All I can say is, “Wow” — almost a foot of snow falls on Monday and then the big fans get turned on and someone forgot to shut them off until there are 10- to 15-foot-high drifts. Some trails will be temporally rerouted as it is just too much snow to move.
Most clubs are reporting that they have never seen drifting this bad.
Remember that clubs are mostly all volunteer and they also must take care of their own driveways and homes as well. So opening trails in the open terrain will take a few days. Have no fear as fields look like the lunar landscape. Venture out into the wooded sections or the many miles of rail trails, as those areas were not affected as badly with the wind. Most clubs are indicating by Friday the trails will be back in great shape.
ATTENTION: This weekend is the 27th Can Am Sled Dog Races. The races start in Fort Kent on Saturday morning and will continue until Monday morning. Some of the race course uses snowmobile trails, so if you are riding in the Fort Kent, Eagle Lake, Portage, St. Francis and Allagash area and you come upon signs with dog prints, please ride slowly and with care.
CAUTION: Deer are everywhere. They are being spotted in Caribou on trail 83B, in Ashland on ITS 85 and Portage on ITS 85. Please keep an eye out all the time, as we all know that deer live throughout this County. Also, as the snow is getting deeper this means that all the big game animals will be venturing out onto the trails as it is easier walking for them.
TRAIL INFORMATION:
Soldier Pond is reporting that their system will be in good shape for the weekend.
Washburn is reporting their trails will be in great condition for the weekend. Trail 61 is not open as there is a logging operation now. There is going to be a logging operation in the Blackstone area, which is trail 105. The logging has begun, so sledders please stop at the Blackstone intersection where the Nordic Lakers meet Washburn. The club would like to let people know that if you do encounter the Cat out on the trail, they will stop to allow safe passage. Please go slow and be cautious. If they need to pull over off to the side of the trail, they may get stuck.
Nordic Lakers have been out on their system and are reporting good conditions.
Saint Francis is reporting that they will be in good shape for the weekend
Portage Lakers will have their trails in great shape for the weekend. There will be a heavy logging presence on ITS 85 near the Hewes Brook area. Please use caution in this area as the trucks will be hauling.
Caribou is reporting that they are fighting fields and are in hopes to have everything done by Friday and will be out all weekend.
Fort Kent is reporting that their system is going to be in good shape by Friday.
Eagle Lake is reporting good conditions. There will be a reroute on ITS 85S after the Birch River near mile 8 due to logging; this will be in effect on Sunday and will last a few weeks. Please watch for signs. The detour will go towards the boat launch on the plowed road for about 2 miles. The trucks will be on this road so additional caution is advised.
Fort Fairfield is reporting that they are out beating down the drifts and will be in good shape for the weekend .
Central Aroostook Snowmobile club is reporting that they are out fighting drifts and are in hopes to have it all open for the weekend.
Ashland is reporting that they will have everything open by Friday. Watch for a newly plowed road on 71A it is signed. There is still a lot of deer on ITS 85 between Ashland and Portage.
Allagash is reporting that their trails are in good shape.
Frenchville is reporting that they are going to have everything groomed by midnight on Wednesday. They are selling raffle tickets to be drawn at their last meeting of the season.
Red Arrow is reporting they are demoing a groomer, so they are going in tandem and are trying to get everything open for the weekend.
Chapman Ridge Runners are reporting that they are beating down drifts and will be in good shape by the weekend.
Aroostook River Snowmobile Club is reporting that they worked on 105 all day on Wednesday. They groomed on Monday and are reporting that the stuff in the woods held up well. They plan to have everything in great shape by Friday.
Easton is reporting they will be using Fort Fairfield’s Gilbert groomer and will start up on their system on Thursday.
Madawaska is reporting out busting open through the drifts and finding the trail and are in hopes to be in good shape for the weekend.
Grand Isle is reporting that their trails will be in great shape after Thursday.
Presque Isle Snowmobile club is reporting that their wooded trails are in good shape and fields will take a while, but they are picking away.
Van Buren is reporting that they are beating down drifts and will be in good shape by the weekend.
Caswell is reporting that they are in hopes to have everything in good shape by Friday. Trail 100 to trail 94 remains closed. Trail 102 to trail 89 in the Connor area is now open. Please use caution as they are going through a logging operation. Logging operation on trail 81A; please use caution.
SOUTHERN AROOSTOOK TRAILS:
To say that the weather over this past week has been a challenge might be a bit of an understatement, but the Trail Masters have been doing their best to ready the trails. Blowing and drifting snow has been a challenge, but the clubs are doing a great job. They ask that if you see an almost buried sign to please reset it, so people can read it. Also, stay on the trails. Going off-trail could be disastrous with this cold weather.
Molunkus Valley Sno-Drifters report that the trails, ITS83, 83A, 3A and the Bible Point Trail are groomed and ready with excellent conditions. The Logan Trail section of trail 3 is closed to Rt. 2 due to logging.
Bowlin/Matagamon/Shin Pond has groomed 114/ITS 85 north to ITS 81/ITS 85 and IT S85 south/71D to where the club meets up with Libby’s. 114/ITS 85 south is groomed to the Whetstone Bridge. ITS83 from the south is also groomed to Whetstone. ITS 85 south out of Matagamon to the 114/ITS 85 junction of Bowlin Camps is also ready. The snow has laid down nicely, but keep in mind that high winds mean that snow will continue to drift, so ride with caution.
Rockabema Snow Rangers have three machines out cutting through the drifts and getting the trails in great shape. ITS 81 to Shin Pond is open as is ITS 112 to Island falls. Club Trail 62 north is also open. Please keep in mind that there is so much snow that most marking stakes are buried. The Trail Master would like to remind riders that the drifts in open fields are a problem so please wait until the wind dies down before venturing out. Hopefully all trails should be in excellent shape by Thursday evening.
The Big Valley Snow Club reports that all trails will be opened by the weekend, but the big drifts on ITS 112 are posing a problem. The groomers are working overtime to make sure the trails are in excellent conditions.
The Meduxnekeag Ramblers, who take care of the trails in Monticello, Littleton and parts of Houlton and Hodgdon, are experiencing their share of breakdowns. One groomer needs a part that won’t be available until mid-March, so they are taking a road trip to Oxbow on Thursday to purchase a used machine to get them through the season. They also lost a starter on the other machine but have managed to replace that. They report that the rail bed on ITS 83 is priority number one and will be opened on Thursday. There is a huge drift near Harvey’s Siding which they will be working on. By Thursday or Friday ITS 86 toward St. Croix will be opened, then the groomer will be heading toward the border to finish ITS 86 and their portion of IT S105 that meets up with Linneus Sno-Sports.
Linneus Sno-Sports is in tip top shape with all trails groomed. IT S83 and ITS 105 to Haynesville is ready for some great sledding.
The Smoki- Haulers of Oakfield are out grooming Wednesday night and report that ITS 83 south is in good shape as are all town trails. 61 north is open and in great shape. As of Wednesday night, ITS 83 north from Oakfield to Linneus was not passable due to snow drifts but two groomers will be working on it and should have it open by Thursday.
The Meduxnekeag Ramblers Club does a great breakfast from 6 to 9 at the Wiley Rd. Clubhouse every Saturday until the sledding season is over!
There is a pot luck at the Molunkus Valley Sno-Drifters clubhouse at 5 this Saturday with the regular meeting at 6. This would be a great time to stop in and join the club!
Linneus Sno-Sports in New Limerick is serving lunch from 10 to 2 Saturday and Sunday. As always, check out the awesome 6.5-mile ski trail that starts in front of the clubhouse.
ON THE SOCIAL SIDE:
Gateway Snowmobile Club and the Van Buren Education Association are hosting the Spring Fling Family Funday on Sunday, March 3rd from noon to 4pm. Location is at the end of Poplar Street. Trail intersection of 105 and ITS 81. Check out their Facebook page.
The Washburn Trail Runners clubhouse will be open Friday and Saturday 7am to 2pm and Sunday 7am to 12.
Saint Francis Sno Angels will have their clubhouse open for lunches starting at 11am and will continue throughout the winter.
Pleasant Ridge Riders will be hosting a breakfast on March 17 from 7-10 at the clubhouse in Caswell.
