BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The snowmobile season ends on Monday, and some in the sport say this winter left a lot to be desired.
The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) says with the exception of some pockets throughout the state, this was one of the worst riding seasons in recent memory.
Nathan Lafont is the president of Green Mountain Roamers, a snowmobile club in Waterbury. He says the club benefits from their trails being on Mount Mansfield State Forest’s high elevation, but the conditions were never consistent.
“I think we closed and opened four or five times with these last three big storms. They would totally melt out like you see here, and then we’d get, you know, two feet. We’d be able to open for four or five days and it would melt out again,” said Nathan Lafont of Green Mountain Roamers.
Jeff Fay of the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers says they’re down slightly in membership, only selling 18,000 passes this year, which is 2,000 less than last year.
“If you don’t have a trailer if you’re not willing to, you know, chase the snow where it is. It’s, you know, it’s it’s a little tough,” said Fay.
Due to lower revenue and higher costs with trail repairs from last summer’s flooding, the club has to watch their spending.
However, Fay says the increased price of passes and low grooming expenses worked in their favor.
“Winters like this are tough on clubs. They put all the work in in the fall and don’t get the benefit of riding in the wintertime. So it just plummets morale,” he said.
Riders are putting this season in the rearview and are revved up for the season ahead.
“A lot of goals for next year,” said LaFont.
And if you do want to hit the trails for the last weekend of the season, be sure to check the VAST map to make sure trails are open, because most are already closed.