A snowmobiling pioneer in his native New Hampshire, Vernon LeDuc had his introduction to snowmobiling when his son purchased a machine in 1968. A skeptic at first, LeDuc became an enthusiast after enjoying a few rides on that early sled. This was the beginning of his pioneering efforts to build a system of established and funded trails in his state.

Almost immediately upon becoming a snowmobiler, LeDuc built his first groomer, little more than a length of pipe and a bedspring. Not satisfied with the riding opportunities in his area, he designed and built a groomer of his own design that worked so well back in 1978 that it is still in use today. Vernon had a vision for the future that included fully funded and permitted trails and he worked tirelessly toward this goal throughout the 1970’s, a time when he was instrumental in getting New Hampshire’s Grant-In-Aid program established.

Recipient of the very first Grant-In-aid grooming contract in New Hampshire, LeDuc continued to be a major figure on the trail grooming front throughout the 1980’s and most of the 1990’s, grooming trails in many different areas of the state. He helped complete many trails with bridges designed and constructed in his yard and later assembled on site. This effort even included a 200-foot suspension bridge over the Androscoggin River, installed before he retired from trail grooming in 1995.