By Bill Preis
Bridgton Easy Riders
BRIDGTON — The Bridgton Easy Riders Snowmobile Club recently took a club trip to Caribou, in Aroostook County. The 36 club members trailered north to stay at the Caribou Inn for five nights. Each day the group divided up into smaller groups for snowmobiling, and riders could choose among the Fast Riders, the self-named Turtle Group, or an intermediate group. Riders could also make their own group if they wanted.
The goal was to have fun and to stay safe, and there was fun riding for everyone from experts to newbies to enjoy the ample snow. Most of the snowmobiling in that region is on graded roads that are wide and smooth, and well-groomed for sleds. We rode on an old railroad bed that was raised — in one place it was elevated so we were riding about half-way up the height of nearby trees, a beautiful and unique experience. The County, as it is known, has broad rolling hills that have been cleared for agriculture, mostly potato farms, with expansive views of snow and sky, and distant mountains. At other times we rode through forest, over bridges spanning streams and rivers, and with views of many frozen lakes.
Food is always an important part of our club trips, and the Caribou Inn arranged a separate breakfast room for us, with a hearty buffet selection. Having breakfast together gave us a chance to plan our day’s riding. We rode every day to a different lunch spot, and enjoyed the food and the experience of Dean’s in Portage, Oulette’s Trading Post in Van Buren and Lakeview in St. Agatha. The different groups often met up at lunch, to tell each other our adventures. Suppers were at the Irish Setter Pub in Presque Isle, Caribou Inn’s Greenhouse Restaurant and Northern Maine Brewing in Caribou. There are always a few “adventures” on a snowmobile trip — that’s part of the experience.
One of our members had an encounter with a tree and bent the “A” arms on the sled. Luckily, the Polaris Dealer in Caribou offers a very fast turnaround time for repairs. He took the “A” arms off a sled in stock and installed them on the damaged sled so it could be picked up the next morning at 7 a.m. Our hats off to County Sports Polaris Dealer in Caribou.
Another SkiDoo dealer even had exactly the right sled for one of our riders to buy while he was there to replace a sled that had mechanical problems.
Folks in The County exemplify the kindness and honesty we have come to expect in Maine.
One rider forgot to zip up the luggage bag on the back of her sled, with the unfortunate result that her pocketbook fell out on the trail. As soon as she and her husband returned to the Inn, they had a call from the local game warden — someone had found the pocketbook on the trail and turned it in to the warden. Everything in it was intact — credit cards, phone, cash, etc. There was great riding for everyone who wanted to snowmobile, and an indoor pool and hot tub for a few club members who just wanted to relax. The trip was a great success for all 36 club members. Everybody had fun and nobody got hurt. The Bridgton Easy Riders meets the second Friday of each month from September to April, at Bridgton Community Center, Depot Street. The Fabulous Pot Luck Supper begins at 6 p.m., followed by the business meeting at 6:45. The club always welcomes new members.
