The Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club (CMSC) is based in Grand Isle, Maine. Located in the St. John Valley, the town is in the northernmost region of the state, where snowmobiles are an important feature of winter life. Businesses rely on local snowmobile traffic and the extensive trail network also helps attract out-of-town visitors. Unfortunately, the equipment necessary to maintain snowmobile trails is expensive, and it is often difficult for rural clubs to replace old machinery. Fortunately for the CMSC, USDA Rural Development offers grants that can help cover the cost of such equipment. 

CMSC needed a new trail dragger, a heavy piece of equipment that is towed behind another machine and used to level and smooth the trail. Walk most Maine snowmobile trails in the warm months and you’ll notice that they are uneven and rough. With a trail dragger, club volunteers can drive over miles of snowy trails, smoothing out hills and dips in the surface as they go. But the club’s dragger was old and needed frequent maintenance, putting a strain on their volunteer hours. 

Allen Morneault had been a member of the club for more than thirty years. He heard about USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program at a club meeting, but no one had time to work on the grant application. A year went by, and the club’s old dragger continued to deteriorate. 

Morneault had a little experience writing grant proposals and encouraged the club to apply to Rural Development for RBDG funds. Together with the club’s president, treasurer, and trail master, they put together a plan and drafted a grant proposal. Parts of it were challenging, such as putting together the budget spreadsheets. “I am not an accountant. I didn’t know how to do that,” said Morneault. “But we put together the numbers the way we thought they should be, and asked questions of the program specialist.” Their work paid off when the club learned USDA was awarding them a $28,000 RBDG grant. 

The club’s American made Track “Trail Paver II” was delivered in late October 2024. The new equipment will be more efficient, require less maintenance, and be safer to operate. It is designed to operate well in a range of conditions and should last for decades. (The company’s website promises it “will produce the flattest, hardest, trails ‘at any temperature’ that your Club has ever had!”) CMSC contributed $8K from its treasury to the total cost of the dragger. 

For area businesses, better trail grooming means better access. Snowmobile users travel around town and between towns on the major trails, using connecting trails to approach businesses like stores, gas stations, and restaurants. With the new equipment, says Morneault, the club’s trail master “will be able to groom right up to the front door” of those businesses. 

For riders, the new equipment will make the trails smoother, safer, and more enjoyable to drive. With robust safety features, the dragger will be safer to operate as well. The club will be able to groom its trails following fresh snowfall and can also use the equipment to clean up trails after heavy use.

Maine has more than 14,000 miles of snowmobile trails in its Interconnected Trail System (ITS). Thanks to the Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club, together with a grant from USDA, some of the northernmost routes will be in great shape this winter. Consider touring the Grand Isle area (perhaps starting out from nearby Madawaska) on your next northern Maine snowmobile adventure!