Staff Writer
WASHBURN — Along with the New Year, 2009 marks the start of the season for the Washburn Trail Runners Snowmobile Club. Saturday, Jan. 3, marked the first of many weekend breakfasts held at the Clubhouse. The breakfasts and other events help the club pay for costs associated with managing the clubhouse and grooming about 40 miles of snowmobile trails throughout the year.
On Sunday morning, Bill Sewall, Audrey Hartford, Jaida Beaulieu, Richard Hartford, and Mary Jane Sperrey volunteered their time to cook breakfast for hungry snowmobilers at the Washburn Trail Runners Snowmobile Clubhouse.
“It’s the first weekend that we’ve been open, so things have been a little slow,” explained Alan Carter, President of the Washburn Trail Runners Snowmobile Club, “I think on Saturday we had something like 40 people who came in during the morning and we had some snowmobilers in the afternoon, but it looks like Sunday morning brought in mostly club members.”
Though the kitchen at the clubhouse feeds dozens of hungry snowmobilers throughout the winter, it’s staffed entirely by volunteers like Mary Jane Sperrey, who’s been managing the kitchen at the clubhouse for about eight years.
“When we first started, we brought a grill into the corner and we cooked there; we barely had chairs,” Mary Jane Sperrey recalled, “the first year after that, we ran on hot plates because we didn’t have a stove, and that was something else to try to keep up with.”
“We burned out two hot plates that year,” Sperrey remembered, “but they were all we had to cook on; the snowmobilers didn’t seem to mind waiting. They just liked the food and the atmosphere I guess,” she added.
“The meals that we put on are just for fellowship and to provide food for the snowmobilers who are out there riding,” said Carter, “the revenue we receive from providing meals helps us pay our fuel costs and other utilities.”
“Our kitchen has been a big asset,” Carter added, “if it wasn’t for our kitchen, things would be really tight for us.”
The financial aspect of maintaining 40 miles of trails for a small club would be nearly impossible without assistance from the federal and state governments through grants, which was the case when it came time for a new trail groomer for the club.
“You look at the cost of a groomer and you can spend anywhere from $160,000 to $200,000, and that’s a big expense for a club,” said Carter.
“The year we applied for our state grant, we received one of the biggest payouts that they ever had,” explained current Vice President and former President Rodney Sperrey, “The year we bought our groomer, very few clubs had purchased trail groomers and so the percentage that we were able to receive in available state assistance was extremely high. We ended up with around $50,000 from the state, which has never happened before and I doubt it will ever happen again. Must clubs get $10,000 or $15,000, and we ended up with $50,000,” Rodney Sperrey added.
Even though the club received $50,000 for a new trail groomer, it was only a fraction of the total cost.
“We saved money for about 10 to 15 years, and we were able to sell the old groomer for a pretty good price,” Rodney Sperrey added, “we also received a federal grant for $40,000, so with all things combined, we were able to pay off the groomer in 11 months, which is not something that most clubs are able to do.”
The success and longevity of the club is due to the diligence and hard work of the volunteers; after all, grants don’t write themselves and debris seldom removes itself from the trail.
“We have a lot of volunteers who come in and help with different things,” said Carter, “I think the biggest task is the submission for grants and funds in addition to the end of the season when you have to sit down and calculate all the reimbursements to get to the state.”
Though wet weather has hindered sledding, snowmobilers are crossing their fingers for the upcoming months.
“I think that February and March are really the best times to sled because you get the cold, cold temperatures, the snow has fallen, the trails are groomed so that they’re nice, hard, and ready for running.”
The Washburn Trail Runners Snowmobile Clubhouse is located at 48 Station road in Washburn.
Aroostook Republican Photos/Natalie Bazinet
The Washburn Trail Runners Snowmobile club maintains about 40 miles of snowmobile trails in the area.
