Snowmobile clubs are desperate for snow even as some trails open

By Julie Harris, Bangor Daily News Staff

Maine’s snowmobilers are on the cusp of having a good year, if they could just get more snow.

There’s enough for a good base and some riding in the Moosehead Lake area and regions of western Maine, but connecting trails have little to no snow. And what they have gets beaten up quickly with use, is the consensus among several clubs.

The importance of the snowmobile season to Maine’s economy is evident in the numbers.

Snowmobiling, skiing and snowboarding brought in $108 million at the end of the season in 2023, up from $68 million in 2022, according to the Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation. The biggest increase was from snowmobiling and snowshoeing, which grew 44 percent.

But devastating rain and snow storms in the spring and December in 2023 and January in 2024 forced several trails to close completely or open just partially last winter. Thousands of dollars and volunteer hours later, most of the damage has been repaired and the trails have reopened, although recent high winds brought down a few more trees in spots.

The Birches Resort in Rockwood opened Interconnected Trail System 88 last week, according to the business’ Facebook post. The trail connects to systems in Greenville and Jackman, the latter of which does not have much snow.

Pittston Farms in the North Maine Woods just opened too, and saw more than 900 snowmobilers on Jan. 11 alone. The farm also reported more than $200 in losses from people not paying for their gas. The business posted reminders about parking and its operating hours, and indicated it could not survive continued gas theft.

Several clubs, including Blue Ridge Riders in Rockwood, caution snowmobilers that trails are in early-season conditions at best, which means thin snow layers, possible protruding rocks and rough ground. 

The club has not marked its three trails across Moosehead Lake yet, but could do it in the next week or so if cold temperatures continue to make ice, said Kate Tiffany, a club spokesperson.

The ice is already better than it was last year, she said. The club chose not to mark trails across the lake at all last year because of the unreliable ice thicknesses.

Valley Riders Snowmobile Club in Bingham has been restoring the 140-foot Bailey Bridge on ITS 87 over Austin Stream that was damaged in the December 2023 rain storm, according to club member Scott Robertson. It has taken them three weeks and the project should be finished by the end of the week.

ITS 87 is a vital connector between Bingham and The Forks, he said.

“We rely on outdoor recreation in this area, and with the light amount of snow the last few years, snowmobiling season has not been nice on businesses,” Robertson said. “Funding has been hard to get due to lower snowmobile registrations.”

Registrations for the 2023-24 season were the lowest in eight years at 67,578, down 10,000 from the year before.

Salem Sno Drifters have had to fix the Rapid Stream bridge again. Cables were attached to it after last year’s severe storms, so at least the bridge didn’t wash downstream, according to club member Dana Bowman, who posted an update on Facebook.

The bridge is an important connector to a look that takes the pressure of ITS 84/115, he said.

Twin Pines Snowmobile Club had a work day to clear trees and brush from trails on ITS 85/86 toward Kokadjo.

The Forks Area Trails Club organized a work day to clear the trails and to widen a rerouted trail for the groomer to go through, according to an update by Club President Ben Towle. The club hopes for a good season if snow comes because the ground already is frozen, which will make a good base layer.

They are two of several work sessions planned around the state. Check with your local club. They could all use volunteers.