Cold weather returns to the Katahdin Region with temps in the mid twenties Tuesday night and dipping down into the teens by Thursday and through the weekend. This will allow us to really work the new snow that we have received over the past week.
The areas groomed by the three Katahdin area clubs; the East Branch Snow Rovers, Jo Mary Riders and Twin Pine Snowmobile Club received from a few inches to well over two feet of new snow.
This means that while most of the trails in the area are very well covered, some are not and it is important that you plan your travel accordingly. As a general rule, it is the trails within the immediate boundaries’ of town that are in poor shape. All of these trail sections can be avoided by starting your ride in the right place, generally within just a few miles of the in-town hotels. If you want to avoid riding on rough trail and are staying in a hotel, it is worth trailering a few miles.
ITS 86 has places with over 2 feet of snow packed on the trail near Whetstone and for much of the trip from Nahmakanta Lake to Kakadjo. If you rode this section this weekend, we are sorry about the lack of grooming and trees in the trail from the heavy wet snow. We tried to groom it but lost a groomer of the side of the trail in deep snow and then spun a track trying to get it back on the trail. We tried to pull it out with a BR 160 that was in the area but had to wait a day until we could get another BR400 out to pull it out. Monday, after the “rescue” we ran both machines to Penobscot Pond and “broke open” the trail. We are back in the area today cutting out what’s left of the blow downs and storm damaged trees. We will be back on it with groomers, Wednesday, and expect it to be in excellent shape by Friday.