Reports started filtering back to Bangor a few weeks ago, as deer hunters returned to town from the big woods of northern Maine.

“It snowed three days while I was there,” one hunter told me in mid-November. “They had a foot on the ground by the time I left.”

Down here, we saw nothing but rain. Lawns turned brown, and froze up a bit.

But we got no snow.

Finally, thanks to the storm that smacked the entire state Monday and Tuesday, the rest of us have some white stuff to call our own.

Now we’re tinkering with the snowmobiles, digging out our cross country skis, and looking for our packed-away parkas.

Another storm or two, and we’ll be ready. The trails will be, too.

Unless, that is, we decide to head north.

Let’s remember: There’s been snow on the ground in Aroostook County for three weeks now.

And many northern Maine business owners are ready to welcome us “down-staters” with open arms.

On Wednesday I called Kenneth “Doody” Michaud, who wears a variety of hats in Fort Kent.

He’s the chief of police, of course, so that makes him a pretty good fellow to know.

But he’s also an avid snowmobiler, is a director of the Fort Kent SnoRiders, and spends plenty of time each winter driving trail-grooming machines through the woods of northern Maine.

Michaud said things have gotten a bit busy in Fort Kent in the past several days.

“We’ve been getting calls from all over the state, and Pennsylvania and Massachusetts,” Michaud said. “[They’re asking] ‘Do you people have snow? Do you people have snow?'”

The answer is “yes.”

Michaud said the grooming machines had been working on trails before the last snowstorm, which dumped another seven inches on the Fort Kent area.

That means area sledders have much better conditions than they did a year ago at this time.

“We’re a little early [getting snow]. We were just skimming last year [at this time],” he said. “We had three inches of snow and we were playing with the groomer. This year we’ve got 15 inches of snow, if not more, and we’ve [used] the big drag that fills all the holes in.”

Michaud said groomers hit some trails Tuesday, then hit those near Soldier Pond, Daigle and Carter Brook on Wednesday. On Thursday, the plan called for a grooming run toward Frenchville.

“So all the major arteries will be open,” Michaud said. “There’s one place where they hit water [yesterday, in a swamp], but it was frozen solid this morning.”

That’s not to say all trails in Aroostook County will be open and ready for riders. The Maine Snowmobile Association’s Web site (www.mesnow.com) can give you more up-to-date information.

And Michaud cautioned that while the prewinter conditions have been good, it’s not officially winter, no matter what it may look like.

A year ago, there was plenty of open water on local lakes at this time of year. That’s not necessarily the case this now, but sledders shouldn’t take chances.

“This year most of the lakes are pretty well caught,” Michaud said, explaining a thin layer of ice covered most of the lakes he had seen, with the exception of Eagle Lake. “You take [cold] nights like last night, and you can make an inch of ice a night.”

But sledders should wait a bit before heading onto the frozen lakes and ponds.

Michaud said reports he has heard indicate that some sledders are looking to avoid Quebec’s trails this year, in large part because of the unfavorable exchange rate and the high price of gas.

He said Fort Kent and the rest of Aroostook County can provide another option to traveling sledders.

But with the early snow comes a bit of a problem, he admitted.

If you’ve got the snow, you’ve got to groom … which is becoming increasingly expensive.

“Last year we were paying $1.86 a gallon [for gas for the grooming machines]. This year it’s $3.50-something,” he said.

But groom they will. As long as it stays cold, and the snow keeps falling, they’ll be out there.

Three-fifty-something a gallon or not.

DIF&W cautions snowmobilers

As our first statewide snowstorm loomed, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife issued a press release with a few reminders for snowmobile riders.

Among the DIF&W’s points:

. Ride sober

. Be aware of trail conditions, especially during the early season, when objects may not be completely snow-covered.

. Stay off roads and on trails.

. Ride at a reasonable speed.

. Use hand signals.

. Ride defensively.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.