Every so often you have to break out of the mold, color outside the lines, break the routine – you know what I mean.

Lately I’ve felt that I’ve been driving in a small circle from home to work and work to home and once in a while to the Y to put in some time on a different kind of treadmill. I’m sure I’m not alone.

And so it was with great pleasure and a sense of adventure that I accepted an invitation to visit Northern Outdoors in The Forks to experience winter in the Kennebec Valley, where, by the way, the snow is still up to your knees or deeper in the woods despite the tropical temperatures (48 degrees) I experienced Monday. I think folks over there were experiencing thermal shock having had deep freeze temperatures four and five days earlier.

I linked up Sunday morning with Nick Atwood, a Registered Maine Guide who works for Northern Outdoors. The steady rain that dampened my 7 a.m. spirits had given way to partly sunny skies by the time I hit the parking lot at the lodge at 9 a.m. All the way up Route 201 I was in and out of ground fog so even glimpses of sun were welcome.

My goal Sunday was to have Atwood show me the countryside via snowmobile and we’d find a place to do some snowshoeing. If you check out a map, you’ll see that The Forks is a natural hub, the juncture of the Kennebec and Dead rivers, and central to some of the best trail riding in the state. Greenville is just 35 miles distant, Bingham the same, Jackman is 45 miles away, Rockwood 50, Eustis 50 as well, and Millinocket 120.

What you won’t see on the map is the hub formed by The Forks Area Chamber of Commerce, the Kennebec Scenic Snow Riders, the Old Canada Scenic Byway committee, the Maine Hut to Hut System, the Maine Snowmobile Association, and the West Forks ATV Club – all of whom are working to promote the area as a four-season destination. These folks know that attracting visitors is key to economic survival.

The 130 miles of trail network in The Forks is part of the Interconnecting Trail System (ITS 86, 87, 89) and Northern Outdoors’ vice president Jim Yearwood, a Madawaska native, is the trail master who has developed much of that network since coming to the area in 1983. It isn’t coincidence that snowmobilers visiting the area rave about the great condition of the trails thanks to frequent grooming done the company’s two groomers and operated by Northern Outdoor staff.

Coming next season to the area is an all-season Forks Area Chamber of Commerce Trail that will connect all the businesses in The Forks. A small part of it just opened.

But what really has Northern Outdoors co-founder Suzie Hockmyer pumped is Larry Warren’s longtime dream-coming-true Hut to Hut Trail that will take cross country skiers and hikers from Carrabassett Valley to Flagstaff Lake to Grand Falls east to the Forks, then up the Kennebec Valley to Indian Pond and on to Rockwood. South of Carrabassett Valley it will go to the Mahoosucs, making it a 180-mile system that will rival world-class trails such as Colorado’s 10th Mountain Division Hut System or the Milford Track in New Zealand.

Work has started on the trail and 22 miles or more of trail have been cut. Work is slated to begin this spring on two of what will be 12 huts and cabins along the trail.

Hockmyer, her eyes twinkling, said she sees the trail as a draw that will reach far beyond the U.S. borders into Europe. With the trail will come people interested not only in the on-trail experience, but with the off-trail attractions, guide services, and amenities. That’s where businesses such as Northern Outdoors will step in. Not all trail users will be going end to end. Most may start in one place, such as The Forks, hike or ski out to one of the huts, spend the night, and return.

The huts and cabins in the system will have beds, meals, and shower facilities so hikers or skiers won’t have to carry stoves and food, just clothing and sleeping bags, which will lighten the load a bit. And the trail will be groomed in the winter.

In the meantime, those of us a little less energetic who want to do it a different way could try a multi-day, lodge-to-lodge snowmobile tour offered by Northern Outdoors. The first night is spent at Northern Outdoors in The Forks to Moosehead Lake and on to New England Outdoor Center in Millinocket for an overnight. You get a day to explore the Baxter State Park area and spend another night at NEOC. Then you’ll sled back to The Forks for the night and leave the next day. The guided package runs from Sunday evening through Thursday morning and includes four nights’ lodging, three days’ sled rental, four dinners, three lunches, and one fine trip to write home about.

Would that I had the time. My leash is a lot shorter. I had Sunday morning to Monday mid-day. We needed to hit the trail and pack in some miles, I figured. I tied on a pair of snowshoes thinking that they’d come in handy if the snowmobile died. I only half-hoped on doing some on-foot exploring.

Atwood gave me a briefing on the controls of my SkiDoo GTX 550, a higher performance 550cc fan-cooled 2-stroke Rotax-powered sled. (I’d have paid a lot more attention if I knew then what I learned later about this machine. There’s a power band just above 5,000 rpm that literally makes it take wing – or so it seemed).

I zipped and fastened all the closures on the snowmobile suit, squeezed my ears into a full-face helmet (nearly died from claustrophobia), fired up the sled (nearly died from blue smoke), and ground off across the gravel parking lot chasing the now disappearing Atwood. (I only half-jokingly had asked him to keep it under 80 mph.) Fortunately (for me) the first leg was up a twisty hill and fairly slow, so I had a chance to get somewhat comfortable with my surging, growling mount.

We reached the top of a long rise and a trail intersection where Atwood stopped and waited for me to catch up, gave me the thumbs-up sign (which I managed to return), and we were off! I’d forgotten since my last ride on one of these things a few years ago how loose and wobbly they feel, like they’re headed for the ditch at any minute or they’re going to disintegrate. Five minutes out and I’m a pro. Just relax the death grip on the handlebars and let it have some throttle.

In no time I was cruising along at 30 mph feeling like I was somewhere around 80 – perhaps because closing the facemask was out of the question (from the claustrophobic perspective). We hit a straight section of trail and Atwood seemed to be leaving me behind. I didn’t want him to feel like he was dragging an anchor so I pushed my already-aching thumb on the throttle to the handlebar thinking I’d add a little speed and catch up eventually. In an instant I felt like I was flying. In another instant I practically climbed up Atwood’s back. He responded by giving me the thumbs-up and grabbing a handful of throttle! Off he went! I didn’t want to take my eyes off the trail to look at the speedometer, but later my GPS told me at one point I’d hit 48 mph. It felt like 148.

We had a great time. One highlight was a side trip up Coburn Mountain to the 3,200-foot level. There’s another 500 or so feet of elevation, but the trail’s not for novices. I was happy to head back down. We did the Shutdown Loop, passed through a narrow, woodsy trail about the width of a snowmobile, then crossed Enchanted Pond. We stopped at Bulldog Camps for lunch. Someone from the area had been out chasing down coyotes and had a corpse strapped to the back of his sled.

After lunch I managed to disable, at least temporarily, my sled’s starter or electrical system. It wouldn’t turn over. We offered incantations, tugged 20 or so times on the starter rope – nothing! Then we tried the key again and it sputtered to life! We were off!

And yes, we did stop for a brief snowshoe walk up the banks of the Kennebec River. It was less than a quarter of a mile, I’d say, but we saw hundreds of deer tracks in the snow, a hawk, and an eagle. Later on the trail we nearly clipped a partridge.

The rising temperatures had taken their toll on the trails nearer Route 201 and The Forks. There were places where the snow was gone, and others where there were just puddles. But once we climbed to higher elevations, things were better. I found the mashed-potato consistency a bit disconcerting because the sled’s skis would catch in grooves made by other sleds.

We logged 79 miles, according to the GPS, and were back at the lodge around 4 p.m. Other than my thumb being a bit numb from working the throttle, I felt in remarkably great shape and ready to try it again – sometime. As to where we went, I had to have Atwood retrace our route on a map. I couldn’t have told you where we went or how we got there.

One last time I pulled my ears out of the helmet, doffed the snowmobile suit, and headed for the lodge for some tall tales, a glass of beer brewed right on the premises, and some advice on an outing for the next day. I promised myself it would involve leg power.

Monday morning I was up for a walk. Hockmyer and others suggested Moxie Falls for its scenery and short walk. Perfect! It was only 8 miles up the road and .6 miles in from the road. Turned out the trail in was hard-packed snow and the scenery was to die for! It’s 90 feet of frozen waterfall with water running behind it. I could have stayed there all day. And given the near-50 degree temperatures, it would have been possible. But Bangor beckoned. It was time to head back to the city and think about returning to The Forks again, maybe to kayak or hike or bike or fish or swim or raft or just plain sit down and enjoy the scenery.

But before I could bring myself to head home, I turned up the Moxie Lake Road and drove the two or three miles to check out the lake – actually it’s not a lake at this time of year. It’s a river that will turn back into a lake when the dam operator decides it’s time to close the gates and catch the spring runoff.

The side trip offered a surprise turkey sighting. A flock of 15 or so were pecking at the roadside. We stared at each other for a minute or two until I got my camera out of its case and stepped out to snap a picture. They were gone in a hasty but noisy departure.

To learn more about Northern Outdoors and the various vacation and outing packages they offer, write to them at: Old Canada Road National Scenic Byway, 1771 U.S. Route 201, P.O. Box 100, The Forks 04985, or call 800-765-7238. If you’re online, check them out at: www.northernoutdoors.com.

Jeff Strout’s column on outdoor recreation is published each Saturday. He can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.