Snowmobile Season (Orono, Lincoln: 2014, rentals, homes)

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Maine's trails are awesome this year and there are very few riders. I have a friend that rode 142 miles on Sunday and saw only two other sleds and they were at the Airline Snack Bar. I rode 140 miles or so on Monday and Tuesday this week and did not see another sled. The trails are great and the weather is perfect this week. I think local people are saving their money to pay for home heating fuel. I have another friend that rode from the Lincoln area to Nicatous Lodge yesterday and did not see another sled. Between the three of us we rode around 350 miles on beautiful trails and never saw another sled on the trails.

[American girl]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Maine's trails are awesome this year and there are very few riders. I have a friend that rode 142 miles on Sunday and saw only two other sleds and they were at the Airline Snack Bar. I rode 140 miles or so on Monday and Tuesday this week and did not see another sled. The trails are great and the weather is perfect this week. I think local people are saving their money to pay for home heating fuel. I have another friend that rode from the Lincoln area to Nicatous Lodge yesterday and did not see another sled. Between the three of us we rode around 350 miles on beautiful trails and never saw another sled on the trails.

Do you suppose it's because folks have been whacked with huge increases in home heating this year? For 2013-2014 heating year I prebought the same amount of propane and oil that I used in 2012-2013 heating season. I ran through the propane by the end of January (thanks to no power for 7 days in December). I have already laid out an additional $700 in cash for more propane. I suspect people are really hunkering down as they struggle to heat their homes.

[mainebrokerman]

snowmobiling can be one of the best outside experiences- use to love getting out in the woods

maine, the media can do a better job promoting the snowmobile trails..

im sure there are nightly or weekend packages,,,of lodging and renting snowmobiles,,

but i dont see it, hear it or even look for them...

maybe the liability is just too much to rent snowmobiles..

but ive always thought that if a parent can take a kid(s) for the night -sleepover and sled rentals
that they would, this could be alot of fun,,and more importantly,,,get kids interested in it...
the computer and internet (and phones) are now taking over "activities" for kids..

maine has huge potential in outdoor activities- i think maine /businesses need to market them better

sugarloaf is a designation for skiers, as is saddleback,,,,but where is the destination for (family friendly outdoor snowmobiling, ice-fishing, cross country skiing??

my family has a camp in forest city ,,,next to a former large maine outfitters,,,use to have folks come from all over to ice fish...
but the place is closed now,,,people stopped coming..




thats why i like to read what mainewriter is doing with kids and adults,,,,like survival adventures, fishing and such
this should be happening all over the state.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Points well taken. I used to work with Maine Bound. I took kids out with my sled dog team. We built igloos, had chili and hot dogs and roasted marshmallows on the lake.

I mentioned the trails to soone yesterday. His parents rode from Rangely to the Lincoln area and back last weekend. They saw only a couple of other sleds in those hundreds of miles.

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Points well taken. I used to work with Maine Bound. I took kids out with my sled dog team. We built igloos, had chili and hot dogs and roasted marshmallows on the lake.

I mentioned the trails to soone yesterday. His parents rode from Rangely to the Lincoln area and back last weekend. They saw only a couple of other sleds in those hundreds of miles.

maine bound, sounds like a good program,,

does outward bound still exist??





22 years ago , when i bought this house, i could hear the machines all the time,,,,even at night,,,now,,,i think ive heard 3 snowmobiles this year..

the machines of today are just incredible....expensive,,,but awesome to ride..

[Northern Maine Land Man]

It still exists at the university in Orono. It is connected to the College of Education.

[namder1]

I'd sure like to know the secret....some of my "neighbors" are on food stamps, fuel assistance, disability/welfare, and seem to be able to afford snow sleds and quads for the summer.......I can barely afford the gas to get back and forth to my PT job and keep the fires burning at home.....
Not bitchin, just observin.....

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Often times it's a little crop out in the swamp that provides the toys and the new Harley.

[RMoore007]

In the winter of '08-'09, I put 1400 miles on my new sled and most of it was riding alone and during the weekdays. At 57 years old, It was my first sled ever, a 2009 Yamaha Venture Lite that was good on gas, about 22mpg. I never ran into too many people except when I crossed a lake or went through a village maybe. But on the weekends, it was crazy because the ITS (trail) runs right through our property and traffic would be tenfold.

I remember being gone all day exploring several 3500-4000 mountain areas and getting kind of lost at 4pm. I wished I would run into someone a couple of times and sure enough a guy in a pickup stopped once to tell me I'm crazy and should "B"Line it home. I had told him that I was from California and never owned a sled before he told me I was crazy.

[maineguy8888]

It was a good start to the season but then it did seem like there were fewer sleds than usual out in January and most of February. However, I have noticed it has gotten really busy around here the last couple of weeks. Not sure what is going on.
I do think that the economy is not good and that impacts the snowmobile industry.