5000 miles of Vermont's Magical Winter Highway...New England's Best Snowmobiling is in Northern Vermont and New Hampshire!!!

Over ten years ago, I moved to Northern Vermont. My children were young and collectively we were happy to be back in New England (home of the three time World Champion...NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS...but I digress). We moved here in the spring and experienced a glorious Vermont spring, summer, and fall. As winter approached, we became concerned when the first snow fell in early October. My wife and I didn't ski at the time and were not sure how we would adjust to the long winter season. Having grown up in southern New England, I was use to snow but not to the extreme that the locals described. The first winter started snowing in early November and didn't stop until mid-April. For the first time in my life, I experienced what hundreds of inches of snow was like. We were introduced to the sport of snowmobiling early that year and it wasn't long before we owned our own "sled" (you'll need to speak language). If you have never been...you have no idea what you are missing!

The "Vermont Association of Snow Travelers" aka VAST maintains 5000 miles of groomed snowmobiling trails across privately owned land. Over the years, I have taken hundreds of friends and family members snowmobiling that have never been before. Amazing day trips into the Northeast Kingdom for winter picnics, wildlife viewing and breath taking scenery. Every person has made a point of saying that the experience is one they will remember for a lifetime. Be forewarned that it is an extremely addicting hobby and not particularly inexpensive. If you are interested in trying it for a day or a weekend, a local company All Around Rental will deliver sleds and helmets directly to the hotel. You can rent their equipment for several hours or days. The trail system is mapped out in amazing detail and allows riders to navigate the backwoods of Vermont with ease. The Comfort Inn and Suites, St. Johnsbury, Vermont is "home away from home" to thousands of snowmobilers annually. They snowmobilers arrive in mid-December and are here until the end of March. The trail system connects to the back of the hotel which allows guests to ride directly from the hotel. Snowmobiles are parked in the front circles of the hotel and make for quite a scene when everyone is warming up their engines. A two stroke fog bank hovers over the hotel each morning. It's a sight to be seen.

We now have a snowmobile access trail out of my Hampton Inn, Littleton, New Hampshire. Riders can leave the hotel for the day and ride over to Franconia Notch State Park. Once there, plan to take the aerial tram to the top of Cannon Mountain for lunch. It'll make for one memorable day.

Snowmobiling can be dangerous. Never drink and ride. Always stay right and use proper hand signals when encountering fellow snowmobilers. One last piece of advice...dress appropriately. Skiing gear is designed to allow for the evaporation of sweat produced while skiing. When riding a snowmobile, such gear would result in frost bite in a short period of time. Snowmobiling gear blocks the cold out and keeps your body heat trapped inside. Trust me when I say there is a huge difference and that the two should not be confused.

The snowmobiling trails will open around December 15th. Email vermonttajmahal@aol.com or call (802) 748-1500 for trail conditions. We'll hope to see you soon!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!