-Tom S.

The increasing interest in snowmobiling has caught New Hampshire by storm. This once little known sport has grown to be a multi-million dollar a year tourism industry for NH. Many questions have risen about whether or not snowmobiling is a good or bad for the environment. I, being an avid snowmobiler, want to emphasize on how many ways snowmobiling brings awareness of the environment to the people who participate in this fun sport.

NH has 6000 miles of official snowmobile trails in the state. Many of them run through state parks and recreational areas, which would be closed due to inclement weather, and bring people to respect nature by experiencing it first hand. The snowmobiles cause no harm to the trails and pathways designated to them, unlike hiking the snowmobile rides on a cushion of snow that prevents the trails from being harmed.

Every time that I have gone on a snowmobile trip I take a lunch with me and eat fon the trails. It is often breathtaking with the gorgeous snow-covered mountains. More times than not I have seen deer jump across the trails as I ride down the trail. These are the experiences that snomobilers treasure, the memories of being out on the trail in the cold air being a part of the wilderness.

The best advice that I can give to any snomobiler is that the next time you go on a trip, stop for a while on the side of the trail and enjoy what is around you. Few people ever get the chance to experience nature first hand, so enjoy it while you can, and bring a camera with you so you can reflect on the wonderful experiences that you have had on the trails.

This kind of awareness is extremely important to the well being of our environment. Until everybody gets the kind of awareness of the environment that snowmobilers get our environment is not safe.

Happy Trails!