Tag: Winter

Winter: Snodeo, western Maine’s three-day salute to the love of snowmobiling and winter. This annual event is held in Rangeley every January. With a weekend long event choke full of activities visitors are sure to have fun! Come to winter wonderland for fun with hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails throughout the Rangley area. Don’t have a sled, no problem, there are many rental sites available right on the trails. Once you are there, you won’t even have to drive your car, most of the restaurants offer drive up on dining right on your snowmobile. Another special thing during the weekend is joining hundreds of fellow riders in a torchlight parade on Rangeley Lake at the Snodeo. The event kicks off with a snowmobile parade, antique snowmobile display, races and fireworks. Rangeley also offers a whole host of other Maine winter activities which include ice fishing, sledding, cross-country skiing and skiing at Saddleback Mountain which is close by. There’s always snow in the Rangeley Lakes Region and always plenty to do.

Winter: Sledding and tubing always seems like a great idea with the exception of having to carry everything up the hill in order to enjoy the trip down. With snow on the ground many local ski mountains and tobogganing and tubing parks visitors a quick rides up the hill on chairlifts or rope tows, and for even faster rides back down. You may want to head down to the coast and take a ride down Camden Snow Bowl’s toboggan chute. Annually, the Snow Bowl host the National Toboggan Championships. If you are the faint of heart than a trip down this icy chute is not for you but, if you don’t have a fear of high speeds this may be just the thrill you are looking for! Looking for a similar and slightly less terrifying thrill? Grab a tube and hit the hills. Snow tubing has grown in popularity over the past five years and Maine offers many options for this exciting family activity. Several ski areas have some great tubing runs with lift service to the top of the hill. Mt Abram has one of the longest tubing parks and Rumford’s Black Mountains has one of the steepest. No matter where you go, be prepared to have a blast, and make sure to hold onto your hat for some hair raising fun!

Winter: Sleigh bells ring…can you hear them? If snowmobiling and skiing is not your thing and you are looking for a fun winter activity that you can literally sit back and enjoy then take a sleigh ride! A sleigh ride whether through the woods or through the city is a great way to enjoy some fresh winter air and some wonderful scenery. A Sleigh Ride is relaxing. If you decide to go make sure you follow some basic rules, first, it’s winter and you’ll be outside, so dress to stay warm. Warm clothes clothes are a must and dressing in layers is even better. So a few tips: wear a warm jacket, snow pants, face protector, hat, mittens and don’t forget about keeping your feet warm with insulated boots and warm socks. All this will make a difference especially since you won’t be moving around to keep the circulation flowing. You may want to take lap blankets which will also help keep you warm and cozy during your ride then sit back and enjoy. Can you hear those sleigh bells?

Winter: With all this fresh snow you might as well take advantage of it and try your hand at cross country skiing. Maine offers many cross country skiing facilities that allow many first time skiers a way to try the sport without much risk. In most places, visitors can rent equipment for the day or by the hour. If you already have equipment many facilities offer miles of groomed trails which makes it an enjoyable way to spend some time in the outdoors. I love to go right after a snowfall. The beauty of a snow covered trail in the woods and the lightly packed trails makes for perfect skiing conditions. If you prefer to chart your own course find a wide open field and strap you skies on and go! Either way, cross country skiing is a great way to get outside and burn off some of those holiday goodies!

Winter: There seems to be a sub-culture of dedicated ice fisherman out there. These are the folks that can barely wait for the ice to freeze over in order to get out there. Along the shores of the Kennebec in the Randolph area you will find rows of ice shanties all grouped together like a commune. The art of ice fishing is fairly simple, all you need an auger or something to drill through the ice with, traps, bait, an ice scooper and a bucket to put your catch in. Part of the appeal of ice fishing is the comrade that is involved in it. Some people take their ice shanties very seriously decking them out with satellite, woodstoves and many modern amenities of home. Once you drop your traps into the holes you just need to sit tight and watch for the flags to fly so being comfortable is important especially in the freezing cold temperatures.