In Maine, it’s said, we’ve got two seasons: “Winter, and a month of bad sledding.” If people with a passion for snow sports had their way, that’s the way life in Maine would be.

According to Bob Myers, executive director of the Maine Snowmobile Association, snowmobiling in Maine “is a 350-million dollar per year industry.” With 14,000 miles of scenic, maintained trails, Maine has become “the premier destination in the eastern United States.” Although this trail system is open and available for year-round use, the difficult and costly task of maintaining all these miles of trails falls primarily to members of the 291 Maine snowmobile clubs who volunteer their labor, time, and resources.

With 159 members, the Hillside Family Riders Snowmobile Club in Lewiston was the 10th largest club in the state of Maine during the 2009-2010 season. Lewiston alone has more than 40 miles of maintained trails and is home to the southern terminus of ITS 87, a “Corridor Trail” and a major part of the Interconnected Trail System that connects New Hampshire to Canada, via Maine.

Eric Spears, president of Hillside Family Riders, along with his team of volunteers, is responsible for maintaining the Lewiston trails, which connect the towns of Lisbon, Sabattus, and Greene. Local businesses benefit from these well-maintained trails as riders stop for gasoline, food, and other items as they travel through town. Hillside Family Riders offers memberships to businesses and signage is erected along trails directing riders to services.

Brothers Tim and Greg Morin, owners of Shaker Hill Outdoors in Poland and experts in snowmobile maintenance, understand the importance of the relationship between businesses and snowmobile clubs. Both are active members of the Poland Sno Travelers and spend many hours getting the trails in Poland ready for riders. Shaker Hill Outdoors has a large parking area and the Morin brothers welcome riders who would like to “park and ride” from their lot.

Like Lewiston, Poland has approximately 40 miles of trail to maintain. According to John Young, the Poland Sno Travelers are “working with other agencies to develop a multi-use trail system that would also be used for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter, and mountain biking, hiking, running, and horseback riding in the summer,” when the sledding is not so good.

With their considerable arsenal of tools and grooming equipment, most of which has been donated or is owned and maintained by members of the clubs, the clubs in both Poland and Lewiston have a lot to offer. Visitors to the area and non-snowmobilers who wish to use the trails for other purposes are also welcome and encouraged to join these clubs.

Young, Spears, and the Morin brothers agree that the biggest benefit to joining a club is that the dues paid by its members help to make the trails wider, smoother, and safer for everyone, including non-snowmobilers. Given that the physical labor is done by club members who volunteer their time, without club membership the trails simply could not be maintained. In addition to providing expertly maintained and clearly posted trails, most clubs offer frequent group rides, trailside cookouts, and other gatherings. Some clubs have newsletters and many have websites listing current trail and weather conditions.

Membership in the MSA is also important as the MSA, according to Myers, “represents the interests of the clubs before the legislature and other State agencies.” Myers further explained that “as 95% of the trails in Maine are on private land, the MSA also provides assistance and representation with respect to landowner relations.” A portion of dues paid to each individual club gets shared with the MSA.

Owners are required to register snowmobiles and some towns, including Poland, give a portion of those fees back to the local snowmobile club. In addition, according to Scott Ramsey and the Maine Department of Conservation website, any club that is incorporated and in good standing is eligible to receive a small grant “to help defray some of the expenses incurred in snowmobile trail preparation, including pre-season work and winter grooming.” The current trend is to create a trail system that is, as Young described above, “multi-use.”

According to Meyers, “One of the things that is so great is that with 14,000 miles of trails there is endless opportunity and diversity.” From “riding the coast or through the mountains, to the agricultural land in Aroostook, the experience is really varied.” Although Young enjoys what he calls “the loop around town,” which takes you from the State Park at Lower Range Pond to the high school, across Tripp Lake and up toward Megquire Hill, then over Black Cat Mountain, down to Middle Range Pond, over Shaker Hill and back to the State Park, a 1.5 hour trip that covers about 25 miles of “over the hill and through the woods” terrain, he admitted that his favorite thing to do is drive the Poland club’s Tucker Snowcat Groomer at 5 mph.

For a complete list of Maine clubs, visit the MSA website: www.mesnow.com. The websites for the Lewiston and Poland clubs are: www.hillsidefamilyriders.com; and, www.polandsnowtravelers.com.