RRVT News
It’s been a bum winter so far for snowmobilers on the Raccoon River Valley Trail and across much of the state. But this area’s Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers club continues to thrive, having recently been named the “club of the year” by the state snowmobile association. And the Snow Chasers have just announced their membership awards for 2011.
JEFFERSON, Iowa, February 12, 2012 – The lack of snow so far this winter hasn’t made for much of a snowmobiling season — and businesses in towns along the Raccoon River Valley Trail can attest to that.
“While the snow has been lacking this winter not only in our region but in the entire nation, we are still excited about the future of our sport in the local area and in the state of Iowa,” said Eric Chrystal, of Panora, president of the Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers. “I am sure the local retailers miss the lost revenue snowmobilers would have brought to local communities with trails nearby.”
The Snow Chasers, one of the largest snowmobile clubs in the state, have members generally living in Greene, Guthrie, Dallas and Adair counties. In recent years, they negotiated with the Greene, Guthrie and Dallas county Conservation Boards for permission to use snowmobiles on the RRVT when there is at least four inches of snow cover. Meanwhile, the Snow Chasers became real allies of the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association for trail development, maintenance and advocacy.
This past November, the Snow Chasers were recognized as “Club of the Year” by the Iowa State Snowmobile Association.
This month, the club announced several awards for its members. The Snow Chasers’ “Snowmobiler of the Year” award was presented to Rod Scheuermann of Jefferson. Max Monthei of Panora took home the “Youth Snowmobiler of the Year” award. The “Groomer of the Year” award goes to Dennis Perrigo of Redfield. And the Patten family of Panora—Richard, Jackie and Mike—are awarded the club’s “Family of the Year.”
