Great Escapes Winter 2024 | Page 22

43 WINTER 2024 VOL . 05 / ISSUE 02 SNOWGOER . COM
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Our ride started the next morning under brilliant blue skies . Towering trees lined the weaving trails , but without their summer foliage we could easily see through the well-spaced trunks into a vast expanse .
Riding in Northern New England differs greatly from the Upper Midwest . First , you ’ re riding at elevation , averaging between 1,500 to 4,000 feet . The vistas are breathtaking , and the beauty of the land can be seen for miles . Second , snow is typically very plentiful , and trails are well maintained .
As we traveled across Northern Vermont , we cut through the heart of maple syrup country . We marveled at the unique plumbing lines that connect
the trees and carried the sap to small outbuildings , where the sticky bounty would be collected and later boiled down
Oftentimes it ’ s best to make friends with local riders at trailside stops , because they can help get you pointed in the right direction when trail markings get confusing .
into one of the state ’ s most popular
exports . Sometimes the snowmobile trails
would literally pass directly beneath a set
smooth despite traffic that was starting to
include neighboring townships ) and a
Hampshire snowmobile registration
of syrup lines that were carefully strung
build by the week ’ s end .
history dating to the 1790s , with some
trail passes and grabbing a snack , we set
overhead in the midst of production .
Heading east , we rode the
buildings here still standing and being
our sights north toward our late-lunch
The trails followed an undulating
Northeastern Highlands of Vermont
utilized from the early 1800s . The small
destination in Pittsburg , New Hampshire ,
path , twisting through a rural and rugged
before crossing over into New Hampshire
towns of Vermont and New Hampshire
an eastern snowmobiling Mecca . It calls
landscape with many elevation changes ,
and venturing to Colebrook . It ’ s a village
are rich with history and heritage .
itself “ the Snowmobiling Capital of New
but the surface of the trails was tabletop
boasting 1,394 residents ( or 2,301 if you
After gassing up , purchasing New
England ” and lives up to the reputation . If