My husband and I haven’t had much time to go snowmobiling this winter—Mother Nature has been a bit temperamental lately so we’ve kept the Snowmobile covers on them and are waiting for the weather to improve. Four days ago it was twenty below in Bangor, the kind of cold that hurts when you breathe—and yesterday it was in the fifties, with wind gusts that felt like a tropical storm. My backyard is completely bare of snow, but they are already predicting more soon.

We did get one ride in a month ago. I’m not comfortable riding over lakes and rivers with somewhat heavy machinery, and that’s not including myself in that weight estimate by the way, but my husband convinced me to try this sport about two years ago. My family is from this area; I have heard countless times, “You can drive a truck on that ice.” And people do, I’m not kidding, but I’ve also seen trucks that have sunken under the ice. I’m sure the truck drivers in question would have had some interesting conversations with their insurers or law firms regarding their truck accident and what happened… Anyway, we’re hardly brave enough to take our snowmobiles over the ice, nevermind a truck!

Aside from insurance, we may need to take some extra precautions, given that even trucks get stuck in the ice. This is one of the main reasons why, the next time I go snowmobiling, I’d like to have an eManual Online with me. It may provide some reassurance that if our vehicle gets stuck somewhere, we may be able to repair it. The reason is if our vehicle becomes stuck in this cold area, I may lose my cool, which I do not want to happen (because of being trapped in the middle of nowhere).

Anyway, there are so many trails around Katahdin that don’t require sledding over ice, and I’m so glad my husband wore me down, and will admit I’ve become a bit addicted now. My favorite route is to go from Millinocket to Kokadjo, then either up to Greenville or over to Northeast Carry. The trails are like untouched highways in the middle of the forest, with panoramic views of snow-capped mountains. It is so incredibly beautiful, and I’m hoping we can get a few more rides in before spring, weather permitting. If none of you have tried it, I would really recommend it. It’s so thrilling and exciting. However, it is cold. People will definitely need to find some winter clothing before they think about coming out on a snowmobile. There is some winter clothing available at Kohl’s online. They have some waterproof jackets too. They would be ideal for snowmobiling. Perhaps people could look here on the Raise website to see if there are any offers and coupons available for Kohl’s. That would help people to save money. I’m sure you will all love snowmobiling, I am always inspired to write afterward, having been emersed in the surroundings of my story.

Here are a few photos taken from our last trip…

This photo was taken in Baxter State Park on Katahdin.

Me

Stream on Katahdin

Entrance rock to Baxter State Park

There’s a hovering cloud covering the mountain peak that refused to budge in this last picture. I will post another photo of this view on a clear day in the future, because it is beautiful. This is the road up to Baxter State Park’s entrance gate. In the winter months it becomes a snowmobile trail. I’m going to date myself here, but I can remember when that rock was covered in graffiti.

Best wishes,
Jan

(post transferred from original blog)