Aroostook County Snowmobile Trail Report – December 18

Another major snowstorm brings good news for snowmobile enthusiasts in the County!

Well hopefully the thaw that we experienced last week will be the one and only that will affect our system this year. The weather outside my office as I am writing this report is snowing quite hard, hopefully it will continue overnight. I understand everyone is getting pretty anxious to start riding, but I do caution everyone that not all trails are open nor are they signed as well.

Most projects who have rail trails in there system will try and get out this weekend, as long as mother nature delivers. A reminder most wooded sections of trails are wet and might be impassable as there are trees down due to the summer storms, so if you do try and venture out onto some of these trails bring a saw and help out the club and cut the trees out of the way.

There will be several reroutes in the area some of them will be easily taken care of with simple signage, while a few are going to be a little harder. There is a big beaver dam on ITS 92 app. 2 miles from where St. Francis meets up with Allagash, the St. Francis crew is working on a reroute.

Keep in mind that the Moose and Deer are very prevalent on the Rail trails this time of year so keep an eye out for tracks in the snow.

Trail Info:

ITS 85: Oxbow, Portage, Ashland, and Fort Kent will hold off a little longer, Eagle Lake will try and do something over the weekend.

ITS 83: Most of the Rail bed sections of ITS 83 will have some activity by the weekend. North of Axle on Caribou’s end might not be done, Red Arrow will be out rolling. Frenchville and Madawaska will also be out. There definitely will be gaps so please use caution.

ITS 81: Some clubs will be out during the weekend, so watch for groomers. Caswell, Van Buren, Grand Isle and Madawaska will try and get the snow packed down. Most projects will be putting up signs so if you see them out there, give them a hand as it takes many volunteers to sign trails.

ITS 92: St. Francis has groomed there section, Allagash might go out and check for blowdowns and will be signing this weekend. There is a beaver dam app. 2 miles south of the intersection from where St. Francis and Allagash meet so use caution.

ITS 90: This section will be very sporadic if anything gets done. Fort Fairfield will try and do something, Caribou will also try, Portage might go out, and they have lots of water to deal with. Remember this section of trail through Fort Fairfield and Caribou goes through a lot of open ground and not all field markers have been put out.

ITS 88: The rail bed sections of this trail will have activity during the weekend, so please use caution crossing open fields as there may not be any action until there is more snow.

ITS 86: Houlton will try and be out, Oxbow will be holding off a little longer.

ITS 105: Van Buren, Caribou, and Washburn will be out on this section for the weekend.

RT. 100: Caswell will try and do something over the weekend.

RT. 89: Not open.

Just a few corrections ITS 83 South of Mars Hill going toward Houlton will be open this winter.

Coffins general store is under new ownership not Dean’s Motor Lodge.