snowmobiling mainestay

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"Powder, trails, views, boondocking, lake riding and more," is how the sales pitch went when Russell Walters called to invite me out to his area of Maine.

Walters is president of Northern Outdoors lodge in The Forks, a 2-hour trek north of Portland and located in the state's beautiful rolling mountains.

It all sounded too good, so being the skeptic I am, I booked the flight to Maine sure I would prove him wrong. After sledding in locations all across the continent, often promised a gorgeous ride and awesome accommodations just to stay in places that often resemble a bad version of my old dorm room, I wasn't totally buying the sales pitch.

Trip planning
Like many snowmobilers looking to set up an exciting weekend trip, I first hopped on the Web to do a little research. I'd be a liar if I didn't say I was a little intrigued when I saw that the Kennebec River Brewery was on site at the Northern Outdoors lodge, but that was secondary to the snowmobiling info. The best teaser? A note on the site saying the area averages more than 10 feet of snow a year. I'll sleep in a teepee for a chance to ride in that much snow!

I worked with Scott Kaier of Northern Outdoors and we put together a 3-night stay so I could enjoy some of Maine's 13,000 miles of snowmobile trails from one of Northern Outdoors rustic and comfortable cabins. He assured me that the sleds, meals, scenery and most importantly the snow would be top notch. He wasn't joking.

White welcome
Like many East Coast travelers last winter, I "enjoyed" 18 hours of layovers in three different airports, courtesy of US Airways, en route to Maine. It was worth the wait. On arrival, Scott informed me I'd have 6 inches of new snow to play in at daybreak.

I groggily awoke to a fresh layer of 5-7 beautiful inches of new snow, and the day before's difficult trip was forgotten. After a hearty breakfast and tour of the spacious and modern main lodge, huge 20+ person outdoor hot tub and recreation area, and a peek in the brewery, we saddled up for the first ride.

Dan Davis, my guide for day one, led me up the steep winding trail out the back of the lodging area and onto The Forks trail system, which offers 130+ miles of groomed riding. We had bright sunshine and 40-degree weather all day, and the ride was incredible. Due to the warm weather the trails became a little slushy by late afternoon, but no matter, lakes, trails and elevation changes gave us a great variety of riding. We crossed Moosehead Lake, sat atop several small mountain ranges, and even stopped by the crash site of a B-52 bomber that went down on a training flight decades ago (see Feb. '07, Keepers of a Cold War CRASH SITE).

We put nearly 90 miles on throughout The Forks, Greenville and Moosehead Lake region, and I saw everything from mountains to powdery meadows. There were tight winding trails, places for wide-open lake racing and plenty of easy trail touring all in one area. I think some of the passing extended track riders were a bit surprised that I took my little Ski-Doo 550 Fan 2-up rental sled busting through the 2+ feet of powder, but it was too nice a day to resist the untouched snow!

The day ended with a fabulous steak dinner back at the Northern Outdoors lodge, and a sampling of a few microbrews from the Kennebec River Brewery. Afterward, I retired to my cozy trailside log cabin complete with kitchenette.

Scenic day two
On my second day, another of the resort's guides, Nick Atwood, led me to what he promised were some "major views." Again, having snowmobiled in my fair share of scenic areas, I wondered just how "major" these could be.

Nick took me up an ungroomed trail to a remote observation area atop Coburn Mountain (3,750-ft.) which provided a 360-degree panoramic spectacle of at least four other rounded mountain tops and gorgeous gentle sloping valleys. These are not the sharp, jagged peaks of the Rockies, and there was a certain feel to the area that can only be described as "Eastern."

On our way down the mountain, we stopped for a soda, or pop depending on where you're from, at the Bulldog Camp and lodge at the edge of Enchanted Pond. Two things should be pointed out here, a "camp" in Maine could be anything from a couple of tents and a campfire, to a full-service resort with food and gas. I'm still trying to figure out how an establishment graduates from camp status.

Also, a "pond" is not that hole bulldozed out of your grandparent's backyard that we Midwesterners think of when we hear the word. The Enchanted Pond I visited was, in my estimation, a mile long and ¼-mile wide with looming rock cliffs on the northeastern side. Adding to the almost perfect view from the camp was an old, well-looked after, Ski-Doo Skandic with attached pull-behind cutter and trapping equipment. Now THIS is what a snowmobile vacation in Maine was supposed to look like!

After a few twists and turns, we followed the rushing, pristine Kennebec River all the way back to Northern Outdoors. Looking at the rushing white rapids, it was easy to see why so many rafters come here in summer.

The locals
That evening I was able to get a feel for the local pace and attitude after spending some time with Jim Yearwood, vice president and one of Northern Outdoors' founders. He told me about all the work they had done back in the 1970s and early '80s to pioneer the first professional, year-round outdoor recreation base on the Kennebec. Jim helped forge routes in the river, build the lodge, bring in the snowmobiles and build a business that draws more than 20,000 guests yearly. This is a place made by people who enjoy snowmobiling and outdoor recreation.

I also was introduced to local snowmobiler John Williams of Williams Broadcasting who relays up-to-date trail, weather and other snowmobile-related updates daily for numerous media outlets throughout the northeast. If you're in the area and need trail reports, tune in to, or check out the Web sites of WCSH 6 and WLBZ 2 in Portland & Bangor, New England's top NBC affiliates or visit John's Web site at www.williamsbroadcasting.net.

Staying at Northern Outdoors resort was a treat and would be perfect for any size group of sledders at any riding level. For more info on lodging, sled rentals, or anything else you need in The Forks, visit www.northernoutdoors.com.