Off to Maine for season

[Wannaviper]

Rode out of the Forks this past Tuesday. Put in by Berry’s store and rode to Jackman and many spots in between.
Freshly groomed from Berry’s to Parlin Pond and we were the first to lay down tracks but found many floating rocks in that trail. Once at Parlin Pond we took 89a and then other trails off of that which led us to Pittston Farm trail. Those trails were really nice and fun, but not much for straightaways until the later trail mentioned.

But anyways, we met some guys during lunch who were staying at a rented home at Brownville Junction, and told us about the trails in various location from their rented home. My first thought were WTF man, a week riding out of Brownville Juntion. We rode in that region many years ago and their trail system was small at best back then.

These guys started telling us about their destinations during the week and had found really nice trails in the Millinocket/ JoMary etc. area. But on that day they were really excited about the trail to Pittston Farms from Brownsville. They talked about long straightaways 28’ wide for many miles long on the Seboomic portion of the trail which led to Pittston Farms. They had never seen anything like that I was told. They were all smiles and so were we, just thinking about all the times that exact sentiment happened to us while on those big trails of the county.
Just making memories and enjoying life on a sled!

The Pittston Farm to Northeast Carry trail to Kokadjo is an awesome trail. The re-route from Jackman to Pittston Farm includes a lot of new straightaways and wide sweeping corners just made for Sidewinders. Pittston Farm bought a new drag this year that grooms an incredibly wide swath. The trails are wider, and smoother than ever. I think Jackman bought one as well, with plans to use it on the border trail, but I haven't gone up that way yet this year. Just keep the snow coming!

 

[Wannaviper]

I just spent 9 days at my camp in Jackman, riding South to the Forks; West to Eustis; East to Millinocket; North to Canada, and just about every trail in between. I got to ride 4 days with my grandson and the other 5 days with my long-time riding buddy, and I put in just under 1,800 miles for the trip. The trails were perfect most of the time, sometimes even late into the day despite heavy sled traffic during school vacation week. The local clubs have done a tremendous job of making do with the snow that we have received. I am pushing 70, and despite all the days and all the miles, all my joints and bones feel just fine as I sit at my desk. My Sidewinder is just an amazing sled, and every time I got on it, all week long, the first words out of my mouth were, "I love this sled!"

 

[actionjack]

I'm heading back this Sat, ride Sun Mon Tue.

 

[Birdmansrx]

When I ride my SRX the first things out of my mouth is "holy s%$#" Heading out to Fort Kent next Monday for a week, cant wait.

 

[Wannaviper]

I'm heading back this Sat, ride Sun Mon Tue.

Unfortunately we will have had 3 days of warm temperatures by then, but it is supposed to cool down mid-week, and as long as we get the snow that is forecast for Thursday (2-4"), you should be in good shape for the weekend.

 

[Motorhead]

50 degrees yesterday and down in the teens this morning.
Groomers were out early last night in my riding area, so this mornings trails were were very hard and fast.

These tuned Winders are a real handful on this kind of condition. Just an animal of a sled on a well frozen flat smooth trail. I marvel at how quick these things are on that kind of condition, and know what, it’s that time of year when that cool/warm things happens frequently. Wow!

 

[Wannaviper]

50 degrees yesterday and down in the teens this morning.
Groomers were out early last night in my riding area, so this mornings trails were were very hard and fast.

These tuned Winders are a real handful on this kind of condition. Just an animal of a sled on a well frozen flat smooth trail. I marvel at how quick these things are on that kind of condition, and know what, it’s that time of year when that cool/warm things happens frequently. Wow!

I had a lot of hard and fast trails last week first thing in the morning. A couple of mornings when it was well below zero it felt like the Sidewinder had unlimited power. I was going across a small lake and within a few seconds I was going faster than I have ever been on a sled before. I still had more lake, and more throttle, and thankfully enough sense to realize that I shouldn't be going as fast as I was going!

 

[actionjack]

Unfortunately a warm-up has preceded each of my three flights to Maine. i'm seeing some pretty large snow total predictions for Thursday. I hope the predictions are close. Probably my last chance to ride this season.

 

[Motorhead]

I had a lot of hard and fast trails last week first thing in the morning. A couple of mornings when it was well below zero it felt like the Sidewinder had unlimited power. I was going across a small lake and within a few seconds I was going faster than I have ever been on a sled before. I still had more lake, and more throttle, and thankfully enough sense to realize that I shouldn't be going as fast as I was going!

I ride with different style riders at times. I make sure to let all know that they should not drive beyond their comfort zone. But at the same time, if we are riding with a group I also do not want to be impeded on those safe spots on a trail, so we plan accordingly. The most aggressive in the front, and lesser aggressive take up the rear. Try to keep everybody close, but on those occasions where I want 100 and you want 50-60, once at an intersection I shall pull over to let the group assemble again, that is, if there was not enough miles in between to let all catch up.

I may sound like an unsafe hot rod, but I am not. I enjoy safe spots to use my winder’s power.
You know like a spot in the trail where you can see the trail unwind before you, and you can see all the curves and small straight aways with no one coming. I shall make sure to slow down before I enter that portion of the trail that is unforeseen. Or long field trails, where one has a view of that whole field.

That Is one of the problems with riding the county with their super wide or even one way double lane trails, and then coming back to other more local areas with their smaller trails. One needs to practice defensive driving once on smaller narrow trails leading from big to smaller and big again, or on icy corners where many aren’t prepared for with proper carbides. I may like a quick pace now and then, but I am always driving defensively because many are not on those small narrow corners. When my family was younger and rode together, I was always first because of oh so many times, when a bunch of cowboys were blowing through corners and occupied our side of the trail.
In fact on my last journey from Jackman to Pittston Farms, on our way back I saw where 4-5 family riders had all followed each other into an ice corner, and slid all the way over to my side snow burm before their skis grabbed the snow and allowed them to get back on their side. I was first in our group and could see them coming through the thin trees, and saw that Ice path in that curve, so I stopped and just watched all do the same one after another! That same scenario happened twice that day. From a big trail to a small section of woods trail! Know what I mean?

One must be defensive on the trail, is all I’m saying!

 

[Wannaviper]

I ride with different style riders at times. I make sure to let all know that they should not drive beyond their comfort zone. But at the same time, if we are riding with a group I also do not want to be impeded on those safe spots on a trail, so we plan accordingly. The most aggressive in the front, and lesser aggressive take up the rear. Try to keep everybody close, but on those occasions where I want 100 and you want 50-60, once at an intersection I shall pull over to let the group assemble again, that is, if there was not enough miles in between to let all catch up.

I may sound like an unsafe hot rod, but I am not. I enjoy safe spots to use my winder’s power.
You know like a spot in the trail where you can see the trail unwind before you, and you can see all the curves and small straight aways with no one coming. I shall make sure to slow down before I enter that portion of the trail that is unforeseen. Or long field trails, where one has a view of that whole field.

That Is one of the problems with riding the county with their super wide or even one way double lane trails, and then coming back to other more local areas with their smaller trails. One needs to practice defensive driving once on smaller narrow trails leading from big to smaller and big again, or on icy corners where many aren’t prepared for with proper carbides. I may like a quick pace now and then, but I am always driving defensively because many are not on those small narrow corners. When my family was younger and rode together, I was always first because of oh so many times, when a bunch of cowboys were blowing through corners and occupied our side of the trail.
In fact on my last journey from Jackman to Pittston Farms, on our way back I saw where 4-5 family riders had all followed each other into an ice corner, and slid all the way over to my side snow burm before their skis grabbed the snow and allowed them to get back on their side. I was first in our group and could see them coming through the thin trees, and saw that Ice path in that curve, so I stopped and just watched all do the same one after another! That same scenario happened twice that day. From a big trail to a small section of woods trail! Know what I mean?

One must be defensive on the trail, is all I’m saying!

I agree 100%. I have found that the Sidewinder has "increased" my overall speed from point A to point B. With that much power and acceleration, the corner to corner times are drastically reduced. I particularly noticed it last week riding with my grandson. I had to consciously keep my speed down a little knowing that he would try to keep up no matter what speed I was riding at. He is an excellent rider, but in order to keep up with my Sidewinder, he would have to make up the distance by riding his corners way too fast.

I rarely ride in large groups anymore, usually just one or two other riders, but we all use communicators to warn each other of any unexpected stops, trail hazards and oncoming riders. My grandson was "ditch banging" his Viper behind me last week, and when the ditch "banged" his sled, I heard it happen and immediately turned around to provide assistance. Without the communicators, it might have taken me several minutes to realize he wasn't behind me anymore, and that there was a problem.

 

[SAB1]

Anyone have snow totals for how much snow fell in Millinocket today?

 

[markt111]

Hoping for a bunch, heading up tomorrow

 

[stevewithOCD]

Anyone have snow totals for how much snow fell in Millinocket today?

12

 

[actionjack]

Going home today. Rode a mix of trail and exploring untracked roads and some backcountry play areas. Mistakenly took a bunch of night time advil after I got my rental car so no riding the day I arrived. Lost 1/2 of Sunday chasing down the front skid shock bottom spring retainer and setting up Stingray Bill Mohr shock. Ran the reroute from Prong Pond to Greenville. Hey nice ride but Greanville is only 9 minutes by lake. Monday Looped from Beaver Cove around the N side of Moosehead over to NE Carry (very fast leg) down to Kokadjo and Lily Bay back to Beaver Cove. Got my Winder hung up bad in a ditch not far before Pittston Farm. Huge thanks to the Augusta ME carwash guys that stopped to help extricate the beast.

Rode lake S to Greenville then a bunch of untracked roads and moose poop and play areas and jumping. Made Hawks Nest for lunch then down to Northern Outdoors for fill up and show. Not sure what happened but a couple with Apexes were arguing and struggling to get their sleds loaded on a trailer. Lots of cursing and vrooom vrooom. Trails pretty mealy and snirty of course around The Forks but majority of trails held up surprisingly well. Some bare corners. Big snowflakes this morning but stopped already not much new snow. Gotta watch for new snow and trail reports to get back to The Forks.

Actually did ride 85/86 completely bewteen Kokadjo and Greenville and most was better than expected but didn't ride the worst part since the warm up yesterday so from Prong Pond to Greenville. There are so many old trails and reroutes in that are that it can be confusing. The signage is a mess around the B-52 site. The 110 intersection is clearly marked with a kiosk.
My season is most likely over. Probably have my sled taken home next weekend to have it serviced at my dealer. My Winder is now at 3434 miles. Only thing that happened this season was breaking the front skid spring and loosing the spring retainer. There is no sled in my group that can touch it on the trail or lake. In the backcountry, well I watch a lot, and help the others dig out to build credit for whenever I get stuck.

 

[SAB1]

"The signage is a mess around the B-52 site."


You aren't kidding. We were so twisted up there a few weeks ago it was frustrating. Funny thing is four other groups were struggling at the same time so we had alot of laughs! Be up tomorrow but we will ride north out of Millinocket rather than West.