By Thomas D’Agostino

Snowmobiling is a favorite winter past time in Northern New England. In fact, it may be the only way to get around certain places after the winter snows cover the land in droves. Deep in the woods of Conway, New Hampshire there is a ghost story that is told to this day. The story starts in Connecticut. Now you may ask what does Connecticut have to do with New Hampshire ghosts? It seems the ghost that rides the trails of Conway in New Hampshire originally hailed from Connecticut. According to the story, a family named Prudeator, or Pudeator once farmed the Nutmeg State. There were six burly sons and their mother. They all married and had children. They were not rich but one of them got an idea to buy a snowmobile. This was back in the 1950s and snowmobiles were the newest and latest modern mechanical wonder. They pooled what meager savings they had and purchased a fine vehicle. 

   The family had a friend who loaned them a cabin in Conway. He always told of how the snow trails and ridges went as far as the eye could see. The family loaded the snowmobile on their trailer and towed it up to Conway. The convoy reached their destination in the afternoon and unloaded the snowmobile. They were several miles from the actual cabin, but the snow laden fields in front of them proved to be too tempting to pass up. The mother went on to the cabin by herself to prepare supper for the sons when they returned. This was not to happen. While taking in the fun of their new toy, a blizzard hit with full mountain fury. The trucks became stuck in the deep snow and the brothers were forced to spend a few days and nights attempting to weather out the storm in the vehicles. 

   They later managed to free the trucks from the snow and proceeded to the cabin where they found the mother frozen to death from the bitter cold. She had run out of wood during the Nor’easter and could not get out to salvage more. 

   The trucks had barely made it through the snow to the cabin, so taking them back to town was not an option. One of the brothers volunteered to take the snowmobile to get help. The rest listened in apprehension as the roar of the engine faded into the distance. They were well aware that the territory was unfamiliar to him, but felt confident that he would somehow return with help. He never returned.  Somewhere along the way, he became lost in the blizzard and was never seen again. Several searches proved futile as both the brother and the snowmobile had seemed to vanish completely off the face of the earth. 

   To this day, a strange sound is heard when the snows begin to fall and the wind visits, whistling down the trails and roads of the mountains. It is the sound of the phantom snowmobile as makes its rounds through the fields and trails of Conway. On dark snowy nights the echo of an engine from another world can be heard revving through the woods and a faint ghostly light is seen moving in the distance. Most believe it is the unfortunate son endlessly searching either for the cabin or rescue from the icy storm that held its deadly grip on him and his family.