MADAWASKA – Snowmobile season has officially begun, and many Aroostook County businesses are reporting an influx of snowmobilers.

“It’s really starting to pick up,” Amanda Watson, front desk clerk at Gateway Motel and Restaurant in Madawaska said Saturday. “We actually had a huge crowd in the restaurant this morning. We have a party of ten snowmobilers staying in the hotel, and combined with all of the local riders, they have brought us a lot of business.”

Snowmobiling is becoming increasingly popular in Maine. Last year, more than 100,000 out-of-state snowmobilers flocked to the state, which boasts more than 285 snowmobile clubs, according to the Maine Snowmobile Association.

At the Budget Traveler Motor Lodge in Presque Isle, front desk clerk Kelly Thibeault says visitors are reporting that most of Maine’s 10,000 miles of snowmobile trails are in good condition.

“Sledders are saying that the trails are smooth and packed down pretty good,” she said. “Business has really picked up for us since this last storm. This week has actually been the busiest we have seen since the season began.”

Thibeault said people began calling for room reservations right after the last snowstorm. When the news broke that some areas of Aroostook County received a record snowfall, sledders began booking rooms that same day.

In recent days, convenience stores have also seen a boost in business as snowmobilers purchasing gas and groceries stock up for long trail rides.

“The past few days has been good for business,” Marcia Lincoln, a clerk at Food Trend on U.S. Route 1 in Houlton said Saturday. “We have a lot more snow now than we did earlier.”

Although the recent cold spells have kept some at home, 2004 looks to be a promising season, according to area businesses.

“It is really cold today, but we still have more sledders here than we did earlier,” Karen Taylor, manager of the Blue Moose Lodge in Monticello, said Saturday. “It is really starting to look up.”