b'VAST NEWSDRIFT DUSTERS BORDER HUT DEDICATION By Roger Gosselin always stood out to us. It was a 12 xmove it; Taplin Septic Pumping and It seems like so long ago, we had12 shack in the middle of the woodsPortable Toilets and Hans Laggis, just completed the expansion of theof La Tuque, Quebec, that overlookedwho donated the portable toilet; International Trail, the constructiona mountain vista and was perfectlyJim Daigle Construction and Nick of the Founders Bridge, and thepositioned for the wintertime sunset.Daigle, who worked alongside Rich Warming Hut all within the sameIt was in this very spot in Holland thatConnolly to finish the roof and details; calendar year. We did this in concertwe realized we had what we wereIvers Electric for setting us up with with several bridges that needed to belooking for: a scenic vista facing westthe solar lighting and cell phone rebuilt and trail projects that neededand supportive landowners who werecharging; Vista Home Improvement to be completed. Just as we wereexcited about a new trailside addition.and Brian Rudd, who donated all of coming up for air, we were at a localAfter many meetings, the idea of thethe beautiful windows and doors; RG establishment when President MikeBorder Hut was born. Gosselin Inc.; Grays Paving; Nadeaus Koehler said, Well, what is our nextFirst and foremost, we would like toPlumbing and Heating, who donated project going to be? As a snowmobilethank John and Terry Batchelder forthe materials for the propane setup; club managed by avid snowmobilers,allowing us to use this section of landKingdom Equipment and Trailers and it is not enough to have the best trails,for the hut. With the addition of theJack Beauparlant, who picked up and but we asked ourselves: How can wehut comes increased traffic as well asdelivered the beautiful timber frame have a trail system that keeps drawingcongregating snowmobilers, and theysign from Mad River Post and Beam; people back year after year? did not waver in their support for ourKingdom Spray Foam for keeping the The next two years went by in anew hut. Thank you so much! hut warm and tight; Lemay Flooring blur as we were inundated withNow that we had the idea and thefor installing the beautiful and durable summer flooding that wiped outlocation, we needed the funding.tile floor; Bills Sales and Service; Total several portions of our trail system.This is where we turned to our localProperty Management; Bills Tire These projects were so large that theysupporting businesses for support.Services; Right Wheels Trailer Sales; demanded our undivided attentionMost importantly, we would like toTaylor-Moore Agency; Freds Energy; and would not allow us to completerecognize our largest contributor andShattuck Motors; Shattuck Truck any proactive trail work or extraour local Ski-Doo dealership, Waltsand Equipment; KMC Excavating; projects. Sales and Service. They gave a veryTracy Degre Concrete; Roys Maples; In the spring of 2024, the Drift Dusterslarge donation, which kicked offLand N Sea Power Sports; Moore board of directors decided it was timeour fundraiser for the hut. As manyDocks; Als Snowmobile; Track Inc., to up our game again and create apeople know, Scott and his team atour local Tucker Sno-Cat dealer; new trail feature. For those of youWalts have been huge advocatesHeritage Memorials and Scott and who remember the early years of thefor snowmobiling in our area, andLori Bianchi for making the beautiful International Trail, there was an oldwe appreciate their continuedgranite plaque that will be hung out dilapidated customs building that satsupport year after year. Our next twofront. Each and every business was in the middle of the trail. Accordinglargest contributors were Electricalan integral part in making this project to a few of the Holland old-timers, theConnection, owned by Dave Kinghappen without having to use any building served as the customs stationout of Newington, Connecticut, andmembership money or funding that for Stearns Brook Rd when it was openJulianos Pools, owned by Brianwould otherwise go to grooming.into Canada. The building located onJuliano out of Vernon, Connecticut. Now that the location, permission, and this very parcel of land owned by JohnWe would like to recognize thefunding had been secured, we needed and Terry Batchelder was deemed afollowing businesses who alsothe people to make the hut happen. hazard, and they gave us permissioncontributed to the hut: KingdomFirst and foremost, this project could to tear it down to make way for theLawncareBrandon has beennot have been done without Rich trail. intimately involved every step alongConnolly. From day one, when we Many ideas for a new trail featurethe way; RC Mechanical; Horsebegan drawing the plans for the hut were thrown out, but we kept comingDrawn Maple and Mark Farrow,on a napkin at the Tavern, to yesterday back to the idea of building anotherwho sourced and milled the lumberwhen the finishing touches were warming hut. A few of us had spentlocally here in Holland just downcompleted, Rich has spent hundreds a significant amount of time inthe road; Gosselin Water WellsDanof hours on the phone with contractors Canadian warming huts in the middleand his team facilitated workspace toand coordinating volunteers to make of nowhere, but there was one thatbuild the sign and the manpower toit happen. Not only did he plan the project, but he executed it with the 2 | Snowmobile VERMONT'