Dream machine

There’s going to be a big, new rabbit on the trails of Vallecito this winter. That is if fundraising efforts for a new Favero Snow Rabbit 3X grooming machine succeed. The Vallecito Nordic Club recently launched a fundraiser for the new compact snowcat with blade and tiller, which would greatly enhance the club’s grooming efforts on the 15k of trails northeast of Durango.

“We have been dragging heavy things behind snowmobiles for almost 30 years, and we'd like to upgrade to a real grooming machine,” John Byrd, Vallecito Nordic Board member, said.

The club is at a point where the frequency of grooming (seven days a week), snow conditions and maintaining conditions is stressing out current equipment and volunteer groomers. The “SR3X,” as it’s called in snowcat circles, will increase the quality of the skiing surface for both classic and skate while reducing the time volunteers groomers spend out on the trails. The machine will also increase the number of skiable days and is ideal for Vallecito’s narrow trails and snow conditions, according to the club.

“It would enable the club to provide a superior grooming product for your winter skiing adventures,” the club said on its website.

Of course, such superior skiing comes at a price: The Snow Rabbit would cost about $190,000. As of Nov. 17, the Club had raised more than half of that – $111,000 – but still needs more donations to put it over the top. Donations can be made on the Vallecito Nordic website, www.vallecitonordicclub.org. If you don’t do digital, you can mail a check to P.O. Box 4431, Durango, 81302 or drop a check off any at Alpine Bank branch, and tell them it’s for the Vallecito Nordic Club Snow Rabbit fund.   

Although the Vallecito Nordic trails, obviously, have yet to open for the season, snow is in the forecast, so get hopping.