Members of the Jefferson SnoPackers make the most of a sunny, snowy winter day. It is infrequent that conditions align for the group to go snowmobiling, but when they can, the club makes use of the trails they work hard to maintain, said club President Henry Brennan. (Courtesy photo)
Though the snow cover in Jefferson has ebbed and flowed this winter, the commitment of the town’s small but mighty SnoPackers Snowmobile Club is unwavering.
After a period of turnover and low membership, the club is shifting its focus to the “social aspects” of winter sports and nurturing the community that can form around them, SnoPackers President Henry Brennan said on Thursday, Feb. 1.
The SnoPackers hope to “give people a way to connect with others in their community,” whether or not there’s snow on the ground, he said.
While club members seize the opportunity to snowmobile together when conditions are right, Brennan said, he noted that less-than-ideal winter weather in recent years has meant that there have been only a few occasions annually when conditions were right to hit the trails.
“There aren’t many days of the year when you can ride a snowmobile around here,” Brennan said. That’s why, he added, “we’re trying to emphasize the social aspect of the club.”
Coming together over potluck-style dinner meetings is a great way to get to know others in Jefferson and the surrounding area with similar interests, Brennan said.
State-level snowmobile registration data suggests that there is “a fairly high number” of snowmobiles registered in Jefferson, he said. However, snowmobile enthusiasts aren’t the only ones welcomed to the club. Brennan suggested that practitioners of other winter sports, including cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, also make use of the trails maintained by the SnoPackers and might enjoy being more involved with the club.
In total, the SnoPackers help steward over 45 miles of multi-use trails in town.
Maintaining this “pretty extensive trail network that also connects to other towns” is demanding, Brennan said. Usually, the club undertakes the bulk of the work in late fall to prepare the trails for winter. Currently, members have plans for “a push” of larger maintenance projects in the near future, including getting ahead of bridge maintenance by repairing and replacing a large number of trail bridges this summer, he said.
Maintenance by Central Maine Power Co. on power lines in Jefferson and surrounding towns has also affected the SnoPackers’ season because the club has some trails beneath lines on the CMP right-of-way, Brennan said. The SnoPackers and their neighbors in Waldoboro and Washington will have work together to address the disruption to their trails caused by the construction, although Brennan said that he expected the problem to only last through this season.
While the SnoPackers are seeking to reinforce their emphasis on community in coming seasons, multifaceted local involvement is not new ground for the club. Historically, the SnoPackers have held fundraisers to benefit their trail maintenance efforts and donated the surplus to nonprofits, like the Jefferson Area Community Food Pantry, and organizations, including Jefferson Fire and Rescue.
In the near future, Brennan said that he and the rest of the SnoPackers hope to bolster membership. Most of the trail work undertaken by the club is completed by fewer than 10 regularly involved members. More volunteers would help the club accomplish more and keep the trails in top shape.
However, the major reason Brennan cited for seeking an increase in membership was to bolster the community that the SnoPackers have already found around their shared love of local winter sports.
“If people just want to come out for a potluck, that’s great,” Brennan said. “If they want to do some trail work, that’s great, too.”
The Jefferson Snopackers meet on the first Tuesday of every month, October through April, for a potluck dinner at the Jefferson fire station. Meetings are open to the public and newcomers are encouraged.
For more information, go to snopackers.com or find the SnoPackers Snowmobile Club on Facebook.
