The Snowmobile Club’s maps keep smowmobilers on course. (Courtesy photo by Holly Chandler)

The Harvard Snowmobile Club is gearing up for the winter—clearing and grooming Harvard's trails. Since it was formed in 1969, the club has been maintaining a townwide trail system for the use of snowmobile enthusiasts and snow-loving pedestrians. Club president Tony Shaw spoke to the Press last week about the club's annual trail work.

Shaw said that 70 to 80 percent of the trail system consists of existing trails on conservation land. The club, which has around 45 members, has also created new trails through private property in order to connect all the trails, after securing permission from landowners. The system totals 24.3 miles of trails extending from the Bolton town line to Ayer.

Between October and mid-December, club members inspect all the trails, clear any dead trees or debris, and repair or build bridges. Crews go out every weekend until the job is done. Club members also meet with Conservation Commissioners in the fall to update them on the club's progress. Shaw said that the club had already done a lot of work this season, including repairing a culvert behind the Transfer Station.

Building materials for trail maintenance cost the club around $500 to 600 per year, Shaw said. He explained that the club relies on volunteers and donations wherever possible. For example, the Department of Public Works donated some materials for the culvert repair this year, he said.

Town residents may have noticed orange arrow signs on conservation trails. The club puts up these signs to mark snowmobile routes and also posts stop signs where trails cross roads. Additional club signs include maps showing the entire system, posted here and there along the trails, and notices reminding snowmobilers to obtain permits. The signs on trees remain up all year, but signs on stakes are taken away when the cold season ends.

The trail maintenance doesn't end when the season starts. An all-terrain vehicle called a trail "groomer" packs down the snow on all the trails so that snowmobiles can get through. Club members make sure that all trails are groomed at least once a week, Shaw said. The club had been using makeshift grooming equipment but recently bought a dedicated trail groomer using federal funds from a Recreational Trails grant administered by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. Shaw said the new groomer should improve trail conditions this winter.

As provided for in the grant, the new machine will also be available to Harvard's Fire Department and EMS in case of emergency.

Snowmobiling season begins in late December, or whenever the first heavy snows fall. For snowmobiling, the ground must be frozen and covered with at least six inches of snow. Good conditions can last as long as seven or eight weeks per winter, but last year snowmobilers had only three weeks on the trails before a thaw ended the season, Shaw said.

To take a snowmobile on Harvard trails, residents must join Harvard's club and buy a yearly $30 state trail pass, mandated by the Snowmobile Association of Massachusetts. Annual membership fees for the Harvard club are $20 for individuals and $35 for families.

During the snowmobile season, anyone can use the trails—only snowmobilers need a permit. Shaw noted that he had seen people on the trails walking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. "We take care of [the trails] and make them available for everyone," he said. However, trails on private property may be off-limits at other times of the year.

Shaw waxed enthusiastic about the beauty of the winter scenery. "We get to see the town from a different perspective," he said, adding that traveling by snowmobile allowed him to see 10 or 15 miles of Harvard's back woods in a single day. Contrary to some perceptions about snowmobilers, he said, "We really do love the woods."

Dispelling another myth, he pointed out that the new snowmobile models are "very quiet," and Harvard's snowmobilers have maintained a good relationship with everyone they meet along the trails.