45 WINTER 2024 VOL . 05 / ISSUE 02 SNOWGOER . COM

46 you ever find yourself here , we ’ d strongly suggested a stop by the Happy Corner Café – it ’ s a wonderful diner with good portions and a friendly atmosphere .

On the trail , the peaks and valleys through northern New Hampshire are just as amazing and awe-inspiring as Vermont . Terrain and trails are very technical , so average speed was less than 30 mph as we soaked in our rural surroundings .

Also sparse were the road crossings and trail heads . Riding for miles on end ,

At these elevations breaktaking views are plentiful . Both the sunrise and sunset are amazing !

we would only occasionally cross a road . We did need to pay close attention to the trail markings , however , as sometimes they were not as intuitive as one would expect . After crossing over into westcentral Maine as the sun disappeared from the sky , we found ourselves simultaneously on Trail 84 West and 84 East . It turns out this section of trail splits into a loop , and at either end we could not ascertain if we were still traveling east , or if we somehow missed something because we are now going west .

Our overnight stay was planned for the Rangeley Saddleback Inn , located in Rangeley , Maine . Rolling into the Rangeley Lakes area after dark was a small challenge , and finding our way to the Inn proved to be a challenge . There were no designated trail markers across the massive , 6,300 acres Rangeley Lake , and because of the area ’ s popularity for snow travel there were literally hundreds of snowmobile tracks going off in all directions , leaving little guidance to find our destination on the far shore .

After navigating our way to an open restaurant at the far northwestern shore , we stopped to warm up and seek directions , and found the folks in these parts are amazingly friendly and helpful . A couple who had just ordered themselves a pizza said they were heading in the general direction of our hotel and would lead us there . To our surprise , they took their hot , boxed pizza out to their snowmobiles , used bungee cords to strap it to the tunnel behind the seat , and then led us on a 10-mile trek across Rangeley Lake to our hotel !

The Saddleback Inn almost seemed like a snowmobiling mirage when it appeared before us – the front was lined with sleds , as all cars and truck had to park in back or out by the street .

Because of the rural nature , riding here requires planning ahead , as there aren ’ t motels , gas stations and restaurants everywhere and you can ’ t plan to just “ find something ” along the way , similar to riding I ’ ve experienced in rural Ontario .

With all the elevation changes and the snow the area gets , conditions can change quickly , so dress in layer and be prepared to adapt .

Each state has different registration / permit rules , and pricing varies based on when you buy and how long you ’ re staying .