Snowmobile Country Maine
By Mary Ashcraft
Northern Outdoors Snowmobile Resort in The Forks, Maine is
a Mecca for snowmobile enthusiasts where the only things that are tamed are the
well-groomed snow trails. There are rugged spruce and pine forests, waterfalls,
rivers, lakes, and rustic camps in the wilderness with the look and feel of
early logging days in Maine. In the midst of all this drama is The Forks Resort
at Northern Outdoors nestled in the Appalachian Mountain Range. It is an all
inclusive winter and summer sports haven with access to many of the 13,000 miles
in the ITS (interconnected Trail System) with some of the best snowmobiling
trails in the East. Yearly snowfall is generous in these Maine Mountains,
averaging about ten feet per season.
Locating Northern Outdoors is easy for it sits just on the
National Scenic Byway 201. It is the old Canada Road National Scenic Byway that
runs parallel to the Kennebec and Dead Rivers with spectacular views of Lakes,
ridges, rivers, and Birch stands along the way. In the late 1700’s Benedict
Arnold sailed these rivers in his attempt to reach Quebec City. Once you reach
the The Forks, check in at the main lodge and are comfortably settled in your
accommodations, it is time to think about exploring the seemingly endless snow
trails and the beauty of the Maine wilderness. If you have no sled, Northern
Outdoors says “No sled, No problem,” for it has a rental fleet of sleds with
electric start, driver hand and foot warmers, electronic reverse and dual
mirrors. The fleet consists of the sled models Ski Legend 380, Ski Doo GTX 550,
and Polaris FS Touring.
 Dan Davis, the in-house sled mechanic, will help you select
your sled, and give you operating instructions if you need them. You may opt to
head out into the wilderness on a self- guided outing. ITS (International Trail
System) route markers are evident and easy to follow. Another option is to go
with Dan Davis who is also an official Maine Guide with great knowledge of the
territory and the animals that live there. His trained eye can spot deer, moose,
fox, rabbit, bobcat, or coyote as you glide through the woods.
 Some trails wind
through the woods with gentle slopes or thrilling hairpin turns, while others
are long straight-ways where a little more speed can really get the juices
flowing. Special sights along the various trails are Grand Falls, The Bigelow
Range, Granny’s Cap, Moosehead Lake, and Maine’s highest Snowmobile Trail to
Coburn Mountain with an elevation of 3,750 feet. Sometimes the legendary mount
Katahdin can be spotted on a clear day.
 For a
remote wilderness experience, ask Dan for directions to Bull Dog Camp by
Enchanted Pond. The feeling at Bull Dog Camp is of stepping into a sepia tinted
print where loggers in days past might have dropped in for a huge slice of
homemade pie, stick to the ribs sandwiches and Maine beer, and to warm their
hands by the huge wood -burning stove. Today all these goodies await sledders,
hunters and fishermen and all who drop by always receive a warm Maine welcome.
Coyote pelts and raccoon hats and nature paintings are nailed to the walls and
outside the drifting snow edges over the tops of the window- sills. There are
also gas pumps to refuel the sleds when you are ready to head back to the trails.
 
Of special interest are the Northern Outdoors snowmobile
tour offerings. There are two six to eight hour tours, The Moosehead-Moxie Lake
Tour, and the Grand Falls-Coburn Mountain Tour. Each is different and designed
to give an overall view of the area. The third is The Forks- Moosehead-Katahdin
Lodge to lodge Tour that begins on Sunday night and ends on Thursday night. The
five- day tour takes you to lakes and villages that include a variety of stops
for hearty breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, shopping, and fine dining with wine
for dinner and luxury sleeping accommodations. The tour includes a day exploring
Baxter state Park, and Maine’s highest peak Mount Katahdin.
The Main lodge at The Forks is your home base. The
restaurant has two casual dining rooms and a menu with a variety of choices for
those who want light fare, or those who relish dishes that would satisfy a wood
–cutter or an all-day sledder and snowshoer. The lodge’s Kennebec River Pub has
a full bar plus a variety of beers that are brewed on the premises in The Forks
own brewery downstairs in the lodge by Head brewer Mike McConnell. Take a taste
of some or all of his creations. The names for the brews are as creative as the
brews, with pungent names like Arthur’s Hazelnut Brown Ale, Big Mama Blueberry
Ale, Sled Head Red, Penobscot Porter, Magic Hole IPA, and Northern Lights.
 
If you are not exhausted after a day of sledding the
country trails, or snowshoeing the trails along the Kennebec River, there is an
exercise room in the lodge, and a game room full of flashing machines and a
regulation size pool table. However, if all you want at the end of an active day
is a warming drink, some banter with other guests, or just to contemplate the
day, there is the large floor to ceiling rock fireplace at the other end of the
room across from the pub with lots of cushy seating. This area proves to be a
magnet for the guests, as the staff makes certain that there is always a
crackling fire blazing away. Stuffed moose and deer heads look down from the
walls and wildcats and coyotes guard the fireplace mantle. Another way to come
down after an active day and still enjoy the snow around you is to sink into the
hot tub on the outdoor terrace just outside the pub where the water temperature
hits 106 degrees.
Evening is the perfect time to ponder the energetic fun of
the day as you look forward to more of the same. In the 1800s, the great
naturalist Henry David Thoreau explored the wild beauty these forests and rivers
with his Indian guide and immortalized his love of the area in his writings on
nature.
Accommodations at Northern Outdoors:
 
The Forks Resort Center offers a varied selection of indoor
and outdoor accommodations. Scattered throughout the woods and overlooking
Martin Pond are the Cabins, Club cabins, Crying Loon Cottage, Logdominiums, Cozy
Cabins, and Timberdoodle condos, all with kitchens, flatware, microwave ovens,
and refrigerator. There are rooms in the lodge and tents on the campground along
the Kennebec River. A few miles down the road on the Shore of Wyman Lake at
Silver cove are deluxe vacation cabins. The Silver Cove cabins have two
bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a covered porch overlooking Silver cove and sleeps
up to ten people. The luxurious Point House has five bedrooms, sunken living
room, full kitchen, and large windows overlooking Wyman Lake. It sleeps up to
fourteen people. Located on Pockwockamus Pond is Northern forks Penobscot Center
are more campsites with tents for 2 to 4 people and a stones throw from the
Katahdin Grill serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For Skiers
If you are a skier, (downhill or Nordic), or snow boarder,
and want to try your skills on a variety of downhill and Nordic trails, Northern
Outdoors recommends you try nearby Sugar Loaf ski resort. Only one and a half
hours away from Northern Outdoors in the Carrabassett Valley, it boasts Maine’s
second highest peak with an elevation of 4,237 feet. Only Mount Katahdin is
higher. There are 134 trails and glades for the downhill skier and snow boarder,
plus 62 miles of trails for the Nordic skier with a variety of terrain for all
ability levels with the only above tree line lifts in the East. In 2006 it
hosted the US Alpine Championships where thousands of Sugarloafers cheered on
Bode Miller, Darron Rahives and the entire men’s and women’s US ski team as they
raced down the two mile course on Sugarloaf Mountain. Also in 2006 a Sugarloafer
and US Team member Seth Wescott won the gold medal in the very first Snowboard
Cross in the Olympic games in Torino, Italy.
If you’ve ever had fun floating down a river in an inner
tube, then you must try Sugarloaf’s on-mountain Turbo Tubing. You grab an inner
tube at the bottom of the slope, hold on to the rope for a pull up, get on your
tube and sail down the slope for an exhilarating ride. The little kids make it
look easy. It’s nighttime, the air is clear, the moon is full, and you are still
full of energy, you will find the Tubing slope at Whiffletree lighted until
eight pm.
Centrally located in the resort complex is the family
oriented Summit Hotel with its convenient breakfast room, restaurant and bar.
However, in the Summit’s complex are a variety of eating places from which to
choose, and many shopping opportunities from boutiques with the latest ski
apparel to handmade furniture. If stopping during the day on the slopes for a
little sustenance is a pain, then trailside dining, (ski-in-ski-out) at the
Widowmaker Lounge is steps away from the base of the slopes. It serves lunch,
dinner, has 16 beers on tap and live music. Then, after some world-class
downhill at Sugarloaf, it’s back to Northern Outdoors for more adventures on the
sledding trails.
For more information:
Northern Outdoors: Phone: 1-800-763-7238
1-888-770-SLED
Fax: 207-663-2244
Photo credits: Mary Ashcraft, Northern Outdoors, Sugarloaf
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