CARIBOU — While northern Maine is known for sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall during the winter months, 2015 did not provide nearly as much snow as the current season.
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| Aroostook Republican photo/Christopher Bouchard
Bob Plourde, owner of Plourde & Plourde in Caribou and Madawaska, says the trails this year are significantly better than last winter and provide a big boost to the local economy and tourism. |
According to Bob Plourde, owner of Plourde & Plourde in Caribou and Madawaska, the winter trails have a direct impact on his business as well as many others in The County.
Plourde has owned the business since 1971, when he bought out his father’s partner Leo Kieffer. The shop owner says he began managing the shop shortly after graduating from Husson business school.
“This year is outstanding,” Plourde said of Aroostook’s snowmobile trails. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had snow this early. Last year, we really didn’t get into riding until end of January, but this year, we’ve been riding since early December. We’re about six or eight weeks ahead of where we were last winter.”
The shop owner says Aroostook County’s economy often depends on snowmobiling, since it’s one of the only tourist attractions during the colder months.
“I think it’s going to be an outstanding year for people in the snowmobile industry — motels, gas stations, and anything associated with tourism,” Plourde said. “It affects the whole northern Maine economy since it’s all we have in the winter. There’s not much else going on during this time of year that generates tourism.”
Plourde added that tourists often visit northern Maine and “think nothing of spending $1,500 to $2,000 a week to enjoy something we actually get for free.”
“We ought to spend more money developing the sport of snowmobiling because the snow doesn’t cost us a cent,” Plourde said. “We don’t have to build anything to attract people, it’s all free, so we should push the industry as much as we can.”
While the task of operating two stores can be challenging, but the “secret is having good managers” who “have their thumb on everything.”
Overall, Plourde has seven employees in the Caribou shop and two in the Madawaska store, which strictly sells Harley Davidsons. Through his interaction with both communities, Plourde learns what local all-terrain travelers have to say about the trails.
Last year, the lack of snow was at the forefront of snowmobilers’ conversations.
“The main conversation last year was that we had no snow and it came very late,” Plourde said, “but the people are very happy this year.”
Plourde’s advice for anyone riding this winter is to “stay on the marked trails so we don’t upset any landowners.”
“Be respectful and don’t leave litter or throw garbage on the trails,” Plourde said. “If we upset them, we won’t be able to use their property for trails, so I think that’s really important.”
