The Town of Webb Snowmobile Department recently added a new groomer and two new drags to its fleet of snowmobile trail maintenance equipment.
WEBB TRAIL CREW, from left, Doug Butterworth, T.J. Goneyea, Ed Shied, Tony Tormey, John Bauer, Bob Hipkins, Jim Pylman, Tim Pylman, and Gart Seymour. The department’s new grooming vehicle is at the left. Photo by Dana Armington
The new 2013 PistenBully 100 groomer is a very welcome addition to the fleet, said Snowmobile Department Head Tim Pylman.
The leased grooming machine was budgeted for in Webb’s 2013 budget and is the first new machine the department has acquired since 2005.
The oldest machine in the fleet is from 1999, Pylman said, but all the equipment has been well-maintained throughout the years.
While the snowmobile trail maintenance crew typically has four machines running at a time, the addition of a fifth groomer will be of great help should a machine break down or they need additional help maintaining the trails due to weather and heavy usage.
Pylman said his crew is always looking towards the future of the trail system. They maintain, refurbish, create new trails, or come up with ways in which to create a better surface on less snow, should Mother Nature not cooperate.
“Every year it seems we get less and less snow and we are always trying to get a better surface so that we can snowmobile on lesser snow,” Pylman said.
The snowmobile maintenance trail crew consists of twelve members, most of whom have been working the trails for eight to twenty years.
“I think the years they have worked here speaks for itself,” Pylman said, “and the experience that we have here is important. It shows that the guys keep coming back and that they pride themselves in what they do here.
“And they all want the trails to be flat, just like the snowmobilers do.”
A raffle for basket of wine and snacks was held and $200 was raised. Joe Guido of Old Forge was the lucky winner.
