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6 Snowmobile VERMONT VAST News Mother Nature sure has been confused this season. It was 60 degrees for Christmas and 50 degrees for New Years. There is still only enough snow to be a nuisance. I guess the Old Farmer who wrote this years almanac had it wrong. This season was supposed to begin where the last one ended with decent snow depths and great riding Not so much as of yet. Its at least cold for a change with a dusting of snow occasionally. It is still not nearly enough to open much of the trail system. All the prep work has been done or just about done maybe a few trees to clear a railing on a bridge to mend or a few more signs to put up. Oh yeah that last minute trail reroute for whatever reason. The work still needs to get done even if the snow is late in getting here it will get here soon... hopefully. Groomers are serviced and fueled ready to roll soon... hopefully. TMAs have been purchased through local clubs if not soon...hopefully. Sleds are shined up waiting patiently to break free and hit the trails soon...hopefully. By this time in the season we should already have some miles logged and a few stories to share soon...very soon...hopefully. There are still club events going on most weekends that are accessible by road vehicle. It is not nearly as exciting as riding in but its still very important to show support for local clubs when possible. Many of these events are fundraisers that provide clubs the means to keep their trails your trails open for the season when projects are not fully funded through the VAST grant programs. With the chance of a low snow year TMA sales may not be as expected which will have a trickle-down eect for all areas of the Association. Fewer TMAs mean less income and less available funding for projects and equipment. The work still needs to be done even if the snow is late. Weather patterns are cyclical and a few good snow years are always followed by a year or two of minimal snow and above average temperatures. This may be one of those years... hopefully NOT. As ocers directors and sta we have a responsibility to the membership to make wise decisions in the coming months to minimize the impact a below average year has on the Association. Not an easy task with the uncertainty of this thing called El Nio some wild ospring of Mother Nature Im sure. In closing out these ramblings of frustration I would like to express my appreciation to all of the volunteers who have spent time over these last few months making sure that things are ready to go for that day when the only sound heard is - BRAAAAAAAPP Ride Safe Ride Wise Ride Soon... Hopefully Je Fay VAST Vice President A message from VAST Vice President Jeff Fay MIKES STORY Snowmobile Safety Video In May of 2015 Micheal E. Bagley Jr. became a new father to a beautiful baby boy named Hunter. 11 days later Mike lost his life in a tragic snowmobile accident leaving Hunter and his mother Sarah Kaminski to go on without him. The family wanted to spread the word about snowmobile safety and help others avoid a tragedy like this. They joined together with law enforcement and others who were witnesses to the accident to create a video to tell about that fateful day and to warn others to be careful and safe. The story is told interview style by the people that witnessed this unfortunate accident. The story unfolds as you would expect a normal day with outdoor activities then in an instant everything changed. - Jerry Wood photographer lmmaker. If you have not seen this video please take 15 minutes to watch it and share with friends and family. You can find the link on the VAST website Youtube or Facebook pages. If you would like a DVD to show at a club meeting or safety course please contact Rick Kaminski by email at kaminskivermontel.net or call 802- 316-0190. It was Rick Kaminskis idea to have this video made and he hopes that everyone watches it and considers their actions out on the trails. He was riding with Mike the day of the accident baby Hunter is his grandson.