ready to groom. We have yet to complete signing on local trail 1 behind the Weston town office to the Butterflied Landing Road so not sure about blown downs on that stretch of woods closest to the Butterfield Landing Road. The east side of Sucker Lake, trail 7, has been signed, a few sections have not been checked for blow downs. We do what we can but we all have jobs and are few in number. As always, we can use volunteers to go remove blow downs and remove overhanging brush on the trails. Contact Troy or Ryan if you can help. We’ll update trail conditions often and let you know when we begin grooming.

(1-8-22) The delay of snow has allowed us to get much needed work done. Josh and Ryan completed installing a brush cutter on the Bombardier drag, we’ve removed blow downs and signed 105 south of Danforth and north of Danforth 2 miles up the trail of where the trail crosses over route 1 in Weston.  Trail 7 loop trail has been signed and while the section on the east side of Sucker lake needs to be checked for blow downs, everything else is fine. This morning we put a crane matt back in place over a stream  on 105 south of Danforth. Next week and before our first good snowfall, we plan on checking for blow downs, signing, including signing the reroute south of the powerline and north of the bridge over Scagrock Stream (east of and around the end of the plowed road that has a year around residence on it). New trailhead signs have been put up at the end of 105S, Boulder and Wichita Brook Roads. We always welcome volunteers that would take it upon themselves to head north with their snowmobile or tracked side by side with a chain saw removing anything in the trail that would prevent a groomer or snow sled from getting through. Another section to check for trees across the trail  would be the east side of Sucker Lake from the Boulder Road north.  Call Troy or Ryan if you are willing to help. See contact info at bottom of the webpage and thank you in advance for your help!

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East Grand Snowmobile Club News (12-25-21)

(12/25-21) Merry Christmas snowmobile friends and supporters! Ryan and Josh are finishing up with the brush cutter install on the Bombardier drag which will be put to good use the first couple of times out. Next week we’ll finish signing,, installing new trail heads signs and checking for blow downs. Check back often for updates.

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East Grand Snowmobile Club

(11-16-21) We’re busy this fall and early winter preparing for the upcoming 2021-22 snowmobile season. Shortly you’ll be able to join our club online and make donations using pay pal, a credit or debit card. We’ve ordered new custom signage for our trail heads, off the Boulder and Wichta Brook Roads, the Millyard (gas and food) and at the trail intersection (105 & local trail 1) in the field behind the Weston Town office.  Signs have QR codes so you can scan your phone’s camera to get the latest trail conditions, find local services, join or make a donation. Our John Deere tractor has just had major repairs completed and will be ready for use this upcoming season. Josh Jones is spearheading fabricating and adding a brush cutter bar to our Bombardier tractor and drag to be used for light brush cutting off to the sides of the trails. With wood being harvested south of the bridge over Scagrock Brook (105), the bridge over Scagrock Brook will receive much needed repairs. Harvesting should be completed before January. A new trail reroute by passes a year around resident near the end of the plowed Scagrock Brook Road. If you’re north bound you’ll cross over Scagrock Brook and in a short distance, the new trail will be off to your right rejoining the existing trail well south of the powerline. If you’re south bound, after leaving the powerline and in about 1.5 miles, the new trail reroute will be off to your left. Matthew Apgar has been hired to bush hog and has completed trail 105S and some fields in Weston. There is a logging operation taking place on trail 105 closer to Danforth on the Two Mile Turn and Chadwick Point Roads,  we’ll keep you updated on these woods operations and other happenings as the season approaches. Concerning trail 105 when travelling through in town Danforth north and south, in the past, a 1/2 mile of tar was necessary to ride over when traveling south through Danforth on your way to Springfield or north through town when coming from the Springfield direction. Back in 2018, we rerouted the trail so that 1/2 mile section in town has been reduced to less then 200 yards over 3 sections. A great improvement over the past.