When In Maine... I Have Sled Questions

[Crank]

I have a friend who is a sled head. He has been trying to get me up north for a snowmobiling trip for years. So, we are going for a weekend in February near Poland, ME.

Robin is very nervous about this and thinks I will likely die. I am a bit trepidatious, but my buddy says I will be fine.

So my questions are:

How dangerous is it?

What can I say to reassure her that I won't die?

What should I pack?

What should I expect?

I have rented sleds 3 or 4 times while on ski trips and also spent a day on the New Hampshire trails with my sled head friend. We did about 80 niles and I had fun, mostly kept up, rode across Lake Sunape and did not go through the ice.

 

[scott43]

I mean, it's like any motorcycle/recreational activity. If you don't hit the go lever, you're likely not going to die! Trails here have pretty low speed limits. Whether people adhere to them..and whether they drink or not..out of your control. Use your head, don't do dumb things and you'll be fine. Typically people die from going too fast and hitting inanimate objects, like pressure cracks, dock posts, fences, trees.. Stay on the trail, watch out for sleds coming your direction and things will be fine. As long as your buddy has local knowledge of ice thickness that should be ok too. Remember, ice changes so just because you bombed along at a buck ten one day doesn't mean you can do it the next day. Especially at night when you have limited visibility. Some sleds are stupid fast and you can quickly get into trouble in poor visibility.

Second thing..and probably you already know..the cold can be tough. Good thing you have a buddy. I've heard more than one story about breakdowns and people losing toes to frostbite walking out of the bush. Postholing for 10 miles is not good.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Not much farther north from Poland they drive cars and trucks on the ice for most of the winter. Of course it varies from pond to pond to season.

Besides not doing the dumb things, I think feeling like you are holding the group back could make you take more risk than is good for you.

 

[scott43]

Group rides are the most dangerous motorcycle thing. Ride your own pace and get there when you get there. Have someone stay back with you if you're uncomfortable. I was the stay back guy usually and there is usually someone who is experienced and is ok not engaging in hero activity..

 

[Crank]

I am good about not exceeding my personal speed limits. There are only 3 of us total on this trip and I have already made it know that I won't be speeding beyond my comfort zone. These guys are good with that and will wait. I feel pretty comfortable around 55-60mph so long as I am following someone. Left in the front I tend to slow down.

I almost forgot about the time a group of us rented at Yellowstone and rode all day long on their groomed roads to Old Faithful and around some big lake. We were flying down the road trying to make our 5PM return time and it was really bumped up with little ridges after a day of heavy traffic. My friend actually got a speeding ticket. Something he is still proud of. lol. This was back in 1991.

Ripping at 80+mph - probably not. Maybe after another few hundred miles on the trail. Like skiing, I enjoy going a bit slower through untracked snow over ripping groomers. Though I know it will be mostly groomed trails.

 

[scott43]

See trail speed limit here is generally 50km/h. Now that's kinda low frankly but many trails are on private property and at the landowner's discretion. And you get jackasses going 100-140km/h on trails and people get pist. You're there at the discretion of the property owner. And there is talk that may landowners are prepared to pull their support. I'd say generally most people exceed 50km/h and it's fine. But 55-60mph is probably not the best plan on public trails.

 

[Crank]

I would feel safer it there were such speed limits.

I have not seen the term "reasonable and prudent" before. It sounds a lot like "courteous and proper" which is, or at least used to be, the posted speed limit on highways in places like Montana. It means 80mph minimum

SPEED: There are no speed limits on Maine trails. Sledders are judged by the standard of "reasonable and prudent speed for the existing conditions". Reasonable means remembering that many families are out riding together, enjoying the outdoors. Slow down when you meet other sledders, ease up when you come to a curve, bridge or rise in the trail. If you are unable to control your sled enough to keep it to the right hand side of the trail and stop in a safe and prudent manner - you're speeding.

 

[scott43]

At least cars have a crash standard. Sleds got nothin. Even locals, they think they're immune. A guy I know hit a dock post on the river and died. Doing 160kmh can lead to that...

 

[Castle Dave]

However I imagine there no worries about avalanches in Maine.

 

[Tony S]

However I imagine there no worries about avalanches in Maine.

Certainly not in Poland.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Before last week’s storm a guy was saying that the trails needed more snow to be in good shape. The lakes look good though.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Based on what I see in the news, you can improve your odds significantly by not being drunk. Also watch out for blind hills. We lost a neighborhood kid that way a few years back.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Based on what I see in the news, you can improve your odds significantly by not being drunk. Also watch out for blind hills. We lost a neighborhood kid that way a few years back.

It would be like skiing in flat light and hitting a water bar going 85 mph.