I decided to start this over for 2018, and to have the thread in the correct forum. June 8th, 9th, 10th 2018.
I have copied some of what I had said in the other thread just to save typing. I did some more reading on the Taylor Park ride a lot of you guys are doing in September. I know that it would be hard for any of you to come all the way here in the same year, but I changed the plan to June just in case some of you could.
@DrMud planted the seed on my Trail Jealousy thread to plan a 3 or 4 day ride here in Maine, and I think it's a great idea. The land we ride on is about 90% privately owned by forest products companies, blueberry growers and the like. No huge tracts of BLM land or National Forest land here. There are dozens of atv clubs whose members volunteer and work hard to maintain landowner relations, trails, etc. Due to the dense forest and topography the majority of the riding is on discontinued skidder trails, camp roads, and current logging roads. There will be tight, rough mucky sections, multi-use converted rail bed sections, open gravel road sections, public road atv access connectors, low bogs, high ridges, etc. Not a lot of wide open vistas like out west, of course, but there will be areas with nice views. The blueberry barrens in northern Hancock County is something most people have never seen anything like. You might see moose, deer, bear, turkey, eagles, loons, ducks, bobcat, or nothing! There are about 6000 miles of designated atv trail in Maine, so we have a lot to choose from. It would be cool to show a few of you that have never been to the north woods what it's like up here.
I wouldn't want anyone to travel a long way hoping for deep mud or technical rock climbing. I am not real familiar with places that offer that.
1. I don't seek it out
2. I have not traveled to many areas yet to know where you can do that anyway
3. Almost all of our trails are on private land that the owners have generously allowed atv riding on, going off trail to tear up a mud hole is the perfect way for the land and trail section to be closed forever.
To be work schedule friendly, this is what I am thinking.
Everyone get to the Ellsworth area and get to their lodging sometime Friday, June 8th. it would be awesome if we could all meet up that evening for a meet and greet, looks at some maps, etc.
Saturday AM, get together for breakfast in town by 630 or 7 am.
Head to the parking lot, Down East Sunrise trail and be ready to roll by 8 am.
Easy ride to the gas/convenience store in Harrington(about 34 miles)Top off with gas, have a coffee, etc.
Head north up through the willy wacks, go across the blueberry barrens, get to The Airline Snack Bar(another 35 or 40 miles) for lunch and top off with gas.
Head northeast to Grand Lake Stream,(another 35 or 40 miles) get there in time for supper. If we can pull it off, maybe all of us could stay at one lodge that serves dinner and breakfast. There are a number of choices. If not, the Pine Tree Store has a great little food counter with good choices(and gas!).
It's roughly 90 to 120 miles from Ellsworth, so it's a long day, but there are sections where you can make up some time by cruising 40 mph.
For the ride back to Ellsworth, we can take some different trails that end up in the same place so we get to see a little different scenery and trail conditions. It's daylight here in early June to around 830 pm, so we should be good.
Personally, I would rather head out Friday morning and get back Saturday evening, but I am thinking about folks that don't have Friday's off. If the consensus is a Friday, Saturday ride,(or even a Friday, Saturday, Sunday) we will adjust accordingly.
Obviously, if anyone is coming from a long distance and is going to make this into an extended trip/vacation, there are thousands more miles of trails to ride, or many more things to see and do. Acadia National Park, only 15 miles from Ellsworth, is something like the 2nd or 3rd most visited national park in the country.
If anyone needs lodging, search in Ellsworth, Blue Hill, Bar Harbor, and Trenton for the beginning and end of ride. Search Grand Lake Stream and Princeton for the overnight in the middle of the trip. Early June is not yet peak tourist season around here but plan well in advance if you need lodging. The Comfort Inn in Ellsworth has direct access through the adjacent LL Bean parking lot to the Down East Sunrise Trail. There are many other options close by that are cheaper. The parking lot at the beginning of the Sunrise Trail is huge so getting lodging in a hotel or a campground in the area then park and ride at the trail head is not a problem.
I'll post some links to hotels, lodges, anything I can think of that might be of use.
Hoping some of you can make it.
