The Maine winter sky over head cobalt blue, nearly cloudless as thoughts of work are not on board with you on a snow sled.
The ITS trail is freshly groomed, level, smooth. Drug over night to slowly set up. To remove ruts, ridges and to freeze in to place. The retired from his regular career groomer operator with a friend riding shot gun performing trail surgery. Up half the night repairing snow sled trails through the woods, up and over open fields. Across lakes and specially volunteer built bridges to span brooks, rivers.
The driver of the Tucker, Piston Bulley or other home made tractor groomer diesel with all the lights on top like you see at ski areas, pulls the hydraulic controlled drag skillfuly.
He is a Maine snow sled head too. Planning to ply the same trails on a snowmobile he had a hand at repairing the night before.
Creating the makings for a perfect day of Maine snowmobiling. The sledding experience enjoyed by local, down state, out of state snowmobile enthusiasts.
The wildlife you see along the trail is almost as impressive as the Maine scenery. You are in a party of eight other snowsledders who raise a hand to indicate how many are in your party as you meet other machines along the trail.
You stop, turn off the machines and remove your snow sled helmet at a group of Maine lake ice fishing shacks. The rag tag shanty of laughing fishermen playing cribbage, waiting for one of their five lines through ice augered holes to trip, spring. Signalling we have fish on the other end to reel in. Kids, dogs, other snowsleds and cross country snow skiiers play around the collection of home made ice shacks. Weekend homes for fishermen who cook up chicken stews, fish chowders, chili, make biscuits. Prepare feasts of food to share with the others in the group.
The trail of orange paint topped grade stakes put up by fall snow sled club volunteers marks the way when the snowmobile party resumes. As they finish socializing with the ice fishermen. And continue their Maine snowmobile afternoon outdoor ride. The steel pick, studded rubber tracked snowsleds with the carbidge runner skis to dig in, turn on ice also have heated handlebar grips. Thumb warmers that are electric. And aluminum strips under their feet where engine hot water circulates to keep snow sledder’s feet toasty warm.
If you are cold on a snowmobile on a Maine ITS snowmobile sled trail, you are not dressed right.
With today’s high tech fabrics, materials, like put on for down hill skiing there is no reason for a chill. Nothing to keep you from enjoying the Mine winter sport. Or calling it a day, cutting it short and going in early.
Often the same low cost Maine hunting camp, cabin used when the owner wears blaze orange clothing with a strong desire to find game doubles as lodging for fishing, snowmobiling, ski, hike, kayaking trips too. In Maine, our four season fun is always outdoors, in the usual colors of blue, green and white. And during fall, foliage leave color explosions of oranges, browns, reds, yellows too.
Maine, if you think winter is a time we spend with a remote TV channel clicker held high in one hand as we couch potato waiting for spring to arrive, you have the wrong impression of Vacationland.
This Maine winter video trys to dispell that myth, to show a different reality. Any season is a good time to sample ME. Maine, she builds a fire in your heart that never goes out. Browse low cost Maine real estate.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com