Getaway Guide - American Snowmobiler Magazine

Getaway Guide
EAST
• Maine
• Vermont
• New Hampshire
• New York
• Pennsylvania
Maine
The “Pine Tree State,”
Maine will wow you
with its extensive
trail system of nearly
13,000 miles that will
keep you sledding so
long you could end up
with a sore throttle thumb. Our advice
is to start exercising it now.
We think you’ll enjoy looping
around the hills and valleys of Mt.
Katahdin, the highest mountain
in Maine. You can find this great
mountain in Baxter State Park,
which also features an alpine forest
and 46 mountain peaks. Take a nice
deep breath of the crisp pine tree
freshness.
The Moosehead Lake area,
nestled in low lying mountains,
is another great area with riding
conditions for all skill levels.
Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in
Maine and provides stops along the
160-mile Moosehead Trail that wraps
around the lake. This trail connects
with the Maine Interconnecting Trail
System too, which not only hooks up
with the rest of Maine, but with areas
in New Hampshire or Canada, if you
are up for the adventure. Greenville
Junction is located in the greater
Moosehead region too and provides
places to load up or take a load off for
the night.
In Aroostook County in Northern
Maine you can go to the top of the
state to visit Madawaska and come
back through Caribou and Presque
Isle.
On the trails of the Rangeley
Lakes region, you can explore
areas that are only accessible by
snowmobile. Traverse the New
England Snowmobile Trail Network
(NEST) and Black Fly Loop, or try your
hand at the Ronald W. Sargent Trail
System.
We were able to take a ride this
past season to The Forks trail network,
about 2 hours north of Portland (See
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AMERICAN SNOWMOBILER • www.AmSnow.com
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AmSnow Dec. 2007, p. 66). It’s part
of Maine’s Interconnecting Trail
System (ITS 86, 87 and 89), offering
more than 130 miles of high quality
riding. The system extends north
to Jackman, west to Eustis, east
to Moosehead Lake and south to
Bingham.
Maine does not have a trail speed
limit, but authorities will sometimes
write a summons for excessive
speed and driving to endanger, so be
cautious and courteous on the trails.
Helpful Sites
Snowmobile Maine: www.mesnow.com
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries
and Wildlife: www.maine.gov/ifw
Maine Chamber of Commerce:
www.mainetourism.com
Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club:
www.rangeleysnowmobile.com
Maine Snowmobiling:
www.mainesnowmobiling.com
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Lodging
Cozy Moose Cabins PO Box 29, Greenville
207-695-0242 www.mooseheadcabins.com/
maine_snowmobiling.html
Vermont
There’s a reason
“White Christmas”
was set in Vermont,
snow, snow, snow
and snow. The
state is known for
its great snowfalls
and wonderful
winters, which is why it just had
to snow at the end of that movie.
VAST, the Vermont Association of
Snow Travelers, maintains more than
3,100 miles of wide, pristine, wellmarked trails in Vermont and several
thousand miles of secondary trails to
help you get to more remote places.
A good starting point is at Island
Pond in the Northeast region; trails
go in every direction from this area.
In the Northeast Kingdom around
Island Pond, snowfall can run between
100-250 inches per season. Orleans,
Essex and Caledonia counties
offer various snowmobiling related
activities as well, like poker rides and
drag races.
Vermont’s snowmobiling season
usually runs from mid-December to
early April. Vermont businesses cater
to the snowmobiler, with trails that
lead right to your doorstep and great
places to get hot meals along the trails.
We suggest you bring your camera
to catch some great scenery as well.
VAST’s 138 community-based clubs
conduct events every weekend during
the winter, from pancake breakfasts
and chicken barbecues to spaghetti
dinners, charity rides, radar runs and
snocross races, so check ’em out!
You will need a trail pass and a
valid state registration in Vermont,
and you can always take a guided tour
if you don’t want to take the chance of
getting lost.
Helpful Sites
Vt. Association of Snow Travelers:
vtvast.org
Vt. Chamber of Commerce:
www.vtchamber.com
New Hampshire
The Pittsburg area has thousands
of acres of undeveloped woods and is
known for having trails that have the
deepest snow, the longest distances
between stops and the greatest
elevation changes in the state. What’s
not to like?
Explore the large trail system in
the White Mountain region and try
out the “Bike Path Trail” in Franconia
Notch, a scenic snowmobiling trail. In
the Great North Woods region, you’ll
find a great connecting point with
trails to Vermont and Maine.
The Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee
region is N.H.’s “High Country” and
gets a load of snow. If you prefer flatcountry riding or rolling hills, check
out the Merrimack Valley region and
the Seacoast region in the southern
portion of the state. Wildlife and great
“Live Free or Die,”
the state motto
exemplifies the
independent
nature of a state
that has 6,800
miles of groomed
trails that are said
to be the best in
the world by the NHSA, and they
wouldn’t just be boasting. If you really
want to feel like you’re getting away
from it all, this is the place to ride.
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views abound, so enjoy!
Helpful Sites
N.H. Snowmobiling Association:
www.nhsa.com
N.H. Living: www.nhliving.com/snowmobiling
VISIT N.H.: www.visitnh.gov
Lodging
Metallak Shores Resort 10 Metallak Rd.,
Pittsburg 603-538-6335
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www.metallakshoresresort.com
Tall Timber Lodge 609 Beach Rd. Pittsburg
603-538-6651 www.TallTimber.com
The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel 1000
Cold Spring Rd., Dixville Notch 877-225-7567
www.thebalsams.com
The Partridge Cabins and Lodge First
Connecticut Lake, Pittsburg 603-538-6380
www.partridgecabins.com
New York
Don’t let the
first thought
that comes to
your head be a
big bustling city
with the traffic,
yelling and crowded streets. How
about sashaying down a mountain
bluff, weaving through freshly fallen
powder or racing your nemesis out
on the lake? We know there are a lot
of hardcore sledheads in the Empire
State.
You can zoom through
Oneida, Madison, Herkimer and
Otsego counties in the Central
Leatherstocking region, which itself
is rather large, so certainly pick up
local trail maps. Oneida is the most
popular area here, with 540 miles of
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AMERICAN SNOWMOBILER • www.AmSnow.com
groomed trails that connect with the
Tug Hill area and span the state. You
will find forests, mountains and gorges
to play in.
Lake George, just south of the
Adirondacks, offers an extensive trail
network that connects the towns of
Lake Luzerne, Queensbury, Glen
Falls, Brant Lake, Chestertown,
Pottersville and Warrensberg. To
get a great view of Lake George and
the mountains, take some time on the
trail along the summit of Prospect
Mountain.
If you’re looking for some lakeeffect snow, visit Lewis County in
northeastern, N.Y. The Tug Hill area
here will challenge you. Other areas to
try in New York include the foothills
of Adirondack Park and the scenic
Black River Trail in Black River
Valley.
With more than 500 miles of trails,
the Inlet/Old Forge area in upstate
N.Y. is sometimes referred to as the
“snowmobile capital of the East.”
(See AmSnow, Nov. 2005, p. 118) The
Old Forge trail system is perfect for
couples and families seeking a more
leisurely weekend. Inlet provides you
miles of trails through 50,000 acres of
wilderness.
For the biggest trail system in N.Y.,
take a trip to Hamilton County.
Its 750 miles will have you rubbing
your thumb at the end of the day,
but asking for more. Nature takes
over here with abundant wildlife,
panoramic views, frozen waterfalls
and a population of less than 3 people
per square mile. Awesome!
Helpful Sites
N.Y. State Snowmobile Association:
www.nyssnowassoc.org
N.Y. State Department of Motor Vehicles:
www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmvfaqs.htm#Snowmobiles
N.Y. State Tourism: www.iloveny.com
feeling racy, up for boondocking or
just want an afternoon buzz through
the woods, you’re covered.
Check out the 513,000-acre
Allegheny National Forest, where
you’ll find hundreds of miles of
interconnecting trails along with some
great scenery and accommodations.
Trails open here in mid-December.
North central Pennsylvania
is a great area to visit too, with
Coudersport/Potato City being
a prime spot to jump on the trails,
plus the hospitality equals the quality
riding you’ll find here. South of
Coudersport is Low Lands Trail in
Potter County, originally part of the
Philadelphia and Erie Railroad, it is
a great place for viewing wildlife in
Sinnemahoning State Park.
Trails usually open for the state
the day after the last day of regular or
extended rifle deer season and close
April 1.
Helpful Sites
Pa. State Snowmobile Association:
www.pasnow.org
Pa. Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources:
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/FORESTRY/snowmobile
Visit Pa.: www.visitpa.com
Lodging
The Golden Shamrock 6205 Blue Street
Glenfield 315-376-6689
www.thegoldenshamrock.com
Tug Hill Sports Lodge 1539 Pinckney Rd,
Copenhagen 570-416-0690
www.tughillsportslodge.com
Other
Adirondack Regional Tourism PO Box
2149, Plattsburgh 518-846-8016
www.visitadirondacks.com
Lewis County 7383-C Utica Blvd., 315-3762213 Lowville www.lewiscountychamber.org
Pennsylvania
You can express
the different
sides of your
snowmobile
personality in
Pennsylvania,
as the trails and snow playgrounds
provide you with plenty of options.
The state’s forests and parks offer
thousands of miles and acres of
snowmobiling fun. We know you’ll
enjoy the picturesque trails through
the woods, clear straightaway runs
and open fields of white. So, if you’re
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November 2008 • GG