17 WINTER 2022 VOL . 04 / ISSUE 02
Northern Maine
The wide ITS rails are the main corridors that can get riders where they want to go in a hurry . of us behind left a big gap . Eventually she opted off the trail and back into the deep snow , and we continued north , where the scenery kept getting better .
This section of Maine is wonderfully rugged , rustic and largely uninhabited . Road crossings are rare and houses are even more scarce – except for tracks of moose and other critters in the fresh snow , it seemed we had the vast region all to ourselves . In fact , our moose sightings weren ’ t done ; we ’ d find another momma moose , this one with a youngster in tow , further up the trail , and they
wanted no part of leaving the trail . When we came across them , they turned and ran up-trail so we stopped and enjoyed an extended trailside break . Upon refiring the machines 15 minutes later , however , we found them on the trail a mile further up and repeated the process – pull over , give them time , start again – only to come upon the duo once more . They were gangly , majestic creatures and amazing to see , but they certainly stalled our momentum heading north , and a herd of deer would do the same shortly thereafter – giving Blaine another close call .
There was more than wildlife to see , however . First came the impressive Carl Sherman Memorial suspension bridge over the Aroostook River near the sister towns of Masardis and Oxbow . The narrow , one-lane bridge is a piece of art , taking riders over a 165-foot , arc-shaped surface with a wood and steel cable overhead structure . Next , we came across a large dam at the outlet of Scopan Lake . No water was coming through the dam , but the open water of the Scopan Stream at the outlet created a dramatic backdrop against the increasingly deep snow .
The heavy cloud cover broke for a bit during mid-afternoon , but then returned as we continued to venture north . When