Whomever is doing the snow dance, you can stop at any time for the next few days. In the past 10 days Caribou and surrounding areas have picked up more than 32 inches of fresh snow. The past two storms have given us wet packy snow which will certainly help trails once the temperatures drop below freezing.
All clubs have been extremely busy with all the fresh snow that Mother Nature has given us. The best thing for sledders to do is get out and beat the air out of the snow, this helps grooming efforts. Saturday is looking to be in the mid 30’s which means trails will become soft and mealy quickly, this is a good day to get out and ride the less traveled trails and you will not be disappointed.
With the price of fuel being as expensive as it is, more and more clubs are putting out donation cans in stores, restaurants and at clubhouses. The more that these clubs get the more they can groom.
As the snow continues to pile up signs are going to become shorter, so please if you come across signs that are becoming buried, please either try and pull out of the snow or clean out in front of the sign.
The Deer and Moose are really liking the white carpet that all clubs are laying down, so if you see tracks on the trail this means they are out on them, so please use caution.
TRAIL INFORMATION:
Sly Brook (Soldier Pond): Reporting that they will be out on Thursday and will get them all done. Please keep an eye out for moose, as the snow gets deeper, they will walk on the trails where it is easier.
Washburn Trail Runners (Washburn): Reporting that their 105 to Blackstone is in good shape and so is 83 to Crouseville. Trail 61 is closed due to logging, please do not ride this trail. The kitchen is open Friday 8-2, Saturday 7-2, and Sunday 7-12. Hopefully we’ll get a decent amount of snow from this storm passing through on Saturday!
Portage Lakers: Reporting they are out night and day to get the trails smooth. Please use caution as deer are everywhere closer to town.
Caribou: Reporting good conditions and groomers have been out night and day. The logging operation off ITS 83 is all done so this area will no longer be plowed out. Trail 90A is being used a lot and will get rougher as we are not able to groom with a big machine, it is done with a small pipe drag.
Fort Kent SnoRiders (Fort Kent): reporting they will be out every night as the new snow will take a few days to set up.
Eagle Lake Winter Riders: Reporting they have received 10 more inches and trails will be in good shape for the weekend.
Fort Fairfield Snowmobile Club: reporting they are in good shape.
St. Francis Sno-Angels: reporting they will be out tonight and will get the trails back to great shape in no time. If you in the area on Saturday stop by for beans and franks at the clubhouse. 11am until gone.
Central Aroostook Snowmobile club (Mars Hill, Blaine, Bridgewater, and Monticello): Reporting Central Aroostook. They hope to have everything done by Friday. The warmer temps are making it hard to get out during the day. Reminder of logging operation in Bridgewater. 2.3-mile plowed section, the landowner is going to allow the snowmobile trail to continue through this area if speed does not exceed 30mph, and yield to motor vehicles. If there are issues, they will close this section of trail down and the club will need to reroute 20 miles.
Ashland snowmobile club: Reporting that they will have all trails done in the next day and a half. Watch for deer coming into town especially near the IGA.
Moose town Riders (Allagash): reporting they will be out day and night.
Frenchville snowmobile club: reporting that they have been out all last night and during the day today. Will be out before the weekend. A lot of new snow.
Red Arrow (St. Agatha, and Sinclair): reporting all trails were done Tuesday night and will be out every night.
Chapman Ridge runners: Reporting all trails were groomed before the storm and will begin again Thursday morning.
Aroostook River Snowmobile (Mapleton, and Castle Hill): Reporting they are grooming every night to keep up with the new snow.
Easton Trailbreakers (Easton): Reporting they will be out and will get them in great shape for the weekend.
Madawaska snowmobile club: Reporting they are up and running and will not turn the machine off. They will be out tonight and Thursday.
Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club (Grand Isle): Reporting good conditions and will be out all night. There is a logging operation on 81c going through the woods near the tower just as the trail crosses the golf course road.
Gateway Snowmobile Club (Van Buren): Reporting they will be out every night.
Presque Isle Snowmobile Club: the maintenance gremlins caught us too as earlier this week we lost a wheel on one of our machines, fortunately it was found, and the repairs quickly made meaning both Groomers are running day and night to pound this new foot of snow and to punch out the road crossings. in the meantime, we urge caution as the highway snowbanks are very high so watch out for the car traffic. All our hotel and restaurant trails including the new City Centre trail will be done over the next few days as will all our connecting trails with our neighboring snowmobile clubs. thanks to our groomer operators for getting the job done in time for the weekend traffic ahead.
Nordic Lakers (New Sweden, Westmanland): NorthStar variety is now selling non-ethanol gas.
Pleasant Ridge Riders (Caswell): Reporting they are out on a regular basis. Parent’s Country store is located right off the border trail and have something for everyone. They are carrying all brands of oil, including Amsoil. They also carry phone chargers, gloves, spark plugs, and snowmobile tow straps.
Walker Siding Snowmobile Club: Reporting that they are hoping to get their machine fixed soon. They received apart from a local club and hoping that it will work.
SOUTHERN AROOSTOOK REPORT:
Molunkus Valley Sno-Drifters: Reporting trails were all groomed before the snow and will be out again.
*Bowlin/Mattagamon/Shin Pond:
*Rockabema Snow Rangers – ITS 81 to Shin Pond – ITS 112 to Island falls – 62 Club Trail north Groomed Clubhouse Trail, Icehouse trail (57), ITS 81N to Libby’s Lodge. Trails are ready for a great weekend!
*Linneus Sno Sports – ITS 105 from Hodgdon to ITS 83 – 61 Linneus to Oakfield. Trails groomed last night and this morning. Leonard groomed until the sun came up and ITS 83 to ITS 105 down to the outhouse on New Denmark Rd. is ready. The machine did Trail 1 to Haynesville bridge then doubled back to ITS 105 to trail 61 (Joe Martin Rd.) to where it meets ITS 83 then doubled back to ITS 105 and back to clubhouse. Also, ITS 83 north and the bypass across the Mooers Rd to where we meet Meduxnekeag has been groomed. Just a reminder the clubhouse will be open for lunch Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 2pm so be sure to stop in for lunch, a snack, a coffee or just to warm up and say hi.
*Meduxnekeag Ramblers – ITS 83 north to Monticello – ITS 86 south to Houlton – ITS 86 to Oxbow- 81 Club Trail. After some repairs and welding on the big orange machine ITS 86 east was done last night to were Linneus meets us at the bottom of Gardner Hill…. Made the loop thru the Bass Farm then down to the suspension bridge. Trails are in excellent condition. It doesn’t get any better!
*Big Valley Snow Club at Birch Point in Island Falls – ITS 112 – ITS 83 north- 60 and 54 to Oakfield – ITS 83 south Well over a foot of new snow! Ethan is out in the Tucker on ITS 83 South for a double pass and the Bombardier is on ITS 83 N and ITS 112 to Patten Junction. Big Valley Sno Club will be groomed up for the weekend riding. Watch for groomers on the trails tonight and on 60, Mattawamkeag River Loop and 54 during the overnight or Saturday.
* Eastern Maine Snow Rovers – ITS 110 – ITS 81 and 1. Trails are looking good! If you take trail 1 North, it is possible to go around the plowed road by going out trail 3 and taking a right onto 3A then coming back to trail 1. It might be 10 miles out of the way, but you could avoid the plowed road. Reverse going south and take 3A then stay left to trail 3 then back onto 1. Excellent conditions.
East Grand snowmobile Club: reporting they will be out doing 105 South tonight. They are waiting for temps to get cool enough.
Oxbow-Masardis Snowmobile Club: Got plenty of snow! Started packing trails early this morning and will be out tonight and again tomorrow morning and again tomorrow night. It’s just about round the clock grooming. The use is high even during the mid-week so it hard to keep anything flat. The warmer temp is not helping ether, but we are all the same boat
ON THE SOCIAL SIDE:
Meduxnekeag Ramblers Saturday breakfast at the clubhouse on the Wiley Rd. in Littleton from 6am to 9 am. All are welcome.
Limestone will be hosting a Poker Run February 26th leaving the clubhouse at 10:00 registration starts at 9:00 $5 per hand $20 registration fee will be a spaghetti dinner at the end at the par N grill.
