Great Escapes Fall 2022 | Page 13

Three Takeaways :
25 WINTER 2022 VOL . 04 / ISSUE 02
Northern Maine
SNOWGOER . COM 26
Three Takeaways :
At 6,828 square miles , Aroostook County is larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island comb ined
– times two . The County is bordered on three sides – east , west and north – by Canada . Much of Aroostook County ’ s rural land is owned by large land-owning companies that are gracious enough to allow trails to cross their property .
The famous Mount Katahdin is barely visible through the cloud cover behind our riding crew of ( from right ) Derek Comeau , Craig Daigle and Blaine King .
population in the area . It ’ s a trailside site
We returned to Long Lake and our
to see .
previous night ’ s dinner location to view
Next we worked our way along the
the construction of a large ice carousel –
bluff and stopped on a high point where
like the one in a beer commercial , where a
we could gaze across the St . John River
broad circle is cut in the lake-top ice and
we weaved down to Portage , where we
wasn ’ t close to sunset – those were storm
at the industrious city of Edmundston ,
then an outboard motors is used to rotate
enjoyed lunch at another snowmobilers ’
clouds brewing .
New Brunswick , on the other side . Smoke
the big circle . A couple of days after we left
hotspot – Dean ’ s Motor Lodge .
After quick goodbyes we jumped
stacks billowed clouds of white into oth-
the club that constructed it broke a world
Our group then retraced the first day ’ s
in the rental car and tried to beat the
erwise bright skies , and beyond the town
record by having the largest rotating ice
path back to Shin Pond Village , with a few
storm out of town . It didn ’ t work – 15
were tall , rolling hills alternatively cov-
carousel , measured at 427 feet in diameter !
side visits along the way . For a final stop
minutes after leaving Blaine , Craig ,
ered with dense woods or cleared of such
Back on the trail , we hit some wide
Blaine took us back into Penobscot County
Derek and Shin Pond Village in the rear
vegetation and showing white fields .
corridor routes in picture-perfect condi-
to trails he personally grooms , and even-
view mirror we were in complete white-
The trails in this area featured more steep
tions . Trails were groomed smooth , and
tually to the Buck ’ s Tail Lookout where
out conditions for a hair-raising drive
hills , sometimes with a bridge at the
snow hung from every branch of every
we parked beside a mostly snow-buried
back to the airport in Bangor . Honestly ,
bottom of a valley carrying riders over a
conifer we passed . Trail 83 featured a few
picnic table and enjoyed a distant view
the drive sucked , but the snow gave our
trickling river or creek . We crossed potato
twists and turns but Trail 105 was mainly
of the famous Mount Katahdin – Maine ’ s
newfound friends a couple more weeks
and grain fields then plunged back into
a wide rail trail that took us quickly down
highest point at 5,257 feet – on the hori-
of great April riding in one of our new
the woods .
to the more-interesting ITS 90 , on which
zon against suddenly darkening skies . It
favorite destinations .