Staff Writer
Aroostook County hasn’t had under a foot of snow at the beginning of January seemingly since the dawn of time; compared to the heavy snows of 2008 and the deep cold of ‘09, the winter of ‘10 has been relatively mild, especially in this week’s “warmer” temperatures. Snowmobile trail groomers require about one foot of snow to properly groom a trail. Should a trail have less than a foot of snow, rocks, sticks and other debris can puncture the surface of the polished snow; snowmobiling conditions are best when obtrusive objects are buried beneath the trail.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there was only about 9 of snow on the ground in Caribou.
According to Kevin Simmons, owner and President of the Caribou and Presque Isle Inn and Convention Centers, “the sledding season usually starts early to mid-December, depending on when the trails get an adequate snow base and are able to be first groomed.” Simmons is optimistic, and while advanced reservations for February are down significantly, he feels that once the snow begins to fall, reservations and calls will pick up.
Though some sledders may not have taken their December sledding trip to the County, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t reschedule their vacation for later in the season when Mother Nature is more cooperative.
“Experience indicates that most snowmobilers are flexible on dates though many do take specific time off to come north to sled, just like others go south to for the beach,” Simmons explained.
While no business likes to see a decrease in revenue, a delay in the snowmobiling economic boom could be harsh for the tourism/hospitality industry, though some specialists believe that the industry has adjusted to the volatility of the “snow market.”
“Over the past five – 10 years, the snowmobile season has been starting later and ending later,” explained Leslie Jackson, tourism and graphic design specialist for the Northern Maine Development Commission. “Most businesses are adjusting to that change and taking advantage later in the season when we are the only ones who have decent trails left,” she said.
Jackson does, however, acknowledge that if weather conditions don’t come around, the snowmobiling industry could suffer in Aroostook County.
“If the snow doesn’t happen by January or we have a bunch of rain, which has happened, that can definitely decrease income,” she added, explaining that the months of January, February and March are probably the profitable months for snowmobile-oriented businesses.
