Snowmobile trail conditions

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Snowmobile trail conditions as reported by members of the Maine Snowmobile Association. For the complete report, visit www.mesnow.com

Aroostook County

Benedicta 3/6: All snowgang trails remain in excellent shape at this time, with grooming being done on regular schedule.

ITS 83, Sherman, Whetstone Falls: groomed, with excellent conditions.

ITS 81 Sherman, Mattawamkeag Cutoff: groomed, with good/excellent conditions.

Municipal Trail 70, Benedicta, Whetstone Falls: groomed, with excellent conditions.

Aroostook Report from Caribou Rec.: Most operations have recovered from Monday’s wind and snow, however it will take most projects until Friday to recover from the new snowfall. Wind projections are for 15-25 mph so drifting will be a factor throughout the area, sledders are advised to use caution. Road crossings are extremely treacherous, projects should make every attempt to push snow back to aid in visibility. Sledders will have to take extra care to insure safety.

Sledders traveling in groups are advised to have one person monitor the roadway at all times to ensure safe crossings. Motorists who know where trail crossings are located are asked to be alert. Cool temperatures should help keep the base hard and with most projects in full operation, sledders should find some great riding throughout the area this weekend.

Katahdin region

Millinocket area 3/6: Key points about our Trail System: As of Thursday snow pack in the area ranges from around 3 feet to 4 feet, all trails are open and being groomed on a regular basis. In-town trails as well as major trails are all well covered and in excellent condition.

Six to 8 more inches of snow fell in the Katahdin Region Wednesday night, bringing our lowest snow depth totals to mid-30 to mid-40 inch range. Areas known for receiving greater snowfall, including higher elevations, have considerably more snow. We will be grooming the bulk of our system each night now through the weekend and expect the riding to be outstanding with cold temperatures at night and reasonable temperatures in the teens during the days.

Shin Pond, Bowlin, Matagamon Area 3/6: A few inches of new powder Wednesday evening makes for great riding. 85A Shin Pond to Bowlin in excellent condition. ITS 85 Shin Pond to Matagamon, excellent condition. Please use caution and stop at plowed roads, respect the trucks that are hauling off these plowed roads. ITS 85 Matagamon to the Lookout Mountain in excellent condition. 71D in excellent condition. ITS 81 Shin Pond to Patten is rerouted via 85A then club trail 64 reconnection back into ITS81 south. ITS 81 Shin Pond does connect into ITS 85 North.

Please note: ITS 81 Shin Pond to Patten: sledders are still riding this trail even though this trail was closed at landowners request.

Piscataquis, Penobscot

Charleston 3/5: Charleston trails missed all the rain last weekend, and received 6-plus inches of wet snow before things froze up hard Monday morning. With more snow forecast this week, and temperatures staying low, the trails and riding are excellent.

Both groomers have been running every night this week, and will continue to do so, until the thaw.

ITS 83 South of the village to the Corinth line has smoothed up pretty good again, but with heavy traffic it may get a bit rough later in the day. The Powerline/ITS bypass and Bradford Connector trails are groomed and in good condition, also. ITS 83 North is in excellent condition, and flat for the most part. The Dover/85 connector is also in good shape on the Charleston end.

The Hudson connector may be rough on the far east end due to poor groomer access, but it gets groomed occasionally, and should be OK.

Hampden 3/7: Received 3 inches of snow and freezing rain on Wednesday, then cold air returned and froze everything solid on Thursday. Trails are hard packed and icy so please slow down and be careful. More light snow predicted for Friday night then warmer temperatures in the upper 30s on Saturday should help loosen up icy conditions.

Bangor 3/6: Trails are great. Grooming is on-going and everything will be ready for the weekend. Watch those low branches covered with ice and snow. There are some patches of ice on the trails – slow down.

Moosehead region

Rockwood, 3/6: Rockwood received another 4 inches of wet snow on Wednesday. That makes 16 inches of fresh snow in the past 10 days. Trail conditions are excellent with plenty of snow. Trails are very quiet during the weekdays. This really preserved the trail for weekend riders.

The Moosehead Trail and Route 66 north of Rockwood toward Pittston Farm and Jackman will be groomed Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday this week.

There are three marked trails leading across Moosehead Lake to Mount Kineo and Kokadjo. These trails are from Rockwood Village, Rockwood Cottages and the Birches. For your own safety please stay on the marked trails and be aware of large drifts and pressure ridges when crossing the lake.

Abbot 3/6: Abbot received 8 inches of heavy wet snow on Sunday, making a solid packed base. Temperatures are expected to remain well below freezing during the day and around zero at night for the next few days. Perfect conditions for grooming and riding. Trails are still excellent.

Rockwood 3/6: The Birches Web site reports that the trails are currently good and have plenty of snow. Regional trails are in excellent shape. We received an additional 2 inches of snow Wednesday. Lake ice thickness is 2 feet deep or more in nearly all areas, but always check with locals first

Greenville 3/4: We received 6 inches of snow on the Sunday storm and they are forecasting more the middle of the week.

The Greenville ITS trails continue to be groomed on a nightly basis. With this additional snow and very cold temps we hope to have the system hold up better under the heavy traffic in areas such as ITS 87 from the Forks and ITS 85 from Blanchard.

Pittston Farm 3/3: Received 4 inches of new snow from Sunday’s storm. There’s some excellent riding in the area right now. With the potential for more snow this week, it will only improve.

Route 201 corridor

Jackman, Moose River Area 3/7: With the weekend upon us, everything here looks ready for fun few days of riding. The trails are in good shape and the weather should be perfect. Warm spring-like days and cold, good grooming nights. Maybe even a little new snow. The trails have all been groomed and there are no problems or changes to report. This weekend are the annual dog sled races. They will take place over by Big Wood Pond. If your off trail riding in this area please be aware of the race and the track areas.

ITS 86 To Pittston Farm & Rockwood: excellent

ITS 89 North to Canada: excellent

ITS 89 South to the Forks and Parlin: very good

Intown: good

The Forks 3/6: Received around 3 inches of snow on Wednesday. We currently have anywhere from 24 to 40 inches of snow on the ground, depending on the exact location.

Less traffic on the trails, warmer daytime temperatures and cold nights. The condition of all trail sections ranges from good to excellent.

The ITS Connector Trail from Berry’s Store to ITS 87 is in very good shape.

ITS 87 north to Greenville, Moosehead Lake is in excellent condition, including the Power Line sections.

ITS 87 south toward Bingham is in excellent shape. The 9-mile ride along Moxie Pond is one of the most scenic in Maine.

The ITS Connector Trail from Berry’s Store to ITS 89 is currently in good condition. Beautiful riding along the Dead River.

ITS 89 southwest toward Grand Falls, Eustis is in very good shape.

ITS 89 north to Coburn Mountain, Jackman has a ton of snow and fair riding. This section has not been groomed since the weekend, due to a groomer breakdown. We will have it groomed out well by the weekend.

Parlin Area 3/6: We received over a foot of new snow this week and will be grooming throughout the weekend. We have had to make three steps into the snow to get into our lodge, giving us a base of over 2-3 feet on the ground. Conditions are from good to excellent on all of our trails. We will be grooming the entire month of March and the warmer days and cool nights should make it a great month for riding.

ITS 89: Great riding, groomed and ready to go.

Rte. 66: Groomed the entire section, we have a base of over 3 feet ensuring great riding for the rest of the season. People riding in for lunch tell us this is one of the best trails in Maine.

ITS Connector trail from ITS 89 to the Forks: Groomed and ready to go.

West Forks, Durgin Hill, 3/3: At this time, all local trails have an excellent base and conditions are holding in great shape. With continued snows, we may enjoy a late riding season this year. Our groomers are still working full time in the Forks and West Forks to maintain these super conditions.