Cold water meets warm hearts during group’s visit to Maine

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ST. AGATHA – Robert Levesque didn’t get any fish and he found the water cold in northern Maine, but he didn’t mind because he met some warm-hearted people.

On Saturday night, he was laughing about his midwinter swim. His arms were flailing and his hands and fingers were talking as he related the story to his friends and, through a sign language interpreter, to acquaintances in DougAmy’s Lounge at the Long Lake Motor Inn.

Levesque was among a group of 20 deaf and hard-of-hearing snowmobilers, members of the Maine Recreation Association for the Deaf. It was on Friday when he went off a snowmobile trail and plunged into the freezing waters of a brook, just west of Perley Brook, near Fort Kent.

This was the group’s fifth annual tour to northern Maine. They come each year during the first week of February to snowmobile and be part of the International Snowmobile Festival held in the St. John Valley.

Group member Eudore Bouchard, of St. David, a village in Madawaska, came up with the idea of coming north to snowmobile years ago. He died last year, but his idea lives on. His son and daughter-in-law, David and Abby Bouchard of Westbrook, still make the annual trek.

“I had a lot of fun in the water, but I didn’t get any fish,” Levesque said through interpreter Barbara Deschaine of Madawaska. “Four or five hearing people came along to help us, and somehow got my machine going again.”

The group of hearing people included a doctor, two nurses, and fortunately, two mechanics. Once Levesque’s machine was out of the water, the mechanics removed the carburetor and spark plugs, turned the machine over and emptied the water from the engine.

They reinstalled the carburetor, added new spark plugs and the machine fired up. One of the mechanics made a test run around a nearby field to make sure the snowmobile would run.

“I missed a turn, the signage was not good, and I hit the corner of the bridge and went into the river, through the ice and into the water,” Levesque recalled, still excited about his experience. “When they got my machine going, I clapped for them, gave them $20 and left for home, the motel that is.”

Overall, Levesque was in the water about 20 minutes working to get his machine out. He said he just felt heavy after the experience, and was really breathing hard.

He drove his machine about 17 miles to the motel where the owners dried his clothing and he took a warm shower.

Levesque, 52, was one of six people from Massachusetts in the group. The rest were from Maine, from Ashland to Westbrook. While in the St. John Valley, from Wednesday through Sunday, they all put between 500 and 600 miles on their machines.

“This started five years ago because we just wanted to do some recreation together,” Abby Bouchard, association president and the only one in the group who does not snowmobile, said. “We heard about the festival and thought it would be a good trip.

“We’ve been back every year since,” she continued. “This is one of several outings we do each year.”

Along with snowmobiling, the group throughout the year goes ice fishing, boating, motorcycling and hiking and attends the Maine Deaf Timberfest in Oxford. Last year, they also had snowmobiling outings in Kingfield and at Moosehead Lake.

Sheldon Freedman of Lynn, Mass., who has been snowmobiling for 30 years, has come every year. Last year, he and the group were joined by his brother from California.

Freedman said that being deaf does not give them any problems with snowmobiling.

“Actually, we are better off than hearing people because we can’t hear the noise of the machines all day long,” he said.

“We are just a bit more careful and make better use of our eyes,” Mike Pitcher of Corinna, piped in. “We have mirrors and we keep an eye on each other; we always know where everyone is.”

Other than Levesque’s problem, and a bearing problem David Bouchard had, their five days in northern Maine were wonderful.

Glen Pelletier of South China had to do some quick work to be able to join the trip. Four days before the trip, he wrecked his sled. Working through the weekend with friends, he acquired the needed parts and put his snow machine back on the trail in time for the excursion.

Peter Chasse of Ashland was the only Aroostook County man on the trip. Each year, he snowmobiles alone from Ashland to St. Agatha, and back again, to join the group.

Why do they travel for hours to come to northern Maine?

“The people are very friendly and good,” Freedman said. “They are A-1, even though I only see them once a year.”

“Other places have trails that are narrow, small,” David Bouchard said. “Here the trails are wide, smooth and well cared for.”

Brian McFarland, of Cumberland, like many snowmobilers, likes the great trails. “The trails are nice and we can go fast,” he said.

Levesque was a bit different. He stayed off the heavily used trails where most people ride during the annual International Snowmobile Festival.

“We went where there were fewer people,” he said. “We just like cruising around.”

“You have to tell people that we are very lucky to have the good people that are here, like Ken and Arlene [Lerman, owners of the Long Lake Motor Inn],” Freedman said. “They, like everyone, are just so pleasant.”