HOLLAND, The Drift Dusters Snowmobile Club, working with U.S. Border Patrol, has recently rebuilt a dilapidated bridge on the international boundary in Holland. The 40-foot span, located east of the club’s trail, had become unsafe and unusable.
Drift Dusters first opened the nation’s internationally shared snowmobile trail in Holland in 2018. The trail now runs four miles parallel to the Canadian route maintained by Club Motoneige Les Trois Village along what locals call the “Border Cut.” It provides riders views of Lake Memphremagog and the Green Mountains while giving Border Patrol a path for patrols.
In fall 2019, the club learned the bridge was in disrepair. Because of its relationship with the Border Patrol and the U.S. Boundary Commission, Drift Dusters was asked to rebuild it for better access. The club recruited 20 volunteers, and the bridge was rebuilt in one day using lumber supplied by Border Patrol.
The bridge will be used exclusively for Border Patrol operations and will not be part of the snowmobile trail network. The club stated it remains supportive of the community and local law enforcement.
Drift Dusters, based in Derby, maintains 70 miles of trails across Derby, Holland, Morgan, Charleston, and Norton. According to the club, snowmobiling contributes $500 million annually to Vermont’s economy, much of it in the Northeast Kingdom.
Originally reported by Newport Dispatch.
Photo: Dmitriy Ryndin via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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