MMSC Meeting Minutes

Minutes from January 10, 2012 

The Tucker groomer is reported to be ready for use.

We are still planning for the February 19 Radar Run. The event permit will be applied for and The Meredith Village Savings Bank will be approached regarding sponsoring the event.

Award plaques will be tentatively ordered. We will wait until the last possible day to finalize the order. The Alton Police Department has voiced their desire to participate. They will be contacted.

Minutes from December 13, 2011

The MMSC was the showcase club at the snowmobile show at Irwins Marine on Dec. 3. Thanks to Ray, Vickie, Leslie, and Andrew for their help manning the table. Attendance of the general public at the show was very poor.

Corridor Trail ‘22’ is all set for this year to still use Hussey’s driveway (from Route 28) and grade stakes have been installed to keep sleds off the raised lawn area. Some logging has been done but should be completed before Christmas. There is no access to the sand pit (off Route 28) on Trail ‘M’.  The land owner has completely removed the access bridge and has requested that we bypass the pit by riding on the river for this year.

Excavator work has been completed on Trails ‘M’ and ‘D’. There is still more to do on Trail ‘R’ between Coffin Brook Road and Stockbridge Corner Road which is scheduled for this coming weekend. The rest of Trail ‘R’ is reported to be in ‘pristine’ condition.

Work ranging from minor to complete rebuilds has been done on at least 14 bridges.

The number of renewed memberships stands at very nearly the same as received by this time last year. However, extra donations are down considerably.

Work still needed to be done this coming weekend: Trail ‘D’ will be cleared, a sign at the Mount Major parking lot, and signs dedicating a portion of Trail ‘D’ to Dick Langille need to be put up. The following weekend a bridge on Trail ‘D’ will be repaired.

The Alton Business Association will be holding committee meetings to prepare for the Winter Carnival on every Wednesday at 6:30 PM at the Alton Bay Community Center (the old train station). These meeting will start on December 28 and continue through January. If you are interested in getting involved, please come. The Winter Carnival is scheduled for February 19, 2012.

Report from the County meeting: All groomer operators must hold a NHSA groomer safety training certificate. In the future they are planning to add a second level to this training. The State is looking into adding a $20 extra registration fee to ATV’s which have winter tracks. A large portion of this fee will go towards snowmobile trail grant and aid.  The last weekend in January is a possible date for reciprocity with the states of Vermont and Maine. This means that a sled which is registered in NH will also be able to ride in Vermont and Maine for this weekend only. There is a possibility of making this permanent with the State of Maine.

Minutes from April 12, 2011

There were 8 members present. Financial year end report made. The Club is still financially sound. Future work projects discussed:

Trail ‘D’- Repair and redeck bridge near Alton Mt Rd.

Trail ‘E’- Major brush cutting. Look into property lines for possible reroute to bypass swamp and rocky section. Repair of 2 bridges near Mt Major parking lot.

Trail ‘M’- Thanks to Don W., a complete list has been made of the deteriorated conditions of all the bridges along Rt 11. Repair/replace all as needed. Minor excavator work also needed. Total replacement of large bridge near sand pit. Reroute section of trail to eliminate hair pin turn.

Trail ‘R’- Cutting and brushing to widen trail for better Tucker access.

Corr. Trail ‘22’- Straightening of trail near Route 140. Pursue talks with landowner regarding eventual need to reroute trail near Rt 28 so that project can be planned during optimal weather. Continued search for ways to get trail relocated off paved roads near Frohock Brook Rd.

Phone calls will be made to try to procure as many telephone poles as possible for the needed bridge repair. Norm will provide some decking and prices will be obtained for the remaining needed decking.

Changing environmental conditions are causing the culvert under Route 11 at Jesus Valley Road to remain open water most of the season. Warning signs need to be made. Possible consideration of discontinuing use of trail or marking it ‘local only’ or ‘private.’

A section of trail ‘D’ will be dedicated to Dick Langille. Sign posts have been made. We are still trying to compose the wording for the plaque. E-mail us if you have any suggestions.

Weeks will be contacted regarding getting official permission for a crossing at the rotary. We will also ask him about the possibility of a bridge in the rotary to get snowmobiles away from the rotary edges.

The club will be sponsoring the children’s bounce house at the Contractors show, which is held during Old Home weekend on August 13 at the Profile Bank parking lot. Donald G. has generously donated the money required. We will also have an informational table at the show for a membership drive. Members will be needed to man the table.

Minutes from February 8, 2011

Radar Run- Track is still ok and will be monitored. Snowmobile access in front of Pops Clamshell has been plowed again to make space for 3 parking spaces. Use caution approaching Bay from Conference Center.

The boat ramp will be closed to all motorized vehicles from 10 AM to 4 PM. Arrangements will need to be made to allow sled access for radar run.

We are still planning on joining the Alton Business Association.

We have received grant and aid money and December grooming money.

We have refinanced the Tucker at a much lower interest rate. This will enable us to pay off the loan in 3 years.

T-shirts and hats are available at Olde Bay Diner, Amilyne’s, and Alton Lumber. We are considering whether to carry shirts in only one color (black) in the future.

We have 249 memberships so far this year. This is slightly above where we were at this time last year.

We have started a list for future trail work. These include:
    Widening of sections of ‘R’ for easier Tucker access.
    Replacement of deteriorated bridge decking along ‘M’.
    Replacement of deteriorated bridge decking along Trail ‘D’ at Alton Moutain Road.
    Total bridge replacement on ‘M’ by sandpit because of Tucker using this trail to get fuel.
    A new bridge on the Blue trail.
    We will look into some trail straightening on ‘Corridor-22’ near Route 140.
    We will look into the possibility of rerouting trail to get off Frohock Brook Road area.

Minutes from January 11, 2011

The knitted hats with the club logo are in. They will be sold at $10.00 each and will be available at selected stores. They will also be available on our web site.

There is a trail closure on Trail ‘R’ at the intersection of Dudley Rd and Rt 28. Negotiations are in progress with the land owner to reopen the trail. In the mean time, access can still be made through a longer route.

MMSC is looking into joining the Alton Business Assoc. on a one year trial basis.

The annual Radar Run will be held during the Alton Winter Carnival on February 20, 2011 from 10AM until 2PM. Price per run will be the same as last year. As always, we are in need of volunteers to help run this event. We are also considering holding a Raffle for prizes.

All NHSA raffle tickets need to be sent in to them by January 21.

Paperwork has been submitted to DRED and we are anticipating our reimbursement for the fall construction grant, along with any December grooming.

Minutes from December 14, 2010

Frohock Brook project is complete, basically. There is more brush to be pulled out and maybe chip it in the spring. Some wood to be cut up too. Winter rye grass seed has been spread.

Club shirts and hats. Orders are being placed for T-shirts and long sleeved shirts and two types of hats are being ordered (beanie + basic winter hat) with modified logo.

Discussed possibility of joining the Alton Business Association. Will find out how much it costs.

Discussed directors insurance, again. NHSA still needs to provide better information. Also discussed possibility of looking into our own insurance (liability and groomer liability) next year. This would have to be investigated in May (policy renews July 1).

Need to organize Radar Run, Doug Lynch 520-3294 Chairman. Set up committee(s) and/or organize who will do what. Joanne will contact NH Fish and Game and Frazier Insurance.

Non profit tax return has been filed for year end 6/30/10. Annual report has been filed and fee paid. NH Non profit status has been filed. Next filing is due 2015.

102 memberships have been paid to date this season.

Minutes from November 9, 2010

There were eight members at the meeting.

Work is progressing along Frohock Brook Rd. As requested, by the abutting land owners, the club has rented and chipped all the slash produced while widening the trail. We also cut any hardwood to smaller size and left it for the land owners, which they have removed. An excavator will be brought in to begin regrading the surface and restoring proper drainage.

There have been new bridges constructed along trail ‘R’ near Coffin Brook Rd.

The Tucker will be having maintenance to prepare for the new season thanks to Ben and Leon.

We are still looking into the ramifications of getting involved with the Poker tournament.

We are considering production of MMSC T-shirts and hats.

The Alton Business Assoc. has informed us that they are considering moving the Winter Carnival to an earlier week.

The Gilmanton Club is working on a trail which will eliminate riding on North Rd. This is great news for us as it will enhance riding a large loop of trail and will enable better grooming.

Minutes from October 12, 2010

Club Insurance has been paid -$2,924.00

Loan balance for Tucker - $18,269.00

As of this date the club has a $292.00 negative income for this year.

One of the Skandic groomers is in need of a new drive shaft.

The Grant-n-Aid request must be submitted to the state by Friday. We have requested $12,504.70 but have been told to expect a reduced amount from the state this year.

Work is ongoing on the major improvements to Corr. Trail “22” along Frohock Brook Rd. We are trying to meet with people who have raised concerns regarding the work which is being done there.

A work party is scheduled for Sunday, October 17 at 9:00 A.M. for Frohock Brook Rd. If you can attend, follow Alton Shores Rd to Wendy Drive. There is parking available at the dead end of Wendy Drive and a short walk to the work site.

Work on Trail “R” is progressing.

A 30 foot bridge has been completed and 2 other bridges are underway. We are waiting for the delivery of planking for these additional bridges.

There are trees down all over our trail system. Members are encouraged to walk the trails and clear the debris.

Fish and Game has requested an inventory of trails which are on their land. We are trying to comply with this request. It is not an easy task since they cannot tell us what land they own.

SkiDoo is offering the same promotion as last year. Go to their web site, SkiDoo.com, and send in their simple form. SkiDoo will pay each club $10.00 for each survey that they receive.

We are looking into having T-shirts and winter hats made, with our club logo on them.

Minutes from September 14, 2010

We have applied for and received Tax-Exempt status from the IRS.

Grant and Aid has informed us that we will not receive any more money towards grooming than we received last year. Application for this needs to be sent by 10/15/10.

The large fall project of improving the trail along Frohock Brook Rd will be getting underway soon. Trees and brush need to be cut back along edge section of gullied road. Members are encouraged to start cutting any time. Marking tape may be put up soon as a guide as to where to cut.

The section of Corr. Trail “22” near Rt 28 appears to be still viable for this season. It may have to be rerouted at a later date.

There are reports that the Gilmanton Club will be replacing the ‘little scary bridge’ just outside of Gilmanton Iron Works. Trail improvements will also be made.

The NHSA Raffle tickets are out. Tickets are available for $5.00 each with improved prizes.

Ski-Doo.com is holding its promotion the same as last year. Go to their site and fill one out. The MMSC will receive $10.00 for each one received.

Minutes from April 13, 2010

There were 8 members present.

Treasurers’ report – We are in good shape to pay our installments on the bank loan for the Tucker through the summer. We also have enough money to begin our fall trail improvements.

Due to the lack of snow last season, we received only a nominal amount of reimbursement from the State for grooming.

Election of officers: President – Larry Sullivan, Vice President – Ray Johnson, Treasurer – Joanne Shibley,

Secretary – Leslie Rentel, Trail Master – Bob Bergeron, Trail Administrator – Ben Shibley, Board of Directors –

Ken Hasey, Norm Hillsgrove, and John McAuliffe.

Changes in the By-Laws: Our fiscal year will be the same as used by the NHSA which is July1 through June 30.

The town of Alton has approved our request for permission to improve the trail on Frohock Brook Rd. We still need to look into any other permits which may be required.

We are still in discussion with the land owner about the possibility of Corr. Trail ‘22’ needing to be rerouted near Rt 28 in the near future. A trail bikes and ATVs are prohibited sign has been put up. Please respect the landowners request. We do not want to lose permission to use their land.

We are looking into the possibility of improving a portion of trail ‘E’ from the end of Jesus Valley Rd towards the Mt. Major parking lot.

Minutes from March 9, 2010

There were 8 members present.

The Radar Run was a success. It was a good time with many members volunteering. A modest profit was made. We are planning on holding the event next year. The Alton Winter Carnival is scheduled to be held on Feb. 20, 2011.

Repairs have finally been completed on one of our Skandik groomers thanks to Bob and Glen. It managed to get some grooming done before the season took a bad turn.

Problems with wheeled vehicle usage on parts of Corr. Trail ‘22’ need to be addressed. Land owners will be spoken with regarding placement of additional signs. Letters will be written to town and state authorities.

A sign will be made and placed on the trail at the Mount Major parking lot to make people aware of the fact that the trail and bridges were built and are maintained by the snowmobile club.

Due to the lack of snow, the trail access at Avery Hill Road to Corridor Trail ‘22’ will be chained and locked on 3/10/10.

We have received a letter requesting where horses are allowed on our trail system. A reply will be written. We unfortunately do not know. We requested permission from land owners for access for snowmobiles only. We do not know if they would allow any other use of their land.

We will look into e-mailing the first letter of the new season and the membership application to as many members as possible to save on postage expenses. This e-mail should be sent earlier than in past years.

We are still planning on trying to improve the condition of the trail on Frohock Brook Road. A letter will be written to the Alton Board of Selectmen regarding our plan and requesting permission to proceed.

Improvement on trail ‘R’ between Stockbridge Corner Road and Coffin Brook Road is needed. Measurements for the length of bridging required will be made.

There are numerous trees down on the trails from the last wind storm which will need to be dealt with.

We are in need of a member who is willing to take the responsibility for the upkeep of our land owner permission list.

Agenda for next months meeting to be held on Tuesday, April 13, 2010:
Trail projects and sign requests need to be submitted.
Election of officers.
Review of club by-Laws.

Minutes from January 12, 2010

Logging has been done on Corridor Trail ‘22’ and trail ‘M’ between Route 140 and Route 28. Logging has also been done on trail ‘D’ near Jesus Valley Road there is debris buried under the trail snow. Caution should be used in these areas.

We are beginning to plan for major trail improvement along Frohock Brook Road. There are many permits and approvals necessary before we can begin this project for next summer so we need to begin the process soon.

The landowner permission problems behind the high school and along Route 11 on ‘M’ seem to be corrected for now. All members are requested to help police these areas against trail abusers. No wheeled vehicles are allowed in these areas. We risk losing the privilege of using this land if abuse continues.

Plans are underway for our radar run to be held in February. The date of the event is still undecided and will depend on the cooperation of our sponsors. Details to follow.

We are looking into having ski caps embroidered with the club name. Fine tuning of our trail signs is continuing.

The land owner of Corridor Trail ‘22’ at Route 28 has requested that we use the driveway area and to stay off the hilled areas, which is fresh seeded lawn.

Raffle tickets for the NHSA Easter seal raffle need to be sent in by the end of this month. Do not delay sending them in if you have any.

Minutes from December 8, 2009

County maps are scheduled to be received on Friday.

Trail improvement and work has been completed on Trail ‘D’.

Bridge replacement near Alton Mt Rd may happen this upcoming weekend.

They are waiting on a couple small telephone poles to extend the bridge length.

Trails ‘R’ and ‘H’ have had all the heavy duty work completed. There is still some higher branches which need to be cut.

Minor bridge repairs are needed at the Mt Major parking lot and will be done soon.

Trail clearing has been done on ‘22’ near Alton Mt Rd.

The bridge is in on ‘22’ near Avery Hill Rd and the trail in that area has been cleared.

Land owner of property on Rt 28 will be spoken to regarding trail ‘22’ location. He has done major road improvement and we are not sure where he wants the trail to go.

A member will make further inquiries as to the restrictions which may be in place on trail ‘M’ and on ‘22’ by the New England Forestry Conservation. Hopefully this will not affect us. Communication with them has been difficult.

We have had a meeting with a member of the Alton Conservation Commission regarding our use of the railroad bed (trail ‘E’) and a portion of trail “R’. They will be holding a meeting on December 10 and anticipate no problem in their approval or our continued use of these sections of trail.

 Inquiries will be made with the Alton Business Association about their Winter Carnival.

Addendum: 12/12/09

Bridges repaired at Mt Major parking lot.

Gate opened at Avery Hill Rd. Whoever is plowing the road seems to be piling the snow so it won't block the trail. Thank you for small favors. Hope that is stays that way. I don't know why but most of our signs along Avery Hill Rd to Frohock Brook Rd have been removed by somebody.

Ray? has put up a few new ones. We still need more. Does he have the needed signs? I need to speak to him about this. It is against the law to put signs on telephone poles. This is where he put a couple new signs. Oops.
Bridge at Alton Mountain  Road looks GREAT!

Minutes from November 10, 2009

There were 12 members present at the meeting.

We have been approved for $10,805.00 for grooming grant’n’aid. This is an increase of only $96.00 from last year.

Work on Trail ‘D’ has been completed. One more day should finish improvements on trail ‘R’. The needed materials are scheduled to be delivered 11/11/09.

Bridge building on ‘22’ near Westons and off Rand Hill Rd is scheduled for this next weekend, if we are able to get the needed wood in time. We have not heard from the Gilmanton Club yet regarding any improvements to the trail on North Rd.

We are still trying to arrange a meeting with the Alton Conservation Commission regarding our continued use of the railroad bed as a snowmobile trail.

There is substantial trail damage on ‘22’ between Route 140 and Route 28 due to logging in the area. It is unknown as to what or when repairs can be made.

The bridges at the Mt. Major parking lot are reported to need repairs. The bridges in the State Forest need to be checked for damage due to illegal vehicle use and repaired (again) if necessary. The section of ‘B’ near the Conference Center is reported to be flooded and in need of work to correct this problem. A work party to clear trail was scheduled for last weekend. Only ONE member showed up.

Minutes from October 13, 2009

Groomer hour grant request will be submitted 10/14/09 for 410 hours. This is 225 for the Tucker with the rest to be divided among all the Skandics. Last year we were approved for 365 hours.

Excavation work will begin soon on Trail ‘R’. Members have begun to clear trails. Sections of ‘D’, ‘22’ near the Boy Scout Camp, along Frohock Brook Rd, and other areas have been done. 2 bridges have been built on Trail ’R’, 2 bridges on ‘M’ and 1 on the blue trail have been repaired. Thank you to all the members who have done trail work so far.

There are still 2 bridges to be built on ‘22’, 1 bridge on trail ‘M’,1 bridge at Alton Mt Rd to be replaced, and 1 section of ‘R’ that needs to be repaired. The Gilmanton Club is working on making a trail reroute that will eliminate having to ride on the whole length of North Rd. They will need to install a very long bridge to make this possible and are working on getting the bridge supports necessary. They may be asking us for help when it comes time to build this bridge.

There are still 8 or 9 telephone poles on Frohock Brook Rd of assorted lengths available for bridge construction. We still need a few more members who are willing to help sell and distribute maps to the local stores.

Minutes from September 8, 2009

We may have trail access problems a section of ‘22’ and Trail ‘M’ due to conservation easements. Members are looking into a solution.

We will begin work parties in earnest on or about October 1. If dates are made available, they will be e-mailed to members. The first project will be the replacement of a broken bridge on trail ‘D’ located just off Alton Mt Rd.

There are 5 bridges that need repairs: Mt. Major parking lot, Alton Mt Rd, Blue trail near ‘22’, and 2 on ‘M’.

There are 5 bridges that need to be built: ‘22’ at beaver dam on Weston’s land, ‘22’ at power lines near Westons, 40’ floating bridge on trail ’D’, short bridge on blue trail near ‘22’, and a 15’ bridge on Trail ‘R’ behind Dudley Rd and Sport Emery Rd. Better access to land between Route 11 and Route 11D is being looked into. This may enable us to use the culvert under Route 11 instead of having to ride across the highway.

Minutes from February 24, 2009

The radar run was held during the Alton Winter Carnival. It went very well. Next year we will have to plan a little better in advance. Thank you to the members who were instrumental in running the event. Even though we ultimately lost money holding the radar run, we are in a position to do well next year.

There are still places which need to be signed better. A list of signs needed to complete the trail system needs to be put together for ordering.

We need to rethink how many hours we need for grooming next year. All groomers should consider how many hours they will need. We need to consider if all the groomers are being used to their best capabilities and if any of the current arrangements need to be adjusted.

There is massive rehabilitation being done on the Geo Tracker by Ben and Leon. Thank you for your efforts.

Ice picks will have to be ordered for the Tucker. It is having some problems getting up some of the icy slopes.

We are in good standing with our Tucker loan. There is enough money to pay towards the loan over the summer but there is very little money to cover any other expenses.

Members should start making a list of problem areas on the trails which should be addressed next year. We will start putting together this list at the next meeting.

Minutes from January 13, 2009

The new maps are out. They will be available at 8 local stores.

Trail work is ongoing.

Trail ‘D’ has been greatly improved and is now being groomed by the Geo Tracker.

Trail M has been cleared, groomed, and opened. There are 2 small water spots and some suspicious damage had been done to one of the bridges. (Repaired). Use caution. We don’t know if this will be repeated.

The Tucker has been all over the place and does a wonderful job. All we need is more snow.

The new club emblems look great on the Tucker doors.

Members have been working hard to clear and improve the trails but there is much trail work still to do. There are downed trees and leaning trees which need to be removed in order to allow these larger groomers to get through. Any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated.

We are still on track for making our monthly loan payments towards the purchase of the Tucker.

A bridge will have to be built on Corr. 22 near Alton Mt Rd.

Trail signage is still minimal. Members have volunteered to try to improve the situation.

We voted to dedicate a bridge to the memory of Dick Langille. Dick was instrumental in the original planning and construction of most of our trail system. He was one of our original charter members and had was president pf the club for numerous years.

Minutes from December 9, 2008

We have 147 paid members so far this season. I would like to thank the 8 members who attended the meeting for coming.

Trail work is progressing slowly. There are 5 new or replaced bridges. Major improvements are underway on Trail ‘D’ thanks to Ben and Leon. $400.00 was spent to buy decking materials for the bridge over Watson’s Brook.

We have received the check from the State for the new, used Tucker Groomer and have forwarded it to Cooks Equipment. The groomer has been paid for. We have made our first monthly loan payment in a huge line of loan payments to Meredith Village Saving Bank towards our portion of the groomer price.

It was approved to purchase a new battery for the groomer.

Super sized Club stickers for the groomer doors will still have to be ordered.

Progress is being made on our local trail map. Thank you to Vickie for her hard work making the ads fit into the spaces allotted to them. We will have them available to members at a discount rate and at local stores for $10.00.

All proceeds from the maps will be put towards trail improvement.

It was voted to not hold a radar run this year. The weather and town have been too unpredictable. We have not had enough member participation and it is too large a burden to keep putting on the shoulders of the same 6 people year after year.

Minutes from November 11, 2008

Thanks to the Merrimac Valley Trail Riders who helped us tear down and replace a 30 foot bridge on one of our side trails. It is now capable of handling the size and weight of our new groomer.

We want to thank them all for their help.

Our club's new (to us) 2004 Tucker groomer and brand-new Mogul Master drag have arrived. The Tucker is in such great shape, it almost looks brand new.

We have signed a loan with the Meredith Village Savings Bank for the outstanding balance due. The club's loan payments will be $438 per month. Insurance for the Tucker is $1071.00 this year. Please remember this when you have your check book out to pay your club membership dues and, we hope, that extra donation!

Ben picked up a generous supply of used telephone poles from the Union Telephone company to use on bridge work. These are available to any club work crews repairing our bridge network.

SCHEDULED WORK PARTY: We are planning to replace the bridge on Frohock Brook Road this Saturday, November 15, at 9:00 AM. Please try to help. Meet at the dead end of Frohock Brook Road. In the event that it is pouring rain, we will postpone the work party until Sunday, Nov 16 at 9:00 AM.

Work is progressing on our local trail maps. We are still in need of six more 5-1/4" x 8-1/2" color ads ($250) to help defray the cost of printing. Can anyone contact some dealers or other laoca businesses?

Minutes from October 14, 2008

We are in the process of finalizing a loan with the Meredith Village Savings Bank for a loan to cover the difference between the amount of money needed to purchase the Tucker and the amount of money we have. The insurance for the Tucker will cost $1,100.00. The other groomers will also have to be insured.

Thank you to the Merrimac Valley Trail Riders for their help with repairing some broken bridge decking on the other side of Bob and Vickie's mountain.

We are going to try to purchase 10+ used telephone poles from Union Telephone for the repair and upgrade of several bridges.

We have applied for 545 total hours of grooming to the NHSA.

We have applied for a grant with the Meredith Village Savings Bank. They award small grants to organizations for community development and worthwhile causes.

There has been great progress being made on our new and improved GPS topographical trail map. Thanks to Bob, Vickie, Ben, Joanne, Ken and Leon for their efforts.

Trail Work: We are planning a work date for Saturday, October 18 to begin repairs to the bridge on Corridor Trail '22' over Frohock Brook. Please help!!! Plan to meet at the intersection of Sunset Shores Rd and Frohock Brook Rd at 9:00 AM. You can also just meet us at the bridge. We need to dismantle the old broken bridge and prepare the site for the new bridge by removing a couple trees. We hope to salvage as much of the existing decking as possible. Pry bars, chain saws, and hammers will be needed.

Minutes from December  11, 2007

Trail work is ongoing by many members but there is still a lot to do. Trail signs are in the process of being placed to help us all get around a little easier.

The condition of the bridge on the Frohock Brook Trail '22' is still unknown. If you have any information regarding this, please e-mail us.

The gate at the trail entrance on Avery Hill Rd has been opened for the season.

Excavation work has been completed on Corridor Trail '22' on budget for a cost of $2400.00, $1200.00 of which will be reimbursed to us from the state.

Excavation work has been completed on Trail 'R'. Unfortunately, costs ran $665.00 over our budgeted amount of $1800.00. Only $900.00 of this expense will be reimbursed to us by the state.

A section of Corridor Trail '22' off Alton Mt Rd is probably safe for this year but will most likely need to be relocated next year. Discussions are ongoing with a very generous and cooperative land owner for the exact placement of the trail through his property.

Registrations have been paid for the groomers and we are waiting for the state to send our stickers.

Alton Bay has an active airport runway. We would like to remind members that they have to stay off the portion of the ice which is devoted to the planes. There will be more signs on the ice marking off this area this year.

The State of NH has level funded our request for groomer hours "Grant-n-Aid" for this winter.

Minutes from November  13, 2007

NHSA has level funded our request for groomer hours Grant-n-aid for this winter.

Trail work completed so far:
    Bridge at West Alton Marina had been rebuilt.
    Bridge at Mt Major parking lot has been repaired and redecked.
    Trail M from Rt 140 to Rt 28 has been cleared.
    Clearing and excavator work has been completed on Cor. Trail 22 between the junction of Trail M and the beaver dam.
    Some clearing has been completed on Trail R and excavator work is planned, using the same operator as last year. Parts of this trail is being rerouted in order to straighten out some hairpin sections and to get some of the trail off the side of the street and into the woods.

Work pending:
    Bridge on Frohock Brook trail has been damaged.
    Bridge on M needs minor redecking.

Other business:
    We have not been able to establish if our Radar Run will be covered under the towns umbrella insurance during the Winter Carnival. Single day event insurance runs about $400.00. Without the towns coverage, we will not be able to hold this event.
    A buyer is interested in purchasing the land at Coffin Brook Sand and Gravel to set up a Motorsport Park. They attended the meeting and have asked for our support in their endeavor.
    Trail signs are in and will be distributed soon

Minutes from November  14, 2006

Trail Grants - We have received approval from the NHSA for our requested number of hours for all our groomers.

We have received the trail signs requested for this season.

A letter will be sent to the town of Alton to ask if they will be wanting us to put protective decking onto the bridge at Jones Field.

Members have approved the purchase of any required posts, chains, locks, etc. for the installation on the trail entrance on Avery Hill Rd and Davis Rd. We still have not been successful in re-contacting the land owner or the town regarding this project.

Members have authorized the purchase of 5 luminaries for a total of $50.00 in support of the Easter Seals Camp Sno-Mo.

Pending or ongoing trail projects:
Extension of a bridge on trail M approximately 20 feet.
Erosion mitigation on Corridor Trail 22 near Rt 140 and on Trail E along the railroad bed.
Rerouting of Corridor Trail 22 at Avery Hill Rd due to land development. Also the clearing of a drainage culvert.
Repositioning of a bridge on Trail M which had been damaged due to the past rainstorms.
Clearing of rock debris on Corridor Trail 22 behind the new high school.
Continued improvement of Trail R towards Dudley Rd.

Minutes from September 12, 2006

There were only 10 members present at the meeting.

There are numerous washouts on the trails in various parts of our system.
It is probable that a majority of the clubs time will be spent dealing with storm damage this year.

Trail '22' near Rt 140 had deep ruts. There is a bridge which has washed off its footings along this stretch.
Trail 'D' near the State Forest has serious washouts. There is also a bridge which will probably need to be lengthened.
Trail 'D' above the Mt. Major parking lot will need bridges redecked.
Trail 'D' along the railroad bed will need a new bridge. There are also numerous trees down.
We are trying to negotiate the placement of a gate with the town road agent to be installed on Trail '22' near Avery hill Rd. They have currently placed large rocks there which will block access for the groomer.
Major trail improvement along this section between Avery Hill Rd and Davis Rd is also in the planning stages.
Trail '22' between Rt 140 and Rt 28 has already had a section rerouted to remove a hairpin turn. A member has volunteered to do some excavation work to improve the rocky conditions of this trail behind the high school.
There have also been members who have volunteered to fine tune and finish cleaning this section after the excavation work is complete.

The NHSA has approved only about one third of the projects which we have applied for but did not specify which projects submitted were approved. We are trying to get a clarification on this.
 

Minutes from January 10, 2006

Thank you to David Locke for the welding repair on the large drag. He saved a lot of time and effort for us by being able to do the repairs on scene.

This season we have spent $21,796 on trail improvement so far. Many thanks to the members who have loaned the club money so that this work could be completed. A major thank you to Joanne for keeping track of all the paperwork involved in grant applications and with the bills.
There is still some work to be done. There are still a couple bridges that need to be built and some trail signing needed. Brush clearing is also a never ending task.
We have not raised enough money yet to cover the cost of the new groomer. If you haven't paid your dues for this year, please do so and consider an extra donation to help with these expenses.

We are still looking for volunteers to put plywood decking on the bridge at Jones Field. If we can not find anyone to do this, we will be forced to post the bridge as 'No snowmobiles allowed'.
The town requires us to top deck this bridge if we want to ride over it. We have the plywood but not the manpower. If you use this bridge, please help.

The old Polaris groomer has had some work done to keep it going but will still needs work on the heat exchangers. Thanks for your efforts, Norm.

The annual Radar Run is scheduled to be held on Sunday, February 19. This is the date of the Alton Winter Carnival. As usual, we need volunteers to help this event go smoothly. Please come and help out. It can get pretty cold out there on the ice. It is much easier if there are many people so that no one gets stuck doing a task for too long. The event will be run the same as last year - 10 AM until 3 PM - with prizes to be awarded at 3 PM.

Minutes from December 13, 2005

Trail Work - The major trail improvements are almost complete:
    Signing will be done along the newly developed section of trail 'R' by Norm.
    Improvements to trail D' are almost finished by Ben and Leon.
    There is a new bridge on trail 'M' put there by Bob, Larry, Leslie, Rob, and Bill.
    The severely damaged bridge on trail 'D' in the State Forest has been replaced.
    Trail 'E' has had a bad section worked on by Doug and a local construction person.
    Trail 'R' along Coffin Brook Rd. will need more improvement work next year.
    Due to the weather and mechanical problems, the trail improvement will not be completed this year on trail '22' behind the high school.   

The big groomer has snapped a weld but has now been repaired. Luckily, most of the trails had gotten their 'base coat' grooming done before the break down. One of the small groomers has had some needed welding done. We should be ready for any new snow. The trails are still pretty wet but are starting to freeze up. The new groomer has been shipped from Canada and should arrive some time next week.

We need to develop a new map for next year, possibly incorporating it into a topographical map.

As a note to members: Any signs which you might need for your section of trail must be ordered by the last meeting we hold in March.

We have spent all our incoming funds on trail improvement and are now running on loans from members. It looks promising that we might break even by the end of the year.

Winter Carnival - The town has informed us that the Winter Carnival will be on Sunday February 19. We will be holding our annual radar run on this date. Please make a note of this and come help.

Membership applications are being dropped off at Parkers and Hillcrest Marinas. This might help generate new members and some additional income.

Minutes from February 8, 2005

Radar run - Feb.19 - 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Prizes to be awarded at 3:30 PM. You must be present to be awarded a prize. Volunteers are desperately needed to help run the event. Any help during these times will make this an enjoyable day for everyone, even if it is just for an hour or so. Set up for the day will begin at 9:00 AM.

The price will be 2 runs for $5.00.

The event will be sponsored by the generosity of Tornos World Class Motor Sports in Lebanon, Maine. Their support is greatly appreciated. Also, many thanks to Robertson Power Sports in Sanford Maine and to The Olde Bay Diner in Alton for the donation of prizes.

We will look into moving the rocks which block the trail on Rt 28 by one of our members. The owner of the property does not appear to be able to move them in a timely manner.

We need to order more trail arrows for next season.

 Minutes from January 11, 2005

The Annual Radar Run will be held on February 19 in conjunction with the Alton Winter Carnival. Our event will be held from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Any volunteers who can help during this event will be greatly appreciated.

The cost for tickets will remain the same as last year – 2 runs for $5.00 or 5 runs for $10.00. There will be a trophy awarded for the fastest sled in the unlimited class and plaques for the fastest speed in all other classes.

We are going to look into whether we can have a hot dog and hamburger stand. This year will see the return of the 900 class as well as a new class for 4-stroke machines. Plans will be finalized at next months meeting on February 8.

All of our outstanding bills have been paid. We are still waiting for a small reimbursement from the NHSA for some trail work.

There is still some needed work on the trails:
Clearing on corridor trail ‘22’ behind the new high school
On trail ‘D’ near Alton Mt Rd, including the re-decking of a bridge
Clearing on the trail between ‘22’ and Route 28 near the sand pit. (Trash has been removed from near bridge)
Informational signs needed in numerous locations.

Minutes from December 14, 2005

The next meeting of the Mount Major Snowmobile Club will be on Tuesday, January 11 at 7:00 P.M. at the Pearson Rd Community Center. The center is located off the Old Wolfeboro Rd.

We need to start planning for the annual Radar Run to be held on the Bay during the Alton Winter Canival in February.Your input is important. Please come to the meeting.

The Tracker groomer has new front tracks, has been restudded, and is ready to go WHEN we get snow.

There have been major improvements done to numerous sections of our trail system. Thanks to everyone who has worked so hard.

The bridge on Corridor "22" at Rt 28 has been dedicated to the memory of Joshua Hemeon. Stop by to see the plaque.

Many thanks to Bob and Vickie Bergeron, Richard Locke Jr., Marv and Wendy Everson, John Teller, Brad and Meg Jones, Ron Charles, and Dean and Deborah Skinner Jr. for their generous donations.

Minutes from October 12, 2004

Bridge decking has been purchased for numerous bridge rebuilding projects:
Trail 22 at Rt 28, Trail D in the State forest, Blue trail in the Bergerons' trails.
(Note: Rt 28 and Blue trail bridges have been completed.)

A plaque has been ordered in the memory of Josh Hemeon and will be installed at the bridge on Trail 22 at Rt 28. There is a 4 to 6 week delivery time for this. A small dedication ceremony will probably be held some time in December.

All the outstanding loans have been paid for the groomer which was purchased last year.

Oct 20 – Excavation work should start on approach to Bergerons mountain on trail 22.
Work on Trail 22 near Rt 140 should be right after that. Brush clearing needs to be done prior to excavation work.

A letter requesting permission to place protective decking on the bridge to Jones baseball field will be sent to the town of Alton. It will then, of course, have to be installed.

Minutes from September 14, 2004

Excavation work work will be looked into for the following locations: Trail 22 near the top of the mountain, Trail 22 near Rt 140.
The Merrimack Valley Trail Riders are willing to pitch in both time and money to help rehabilitate trail 22 up the mountain.

We have been approved for up to $2,500 reimbursement from the NHSA for building projects.
We will submit to the NHSA for the grooming grant at the same number of hours as last year.
Application has been made to NHSA for grant money to pay for the new groomer we purchased last year with the loan from a couple of our members.

Bridge work –
Needed on trail ‘D’ near stone wall and Gray’s property. This area also needs to be brushed back
Redecking on yellow trail halfway down Bob’s driveway
State Forrest – all bridges need to be looked at and repaired/redecked as needed

Work party schedules to be posted on the Web site. Come help.

In paperwork received at the meeting it was discovered that the NHSA is now requiring ALL club members to also be members of the NHSA. They have agreed to do this at the request of the insurance company which carries all the liability insurance for the NHSA and all the clubs. According to a phone conversation with the NHSA, they are having a meeting on Monday September 20 regarding this matter. There have been numerous complaints from different clubs. Outcome pending.

Minutes from March 9, 2004 (last season)

The Radar Run was a big success. A total of 86 sleds participated with a total of 326 individual runs. First place finishes:

500 Class – Wes Whittier – 76 MPH
600 Class – Mark Watterman – 84 MPH
700 Class – Eric Guy – 89 MPH
800 Class – Eric Guy – 88 MPH
Unlimited Class – Bud Pratt – 109 MPH

Suggestions for next years Radar Run:

More snow fence is needed to prevent spectators from getting too close to starting line.
Expansion of classes to: 500,600,700,800,900/1000, Unlimited, and possibly 4-stroke.
Look into the possibility of getting a tall trophy for unlimited and smaller ones for the other classes.
Look into getting a repeat of the gift certificate prize donations and advertise this beforehand.
Large cardboard speed recording posters worked very well and will be repeated.
Everyone was greatly impresses by the quality of the track this year. Excellent work by everyone.
Special thanks to Ben and Leon for their efforts.

If anyone needs signs for their section of trail, they must submit their request to Joanne by mid summer.

We need to pay special attention next year to getting town permission early and getting the plywood in place on the bridge at the ball park. It was never put into place this year.

Trail work needed for this summer:

Bridge re-decking and leveling on 2 bridges, State Forrest side of Alton Mt Rd. Trail improvement and possibly bridge construction on trail ’D’ between Alton Mt Rd and Jesus Valley Rd.

Major opening and excavation work on 22 between Rt 140 and Rt 28, including a possible

35 foot bridge or major rerouting. This will reopen a trail which has been closed for a few years.

Excavation work between Rt 140 and the sand pit.

Bridge needed on backside of mountain on trail 22.

Bridges are to be constructed of rough cut 2”x12”x 14’ cut in half, giving a usable width of about 7’2”.

Brushing of all trails. 

Grant in Aid request needs to be written and submitted to NHSA very soon for any projects.

We are looking for someone who may be willing to research land ownership to make trail connectors and can possibly contact land owners for permission to use these pieces of land.

Membership forms to be revamped this year to include e-mail addresses and an option to receive correspondence only by e-mail to save on the cost of postage.

Price of membership was voted to remain the same as it is this year.

Meetings will continue to be held on the second Tuesday of each month at the same location.

The first meeting will be held on the second Tuesday in September, which is Sept.8.

Minutes from December 9, 2003

19 members were present this evening.

Trail closing: A large section of trail near Straightback has been posted 'No trespassing'

Early snow caught us before any excavation work could be done and we will probably lose then chance to get some of our trail work money from the state this year.

More Grooming - The members present have voted to lease another new Mogul Master drag and Scandic groomer from our own funds. Hopefully, we can apply for purchase and reimbursement from the State for the next year. Work is progressing on the rehabilitation of the old Polaris groomer, which will be used in the south Alton area.
The purchase of new tracks for the front wheels of the large Tracker groomer was also approved.

The Annual Radar Run will be held on February 15 from 11:A.M. until 3:00 P.M. during the Alton Winter Carnival at the bay. Volunteers are desperately needed. If you can help, be at the bay on the 15th by 9:30 A.M. We are also in need of someone who is willing to plow a race strip on the ice for this event.

Classes of machines will be the same as last year- 500, 600, 700, 800, and unlimited. A trophy will be made for the unlimited class and plaques for all others.
 

Minutes from last year (January 14, 2003)

26 members were present this evening.

There has been a bypass cut to avoid the well at Jones Field. The fence is down and the trail is now open.

No parking signs will be placed at the end of Jesus Valley Rd by Ben, due to a complaint that people are blocking the home owners access. Please do not park there and ride slow. We need these trails and do not want to risk loss of permission to ride there.

The trail from the intersection of "22" and "D" to the bottom of the trail to Straightback will be marked with 15 MPH speed limit signs. The home owner walks there and doesn't want to be run over.

The new groomer is almost ready to go. We are waiting for one part. Hopefully it will be in operation this coming weekend.

Money matters permitting, we are considering buying a small Mogul Master to go with the recently purchased groomer for the south Alton area.

The turnout for both the ride-in and the poker run were disappointing. It was voted to discontinue these events due to lack of interest. This will hopefully allow us to focus on our Radar Run, which usually does very well, with possibly more participation from our members.

The trails are in excellent condition. Many thanks to Bob, Ben, Leon, and Rob for their grooming efforts.

The State of NH has been billed for reimbursement of grooming expenses and a construction grant for the month of December 2002.

Anyone who has pictures (preferably digital ) which they would like to share can e-mail them to us at info@mountmajorsnowmobileclub.com and we will put them on the web-site. Also, don't forget the free-for-members classified section.

The Radar Run will be held Sunday February 16 from 10:00 AM until 2:30 PM. Prizes will be awarded at 3:00PM. We desperately need volunteers to help set up and run this event. Please be at the Bay at 9:00 AM if you can help prepare the area for the event. Also volunteers are needed throughout the day to relieve the people who are working on the lake. This involves starting the racers, reading the radar speeds, recording the speeds, and registering participants. Six hours is a long time for a small group of people to be out on the ice. It would be nice to have many people in shifts so that no one gets too cold. If you can help, e-mail us, call us, or just show up. Signs will be placed advertising the event will be placed in various locations, thanks to Liz and Joanne.

The next meeting will be held on February 11 at 7:00 PM at the JP China Restaurant where we can finalize our plans for the Radar Run. Please attend.

Minutes from December 10, 2002

24 members were present this evening.

Our youth safety class, which was held on Dec.7 under the instruction of Virginia Bergeron, went very well. There were 23 children and 6 adults present. Many thanks to Virginia and the club members who assisted her.

A $50.00 membership donation was approved from the club to the New Hampshire Snowmobile Museum.

Efforts are continuing to reopen closed portions of Trail 22.

The club has been approved by State of NH for the following Grant in Aid :
    Reimbursement of up to $4150.90 for grooming expenses.
    Reimbursement of up to $3100.00 for future improvements along Trail 'D'.

Future Events

We are going to try running a free classified section for our members on our Web-site. If you have an item you wish to sell, e-mail us the details and it will be placed on the site.

The Radar Run will be held Sunday February 15 from 10:00 AM until 2:30 PM.

Mount Major Snowmobile Club Inc.  875-6714  Alton, NH
For current trail conditions please phone 875-6714, or e-mail to: info@mountmajorsnowmobileclub.com
© 2011 Mount Major Snowmobile Club Inc. PO Box 208; Alton Bay, NH 03810-0208  Updated:  January 20, 2012