53 FALL 2019 ISSUE 01 / VOL . 01 maine ’ s magic carpet ride
SNOWGOER . COM 54
For a Midwesterner like myself , visiting this area was the highlight of the season . I made the pilgrimage to this snowmobiling holy land in mid-March along with avid rider , photographer and blogger Dan Guendert , who was experiencing Maine for the first time .
GET READY TO RIDE
Our hosts were Rick and Debbie LeVasseur , owners of the 5 Lakes Lodge , a deluxe resort on South Twin Lake , one of the arms of Pemadumcook Lake . This large body of water lies 5 miles west of the town of Millinocket and approximately 25 miles south of Mount Katahdin . The lodge – situated on a small peninsula with water views on three sides – is a first-class bed-and-breakfast featuring five well-appointed rooms and sumptuous morning meals prepared by Debbie . On the evening of our arrival , the LeVasseurs took us out for a wonderful dinner at the Scootic In , one of the oldest restaurants in Millinocket .
Our first day of riding began after a hearty breakfast featuring Debbie ’ s tasty walnut and blueberry pancakes . Thus fortified , we set off northeast in a steady snowfall , soon crossing the beautiful Wiley suspension bridge over the west branch of the Penobscot River , where the dark , rushing water roiled below us . The two branches of this beautiful waterway – used for more than half a century as a conveyor of huge , cut logs to
The Wiley suspension bridge takes riders over the West Branch of the Penobscot River just west of Millinocket .