Bow Pioneers Snowmobile Club

One of our first priorities is to improve the trail system along the new Corridor 11 trail from Turkey Pond all the way to the Old Town Hall and into the Southern end of Branch Londonderry Turnpike. The Trail needs widening in areas and a few small bridges and some excavator work. The trail to Pages Corner in Dunbarton has been logged and will need some work to clean up from the logging operation. The trail behind the Old town hall has two small water issues that will be eliminated by a small reroute to dry ground. The 371 trail connector from the Boucher Intersection to Bow Center Road area needs a new bridge or we need to look for an alternate dry route around the swamp. There are also several other small projects in the south end of town along the Lead Line and Robinson road area that need some attention. As we go through the summer season we will start to plan work party dates for this fall.

There has been discussion that we should eliminate some of our grooming equipment. The Trails committee feels strongly that there is a place and purpose for all the existing equipment. The plan is to move the '69 Tucker to the north side of our trail system next winter for use on the Diamond Hill Farm area over to Beech Hill and into the Mast Yard. The club has also been asked by the Tookey club to groom from the Mast Yard into their area, to Rattlesnake Hill. The anticipated coverage area for the '69 Tucker would be approximately 25 miles. Both clubs are in negotiations so that we would get reimbursed for grooming the extra miles within the Contoocook trail system.

After a lengthy discussion Thursday night, the Trails Committee has decided to put forth a motion to the membership at the next general meeting (3-20-08) for the purchase of an ASV Scout and drag. This is an intermediate size grooming machine that Dan Weed, with the assistance of Bureau of Trails (BOT) and MB tractor of Tilton, has acquired for the club to use and be a Beta site for the State of New Hampshire. The machine could also come outfitted with a 1.3 yard dump body making it versatile for both summer and fall trail projects. The approximate cost of the new machine is $50,000. Most of the money would come from state grants with $10,000 coming out of the trails account and $10,000 coming from anticipated fund raising.

The overall consensus of the Trails Committee is that the machine would be a great fit for the twenty miles of trail that it would cover due to its size and maneuverability. The anticipated area of usage would be from Turkey Pond (new Corridor 11) all the way to the Old town hall and possibly past there, down to the 371 intersection to the Trail back to Branch Londonderry Turnpike, the sawmill loop, possibly across the Boucher Trail and back to the High School and with some trail work the Logging Hill loop and Albin road loop by the Ball Fields. The Trails Committee believes that this machine will improve the quality and safety of our trails and make them easier to maintain.

This purchase became more necessitated this past fall when BOT denied the club reimbursement money for one of our old snowmobile style groomers (due to age) and the cost of maintaining the aging Skandic fleet increases each year. The purchase will give us more flexibility and coverage in the smaller parts of the trail system in town

The '99 Tucker would be left on the south side of town to cover the remaining 30 miles of trail, from the High School to the School forest and Town forest over into Nottingcook Forest and back on corridor trail 371 to the area covered by the ASV Scout.

Any areas left that the "bigger machines" can't get to would be handled by the remaining Skandics. The 97 and 02 Skandics are holding up well but the 95 is starting to need some substantial repairs. With the existing equipment and the purchase of the Scout it would give the trail system better coverage with the right type of equipment for each area. The trail committee members have been training some new operators for the Tuckers. We would like to invite people to come grooming with us so they can see what is involved. If you don't make it this year there is always next season.

We hope that this has been beneficial to all of the club members and look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Respectfully,
The Trails Committee