VAST | FEBRUARY 2025
It’s a VAST Universe
A few weeks ago, CVEDC staff photographer and media coordinator Shannon Alexander and I had the absolute pleasure of being invited to the 46th Annual Dick Page Ride-In hosted by the Buckaroos of 302.
Executive Director Cindy Locke kindly welcomed us to the event so we had an opportunity to learn more about the organization’s more than fifty years supporting the vibrant people and trails of Vermont’s snow traveling community.
I knew absolutely nothing about this organization, including its role in the regional economy, so joining the event and learning more was really exciting for me.
With the snow sparkling under bright blue skies, happy riders began arriving to the Groton Town Garage well ahead of the BBQ’s planned start time. They were of all ages and the snowmobiles were of different sizes and types. We learned that they range in cost from around $3,500 to $35,000 on average, meaning there is quite a range of choices to select from.
Inside the garage, people of all ages took off their helmets and shared a hot meal of pretty incredible BBQ chicken, raising funds for the local club.
The mood was happy and high energy but not loud or overwhelming. It was clear all were welcome and that both old friendships and new ones were being celebrated around us.
Statewide, VAST supports 127 community clubs like the Buckaroos of 302. 10 are in Central Vermont. These clubs have over 24,000 combined members who are traveling to sights and places in Vermont you can’t access any other way via 4,700 miles of trails.
Thousands of passionate volunteers maintain the trails’ grooming and signage, with the revenue the clubs raise typically going to the trail grooming equipment. Each club typically has one groomer. Maintenance is year-round, and while the groomer helps prepare the trails in their season of snow use, volunteers come in during all four seasons maintain the trails.
VAST calculates that the snow travel industry brings $500 million of revenue to the Vermont economy. VAST encourages snow travelers to be aware of the local businesses that can be incorporated into a day on the trails. Their popular app helps people out on the trails connect with food and amenities, and each other.
The organization supports regulation, registration, safety and lots of statewide continuity between the many community clubs. They also educate the public about the industry, its needs and what it offers Vermonters.
In the 1950s and 1960s, early versions of the modern snowmobile were used on Vermont farms for getting people, equipment, or feed around the farm in heavy snow. Vermonters quickly began to make use of snowmobiles for recreation and travel. In the past and present, Vermont children get to school via snowmobile using trails that make quicker connections than buses on roads.
80% of VAST’s trails are on private property, emphasizing the way Vermont land is so often shared for multiple purposes. Riders told us consistently that the views seen from snowmobiles are the best views of Vermont, and they are often not accessible in any other way.
The contrast I observed in the magic of VAST is one of something that’s both rare and widely available: special, secret views reachable only by snowmobile on private lands seems exclusive and extraordinary, yet the feeling of the community who gathered for chicken BBQ was incredibly friendly and welcoming. I got the feeling we were all enjoying rare diamonds together, with everyone invited and everyone knowing just how special these experiences are.
Cindy agreed that the sport is very inclusive. There were four generations present at the BBQ, and all four generations were riders. People usually ride with a buddy for safety, she explained, but beyond needing at least one friend, there are not a lot of requirements for participating.
Safety was front and center. Everyone I met was well-versed on safe practices. While there was a sense of fun—a young rider was dressed as a snowman and posed for photos—helmets were always in play and Cindy explained that “safety ambassadors” and State Police assist in training people on safe riding.
Shannon Alexander has been burning the candle at both ends lately covering different projects in our region with her exceptional photography. In a recent conversation, she and I discussed part of what she is able to catch in her photos that tell such powerful stories of the amazing people of Central Vermont and their work. We talked about the concept of capturing joy, in all different types of work.
Joy felt captured, in all its fleeting transience, at the Dick Page Ride-In in Groton. AND IT WAS JOYFUL.
While there are challenges for a community-based organization that needs funding and relies on some predictability of weather both day to day and year to year, VAST shows us all the power of multigenerational living, inclusivity, and the positive shared experience of getting outside and doing something fun together in the winter. Shannon and I felt super fortunate to be invited into this space we’d never knew of before, and the feelings of being welcomed and included in stayed with us for days.
Get out there and do something,and bring your grandma or your grandson with you when you go!
Website: https://vtvast.org/ Location: 26 Vast Lane, Barre, VT 05641 Contact: (802) 229-0005 x118
