Michael Worthley, trailmaster for the Roxbury ATV Riders Club, speaks Sunday about the new 8.5-mile trail between Roxbury and Rumford. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times
ROXBURY — ATVers in the River Valley have completed a mission to build an 8.5-mile trail between Roxbury and Rumford.
For the past 3½ years they have cleared brush, built bridges, installed culverts, made water bars, laid down swamp mats and dug ditches.
On Sunday morning, some 60 riders from local clubs and beyond gathered at the Roxbury ATV Riders Club ride and park area off Route 120 to listen to club trailmaster Michael Worthly talk about the project, which was completed two weeks ago.
“Three and half years ago, one of the bigger landowners shut us down for logging,” he said. “Once they started logging, they made a new road and didn’t want any ATVs on it, so they shut down the trail permanently. That was our only way of getting into Mexico, through the Rumford trail system.”
So began the circuitous route to get to Rumford.
Worthly said the club got permission from A&B Forestry to use its property, “which was awesome.”
The first year they marked out where they wanted the trail and got permission from four other landowners, Scott Coley, Jessie Chisholm, Frank Coyne, Bob Linkletter, to cross their properties.
The second year, ATVers cut out the trail before A&B Forestry went in to cut trees during the winter.
“After they cut, it was a mess,” Worthly said, “but we went back in there and we added culverts, water bars, swamp mats, four bridges, did some ditching and removed a lot of brush.”
He said he’s pleased with the results.
“It’s a really neat trail. A lot of steep hills,” he said.
Worthley thanked former Roxbury ATV Riders Club President Roger Laramee, Rumford Riders ATV Club President Jim Theriault and Rumford Riders ATV Club trailmaster Craig Chaisson.
“If it wasn’t for those three, this trail probably wouldn’t have gotten off the ground,” Worthley said.
With the new trail, ATVers can get to the Rumford trail system, which connects to Woodstock, Peru, Dixfield and Mexico. Their trails have access to various markets and three campgrounds.
Signs were posted at both ends of the new trail recognizing the Roxbury club and and Polaris, which gave a $10,000 trail grant.
Before the group rode to Rumford, Mexico and back to Roxbury on Sunday, they held a pair of 50/50 drawings won by Rumford club member Linda Wesson of Cape Cod and Roxbury club member Greg Cushman of Raymond. They turned their $87 and $50 winnings, respectively, back to the Roxbury club.
The club is accepting donations for trail maintenance, and contributions may be sent to Roxbury ATV Riders Club, P.O. Box 82, Roxbury, ME 04275, or by PayPal via the email roxburyatvridersclub@gmail.com.
Signs were added to both ends of the new trail between Roxbury and Rumford recognizing Roxbury ATV Riders Club and Polaris, which provided a grant. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times
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