Snowmobiling with Kinelbor

[Jeff M]

I just recently returned from a spectacular single day of snowmobiling with our young friend Nik. You have to experience the riding in his neck of the woods to appreciate it--it's just beyond belief. The trails are wide, smooth, numerous, well-marked, and uncrowded. It was a tad chilly (just above zero) but it was a beautiful, clear day. We rode from his home town of New Sweden, ME, down to Mars Hill to the top of Big Rock ski area to see the recently installed windfarm. These windmills are pretty awe-inspiring to see up close. I've a few pics, if you're interested...

http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e79/t ... ling%2007/

Jeff

[Donny M]

Pretty cool, Jeff

[beaconlight]

Very impressive.

[kinelbor]

Incase the picture doesnt show it, those windmills are BIG. Wouldnt want to have to work on them. The day was great for snowmobiling, and the trails were in great shape. We put some effort into our number 1 tourist attraction.

[JBall8019]

kewl! how fast were those blades turning?

[kinelbor]

The one right above us at the time was off. Only a few were running. They don't spin really fast, but I would guess about revolution every half second.

[Buzzard Wing]

Nice! Very nice! Glad to see Jeff finally got to get some sledding in this year. I do like that area, especially since Nik is up there.... but it is a pretty long ride for me, Buffalo is the same distance.

[TJ]

Neat picures and it looks like nice country.

Being born and raised in Arkansas I have seen a few snowmobiles people bring in from up north when they move down here.We laugh because a big snow is like 2-3 inches after they have sat in the yard for 4 or 5 years they don't run and usally wind up in the junk pile.

[Kodiak]

Very
I saw a show on Discovery on how those wind generators are made and they are HUGE!! quite a impressive feat to assemble one and truck it to a site for installation.

Glad you guys had a nice day. Beautiful country!

Ron

[Rudi]

Neat picures and it looks like nice country.

Being born and raised in Arkansas I have seen a few snowmobiles people bring in from up north when they move down here.We laugh because a big snow is like 2-3 inches after they have sat in the yard for 4 or 5 years they don't run and usally wind up in the junk pile.

That is sad, considering even up here in the North Country, people have often especially in the summer, substituted wheels for the skis and have played grassmobile with their snowmobiles... so there is an option. It is like a 4 wheeler/half-track almost. Kind of neat.

Nik, it is lovely to see Arroostock County in winter. New Brunswick and Maine share some extremely beautiful country sides huh?

Jeff, glad you and Nik enjoyed the sledding. Unfortuanately with the trail pass system these days, it is not even economical for a family to play skidoo. Trail passes are $150.00 min/year per sled. Then there is the mandatory insurance which is about $300.00/year per sled. When Em was growing up here, her Mom and Dad had about a dozen skidoos... well we still have them.

Her Dad still has 2 Moto-Ski Allouette's, 2 Nordics, 2 Alpines, a couple of 340's as well as a 2000 Polaris 500 and hang on - twin 76 Mercury 440 Trail Twisters and a 76 Mercury 340 Trail Twister. There are a few others in the garages.. but it has been a while since I have seen them.

Some day, the Merc's will roost across the road here, and they will get restored. When I was in Inuvuik back in 76, that is what I had, a Mercury 440 T/T -- kinda souped up a bit... racing machine... Some day, it will be nice to have the skidoos to go sledding in the back yard..

[Jeff M]

Her Dad still has 2 Moto-Ski Allouette's, 2 Nordics, 2 Alpines, a couple of 340's as well as a 2000 Polaris 500 and hang on - twin 76 Mercury 440 Trail Twisters and a 76 Mercury 340 Trail Twister. T

Wow, talk about a quick stroll down memory lane. I used to live very close by the local Moto-Ski distributor and lusted after a Grand Prix (the gold one). When I used to ski in Quebec Skidoo Alpines were very common at all the ski areas. Vintage sled collectors would be interested in what you have, particularly the Mercs.

Here's a pic I took in 2001 of a test windfarm site on the northeastern tip of Prince Edward Island. In driving there, we drove right through Moncton, but that was before I'd ever heard of Sir Rudi.

[Rudi]

Jeff:

Glad you enjoyed the trip down memory lane. The first skidoo I ever drove was an old 63-64 8hp Bombardier -- we used to call them the Mad Trapper sleds... cause usually Mad Trapper's used em. I got hooked up with some chums a bit later and cut my teeth on Bombardier Free-Air's, blown Nordics, and Ski-Roules etc... along with the occassional Sno Jet, Sno Cruizer and Arctic Cat..

But, there is no way anyone is getting those sleds of Em's Dad except for me. Those Merc's have had my name on em for 25 years, and they is coming across the street... They really need a lot of TLC.. they used to be run on AvGas and so the mill's are gonna need some attention as well as the carbs. They did fire a couple of years ago, before Dad got diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.....

So for the summer, Em is gonna try and sweet talk her daddy out of the Terra Jet and then we will work on the sleds... These are also going to be restoration projects I think.

Those turbines on PEI have increased -- must be related to rabbits.. sure breed like em.. and now we have a farm supposed to be going up by Dorchester near the Pennitentiary and of course the really awesome ones up by the Gaspe.. are pretty cool.

[Buzzard Wing]

Rudi, before I got the Cub I went through my 99 Polaris and replaced all the bearings, etc.... cost me about $600 by the time I got done. I will tell you that Cub is a LOT more fun to work on and much cheaper to operate and maintain. A drive belt is $70 for example.

I bet my Polaris has more miles on it than all the ones mentioned (with a multiplier in there too). But they are fun toys none the less.... and those you named are surely collectors items.

Be sure to keep the mice out of em, cause you will not find a wiring harness on ebay for $30 like I did for Gilles and my Cub. (Mothballs work pretty well).

When my friends called to ask if I wanted to go sledding this weekend I said I couldn't cause I was going to fetch #4.... they said I had a problem and I cheerfully replied ....'only one??' (actually it wasn't that cheerful cause I was painting a ceiling at the time).

Sure am disappointed that I couldn't join you guys this week... Next time??

Larry

[TractorChick]

wow, those pictures are absolutely beautiful
i remember snow mobiling in New York with my uncle, that used to be gorgeous too

[DuxburyFarmall]

Fantastic Pics!