7817-R1_MSA_Nov2021_MaineSnowmobiler

Favorite Rides Series… Continued

hot tub did not disappoint after run- ning up the flight of stairs barefoot with 6 inches of snow on each step with nothing more than a bathing suit. My feet are still numb. Thanks for the awesome intro to sledding! Back to the story. What I did not tell my wife was I had rented a cabin for the night and we were to enjoy the night there. I felt a bit bad as our friends had to continue riding with the surprise of losing us and as cold as it was, I think they were a bit jealous. My wife and I got back on and rode around the area and went to Berry’s Store and grabbed some popcorn, donuts, and topped the tank for the next day’s adventure. I will be hon- est, Our cabin was a bit far for us to walk on such a cold night so it truly was the first time that I rode my sled with sneakers on going two up on a one-up sled. What smiles…. We had a great cozy night and the impulse of it all for her just made it that much special. We spoke to our friends and they all checked in safe. The next morning again brought

incredible sunlight with similar temps. We headed up ITS 87 and broke East on 86 toward the 88 junc- tion. I had decided that it was up to her to see how far she wanted to go as we could have headed to Green- ville but she was all in for the trek further north. Up 88 it was. All I remember was…Wow! I don’t think I had ever been to this area before and found wide-open spaces and flat and smooth trails. We warmed up a bit at “The Store” in Rockwood and headed down toward the town dock where it crossed the lake. The signs were plentiful to cross the lake and I had been there before. Sometimes it is nice to see trails not change that much as most of this section was from memory. We picked up the “Moosehead Trail” and banked east toward Kokadjo. I was again in awe of the views of Big and Little Spencer as that again is near and dear to me. In my for- mer career, I was blessed with the chance to put the communications facility on top of Big Spencer and I have hiked that mountain 40 if not

50 times. Seeing it on a sled adds a much better flair than a backpack full of tools. A lunch snack, a warm up, and a splash of fuel was a great needed break at the Kokadjo store. Southward on 85/86 we were now encountering some trail chop from the amount of sleds but being that was the year of an all new cut through there, I remember this was still pretty impressive. We were even fortunate to witness a moose just out of the campground area. We enjoyed the great views of Mooseh- ead coming south and looking west and Big Moose in the winter never disappoints. As the day was wear- ing on, we found our way thru Greenville and eventually South on 85 again to back to our starting point. While I do not remember the actual mileage, we surely clocked in the 150 to 175 range for the week- end. It sure was a great trip and if you ever want to surprise someone, may I suggest do it on a sled trip! Ride Right, Ride Safe, and Bring on the White! John Monk.

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2021 Groomer of the Year - Travis Roderick