Maine snowmobile trail conditions

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The snowmobile report is gathered from the Maine Snowmobile Association’s Web site. The complete report is available at mesnow.com

Overview

Thursday’s rain and fog combined with heavy trail traffic this week have eaten away at a number of trail systems, especially intown trails. Have had a little better news as reports come in through Friday morning, some locations north and north west now forecast light snow, and colder temps may be expected in those regions as soon as this weekend. Areas are still reporting groomed conditions for riding, especially once you’re outside local/intown trails. Keep an eye out for some spring like conditions, thin or bare spots, water on a number of trail systems.

As noted in reports from Jackman and Greenville, some trail sections may be temporarily rerouted to get you on better snow. Colder weather and more promising storm pattern forecast for the state next week. That should help out as many areas have retained their base through this mess.

Aroostook County

Benedicta: With rain and fog in our mix of weather all grooming is suspended until this mess, some how, gets straightened out. Remember it’s only Feb. 22 and there should be lots of good riding left. There is still some base left, and grooming will start as soon as Mother Nature lets us.

ITS 83 Sherman, Whetstone Falls : no grooming, conditions fair, be on the lookout for objects in the trail. ( stumps, rocks, etc.)

ITS 81 Sherman, Mattawamkeag Cutoff : no grooming, conditions good – watch for objects in the trail.

Municipal Trail 70 Benedicta, Whetstone Falls: no grooming, conditions fair to good – watch for objects in trail.

Caribou report

Mixed precipitation will change conditions Thursday, although temps in the 30s and below should help hold snow cover and most projects should have been able to begin grooming again by Friday evening. ITS83 south of Island Falls suffered snow loss last weekend and this rain may create more problems, so travelling north from Millinocket or south from the county, check locally. Lots of moose on the loose Rte. 89 between Caribou and Rte. 94, ITS81 and 83.

ITS 85: Grooming reported through Oxbow, some thin spots wooded sections, mostly good conditions, logging south of Carter Brook expect to ride section of plowed road .

ITS 92: Groomed through to St Pamphile this week. No gas west of Chamberlains Store so plan ahead. Some thin spots in woods.

Connections: 85D from ITS85 through Debouille to Allagash groomed – good loop from ITS85. Watch for logging near Debouille. Lincoln Trail Loop from St John to ITS 92 east of Allagash closed due to logging.

ITS 81: Groomed and in good shape through Sherman/Mattawamkeag cutoff.

Connections: Twin Lakes and Sly Brook systems connecting ITS 81, 83 and 85 groomed. Fields and wooded sections some bare spots use caution.

ITS 90: Groomed from ITS 85 to ITS 81, logging off ITS90 east outside of Caribou, slow down, moose sighted Woodland area.

ITS 83: Groomed all the way through with good conditions to Houlton then snow cover diminishes leaving trails fair to good. Check locally after Thursday’s rain.

Connections: Red Arrow and Van Buren sections connecting ITS 81 and 83 groomed. Section of plowed road on Rte. 94 as well as moose. Rte. 89 between Caribou and Rte. 94 groomed. Rte. 100 west of Rte. 89 intersection is closed for season. Please stop at stop signs on Rte. 79 between the railbed and Van Buren Cove – some close calls here with sleds and trucks – they don’t mix well and this could be in jeopardy if problems continue.

ITS 88: Groomed, most portions in good shape, powerline west has some choppy.

Connections: Squa Pan system groomed, great loop for sledders looking for variety. Look for reroute on Rte. 75.

ITS 86: Groomed and in good shape with good snow cover.

Connections: Connector system from ITS 86 south to Houlton, Oakfield, Linneus and point south and east to Canada groomed, good cover so far, rain may affect some areas, check locally.

Katahdin region

Millinocket, Medway, East Millinocket: Trails groomed and open, reports good riding – exception being local trails which are not good until they hit intersection with major trails system (not enough snow on local trails to groom well). Use caution in the woods as some areas were showing springlike conditions due to warm weekend temperatures. Timber Cruisers have one groomer down for extensive repairs. Twin Pines will be assisting with the grooming of their system during this time –

Timber Cruisers and Twin Pines plan grooming each night this week. East Branch Sno Rovers plan to groom north (ITS 83 and 85 to Bowlin Pond) and south daily during this week. Caution on Grant Brook Trail – lots of moose in the area. Ice is unsafe, advise no one venture out onto waterways in the area.

Greater Bangor, Midcoast

Bangor: All grooming has stopped as warm temperatures, rain, and fog have eroded the trails. Many are covered with water and/or have no snow.

Rockland, Thomaston, Warren: There isn’t any snow on the coast. At this point there is plenty of mud.

Moosehead region

Greenville: ITS trails have succumbed to the high temperatures, traffic and now rain and fog. The conditions are only fair to poor. There are areas with bare ground specifically Shirley corner on the southbound route and 3.5 miles of plowed road on the northbound route. There may be rerouting of the ITS 85/86 northbound until there is more snow and cold temperatures. Club trails still will give good riding but crossing the several ponds is a safety issue with slush. Snow is needed.

Pittston Farm Trails: Warm weather and some rain are taking their toll on the trails. Please ride with care. Corners may be icy or bare with weekend traffic. Watch for bare spots and water hazards.

North East Carry Trail (Pittston Farm to approximately 1.5 miles past Seboomook): Minimal snow cover. Watch for bare spots, water, debris.

Alternate Trail (Seboomook to Rockwood Trail System Rte. 66): Good condition. Trail has wooded areas for about a mile on each end. Please use caution through these areas. Also, there are 2 sections of plowed road along this route – a bridge crossing and an active logging operation.

Rockwood Trail (Jct. St. – 27 outhouse to Demo Road): Good condition. Use caution over wooded area on Soldiertown Ridge. Watch for bare spots.

Jackman Trail (Pittston Farm to Jct. St. – 21 ITS 86): Good condition. Watch for hazards and heavy traffic.

Grooming will continue as conditions permit.

Route 201 Corridor

The Forks: Trails have deteriorated with the warmer temperatures, but there’s still some decent riding, and still grooming seven nights a week. Colder temperatures are forecast. Currently, anywhere from 10 to 30 inches of snow on the ground, depending on the exact location. All 110 miles of The Forks Trail System are being groomed on a regular basis.

All sections of the trail system generally have plenty of snow to groom, and are in fair to good condition. The exception to this would be the intown trails around Berry’s Store in West Forks. These local trails have a lot of ground showing, and are in very poor condition due to a lack of snow. Once out of the Kennebec River Valley and away from town just a mile, things improve greatly. However, recent warmer temperatures have created less than optimal conditions. The insides of a few corners are starting to show ground.

The ITS Connector Trail from Berry’s Store to ITS 87 is very poor with a lot of bare spots, for the first 2 miles. Once out of the river valley, there is plenty of snow and the trail is in good shape.

ITS 87 heading northeast toward Greenville and Moosehead Lake has good snow cover, and is in good condition. There is a one mile section along the Power Line near Lake Moxie that has bare spots, but is easily passable.

ITS 87 south towards Bingham also has good riding with plenty of snow. The ride along Moxie Pond is one of the most beautiful in Maine.

The ITS Connector Trail heading west from Berry’s Store to ITS 89 has poor to fair conditions. The first one mile along the Dead River is very rough, but improves after that. There is then a two-mile section near Gulf Stream that is narrow and winding. This is a reroute around a logging operation.

ITS 89 going southwest to Grand Falls and Eustis has good conditions with plenty of snow.

ITS 89 heading north toward Jackman also has decent riding. There are a couple of very short sections that are bare, but it’s easy to weave around them. The spur trail up Coburn Mountain (3,300 feet) is open.

The Connector Trail heading north from Berry’s Store toward Parlin Pond and on to ITS 86, has plenty of snow and good riding. Again, the first one mile out of town is very poor. This is a great alternate route to and from Jackman, as it is much less traveled than ITS 89.

Jackman: Warm temperatures are taking a toll on the trails but the trail committee is looking at a few fixes.

Workers will be out this weekend on ITS89N making a temporary alternate trail to increase the snow pack for riding. Please watch for signs and people. Snow is also going to be added to the intown trails. No grooming was done Thursday night due to the warm temperatures. Riding conditions do improve as you head up in elevation out of town and there are still good conditions for off trail riding.

ITS89 north: fair; ITS89 south: poor; ITS86: fair; intown trails: poor

Central Maine

Turner: Trails are hard and packed, Grooming has come to a halt until there is more snow. Trails are rideable but rain has washed some sections out. There is logging again on Loop trail 35 at Harllowhill Road – use caution. Still logging down by river on Hoods farm

Manchester: Warm weather and rain have taken a heavy toll on trails.

Grooming has stopped until weather cooperates. Dirt showing in some spots and puddles in low lying areas. For now, there is still a base.

Benton Station: Many areas are down to bare ground as well as several very large wet holes. Due to the lack of snow and bare conditions, grooming will be on hold until conditions improve. If you ride please watch for exposed rocks, roots and washouts.