Although snowstorms can foster angst for everyone from school superintendents to retail merchants in the Monadnock region, the Wilton Lyndeboro Winter Wanderers view a heavy blanket of white on the ground with enthusiasm.

The Wanderers are a snowmobiling club that does more than find trails in the woods on which to enjoy snow under their treads. From Adopt-a-Highway to maintaining nature trails for others and providing academic scholarships, the group has made good deeds an outgrowth of having good fun.

These can be the waning days of the Wanderers’ time on the snow, but they know how to stretch out the season.

“Come spring, Mike and I go up north where we can get more miles,” said Jo Wadleigh regarding how her husband and she deal with the advent of warmer weather.

The Wanderers were founded by Wilton’s Bruce Rafter and Don Nadeau of Lyndeborough in the 1960s, long before a website would tout their activities. When they get into the woods in these parts, members of the group stick to a 25 mph speed limit on trails, but Wadleigh said this can vary.

“A state speed limit is 45 mph, but northern trails are much wider and it’s safer there to go at higher speeds,” she said.

It takes a lot of work, however, in order to experience that winter fun. The Wadleighs are a retired couple who are involved year-round in making sure that taking to trails in winter can happen every year.

“We spend time maintaining the trails in Wilton, Mason and Milford,” said Jo. “In summer, we use a flail mower on Mike’s tractor to keep the brush down. We also use chainsaws for trees that have fallen across trails.” Once done, come the snow, Mike will head out before dawn some mornings to groom the trails.

The first flakes of the season usually aren’t when the Wanderers hit the trails, however.

“In Wilton, it’s usually not until mid-January,” said Jo, explaining that the ground needs to be frozen in order for the snow to stick and be ready for grooming.

Mike has taken required courses so that he can use the club’s groomer and operate the chainsaws with care. There are bridges over streams and permissions from landowners that the club also has to take care of.

“We maintain over 100 miles of trails in the Monadnock region,” said Jo, which allowed for a recent ride starting in Wilton to meander 70 miles to a lunch at Chrysanthi’s restaurant in Brookline. Local trails elsewhere pass through Greenfield and Greenville. Across New Hampshire, there are over 7,000 miles of snowmobiling trails, according to the state’s tourism website.

The families and individuals who make up the group, which is part of the New Hampshire Snowmobiling Association, also enjoy cross-country skiing, hiking and horseback riding on the trails they maintain.

“Because we’re allowed to maintain these trails on mostly private property, we think it’s our obligation to give back,” said Jo. “We do this by donating to Easter Seals, the NH Adopt-a-Highway program and offering a college scholarship to local students. Seniors interested in earning it have to submit an essay based on the prompt ‘How the outdoors has influenced my life.’”

There’s a child safety course for those under 16 who want to ride as well,

Between maps online and on the club’s website, most of the local trails can be found with ease. April has been known to hold one last blast of winter for the region, but even if it doesn’t this year, Jo said that 2025 has been an exceptional one for snowmobiling.

“This winter has been the best around here for many years.”

For information on the Wanderers, go to wlww.org.