Christmas In New Brunswick
Comfy warming huts like this one were scattered throughout the trail network .
Day Two : Late Start to Christmas
Heading back to the hotel , my sled had developed a slight mechanical issue , which allowed us to check out the aforementioned heated parking at the Atlantic Host that doubles as a wrenching area . It was a smooth operation , with first-come , first-served parking . But you don ’ t have to be first down in the morning if your sled has someone blocked in : Atlantic Host has a valet / attendant who brings the sleds out with carts .
After some other sleds left on the second morning , we brought my sled to the heated parking to thaw . After breakfast , we proceeded to diagnose and fix my sled ’ s gremlin in comfort . The garage even had lifts and power tools at our disposal , which made our job quicker and easier .
With that taken care of , this day ’ s ride would include exploring the Christmas Mountain trails . These are approximately 300 miles of non-numbered trails . Instead , they have themed names like North Pole , Comet , Cupid , etc . We took the same Trail 19 west to get to the mountains , with light flurries in the forecast all day .
At first when riding toward them , I noticed a lack of extreme elevation change and no large mountain range looming , unlike most New England riding . But then the scenery started to get increasingly dramatic . I had my sled ’ s gauge set to show altitude prior to leaving Bathurst ( which sits at 100 feet ). Glancing down during the ride , the number fluctuated up early on , but slowly . We weaved through more dramatic birchwood forests along with plenty of snow-dust-laden pines , which always make for a scenic ride .
At the junction of Trail 22 , we headed north to hook up with Prancer , which featured many more switchbacks and an overall fun ride . The path took us over narrow rivers , beside small scenic lakes and past countless trees . The top elevation would wait , and with the late start we would head this way tomorrow .
Something unique to New Brunswick that you can ’ t help but to notice is the number of warming shelters along the trail . They are spaced at about 30- to 40-mile intervals along the way . All the ones we stopped at had a fire going , solar battery light systems and plenty of stacked wood . It was pretty neat riding past one at night and seeing someone inside reading .
Trail 19 ( directly above ) took us through beautiful birch forests .
NOVEMBER 2024 / SNOWGOER . COM / 39