The Almeida family has moved to Raising Maine. They still will be exploring Maine's outdoors, creating crafty projects and casting chickens in homemade videos. But you will see it all in their new blog.
A trip to the Maine Winter Sports Center in Fort Kent for some cross country skiing reminded us that creative thinking and a positive attitude are important when visiting someplace new.
We loved the trails at the Center but the drive up the hill to the trail head from Route 11 proved too challenging a task for our car.
We needed four-wheel drive and the kids had a hands-on education about the benefits of that feature. With two kids in the car and our tires spinning out on the hill required a lot of explanation that neither my husband nor I were in the mood to discuss at the time.
We arrived at the ski center at sunset (which was barely 4 p.m.!). Since it was our first introduction to the trail system, we didn't venture far from the lodge in the dark. The kids really enjoyed the nighttime adventure with their new headlamps (everyone got one for Christmas) even though they didn't need the additional light on the brightly lit trails (they came in handy on our trek down the hill to the car though!). There were several hills to satisfy the kids' need for speed on the small loops we explored that night.
On the trail our first night.
We walked back down the hill with all our ski gear. We did not chance a fall on the salted patches of road by skiing down in the dark to get back to the car. I might be lacking a few brain cells when deciding to drive so far north without 4-wheel drive but I did feel I redeemed myself by nixing this idea.
The next day we woke up to falling snow and it was clear our car was not going to conquer the hill that day either. We parked at the base again and made the trek back up with all our gear and lunch packs. But just as the lodge came into view, a plow truck came along and we were asked if our car was parked on the street below. Apparently it was in the truck's path and needed to be moved or the town was going to tow it. Fino caught a ride back down the hill with the plow guy and found a new location to park.
It was approx. 1.2km walk uphill to the trail head.
Life is nothing if not an adventure and a study in improvisation.
While catching our breath in the lodge after a second day of the slippery walk uphill in our cross country ski boots, we spent some time watching a couple of biathletes shooting their air rifles on the range right outside the lodge's windows (a lot of talented athletes train here). Since both girls have been learning to target shoot, they watched with interest. They also took note of how the biathletes carried the rifles on their backs while skiing, although neither of the girls was interested in doing that.
The girls also played around with their new sled dog stuffed animals and begged for a return trip to the area for the Can-Am race. We heard a lot about this event during our visit by the locals and it sounded like tons of fun.
After reviewing the trail map on our second day, we decided to explore the Volunteer Way and part of the Acadian and Can-Am loops. It was approximately 5k total and according to the map ratings, would give us mostly level trails with a few hills to keep things interesting. I thought the more novice-like ratings would also keep us clear of the serious skiers training on the more advanced loops.
There were however some markers out on the trail that did not match our map so for a little while we were unsure if we were on the correct trail. It wasn't a big deal since we were having fun and eventually came across signs to point us in the right direction. The Center is working on a new map to solve this problem (they reworked some signage recently), which was posted at the lodge as something coming out soon.
We spent several hours on the trails our second day in the falling snow, skiing at a leisurely pace with several water and snack breaks. We rarely saw another skier.
The snow not only accumulated on the ground, but also all over us as well (but our water bottle covers worked out well for the several hours we were out on the trails and our water didn't freeze).
I had packed sandwiches and pasta salad for our lunch and was happy to have the option to store them in the refrigerator at the lodge while we were out on the trail. And after several hours in the falling snow, our jackets, hats and gloves were soggy so the girls' discovery of a dryer in the ladies room the night before proved a nice lodge feature as well. A 10-minute stint had us dry and comfortable again.
After our second day of walking back down the hill to our car with all our gear in tow, we opted for a couple of low-key tourist stops on Main Street in Fort Kent our last day in town.
The first was a photo op at the end of Route 1 sign. In the background on the right is the bridge to Canada.
We didn't bring birth certificates for the kids so we didn't think crossing over in to Canada was possible. But after a stop at the custom's station, they agreed to let us walk over the bridge to take a photo.
The international boundary line is on the bridge over the St. John River.
The diversity of trails are great for all skiing levels and abilities at the Maine Winter Sports Center in Fort Kent. It's well-worth a trip to experience the world class trails (the 2004 World Cup Biathlon was held here). But if you're planning to visit, be sure you've got a set of studded tires on your car or take your four-wheel drive vehicle, especially if you've got kids in the car to remind how much easier things would have been if you had.
Skiing on the trails in Fort Kent
TRAIL REVIEW
Trail: Tenth Mountain Ski Center/Maine Winter Sports Center, Fort Kent
Length: 25 kilometers of groomed trails, approx. 3k of trails have lights for night skiing
Grooming: Yes, a classic track and wide skating lane
Parking: Yes. There is a steep hill to get to the trail head that may require studded tires or 4-wheel drive.
Fee: None. There is a box at trail head for skiers wishing to make a donation.
Equipment Rentals: Complete ski packages can be rented for $5.00/half-day and $10.00/ full day. A pull-behind chariot is available to parents with small children at no charge. Hours of availability are posted at the lodge.
Bathroom: at the Lodge, which is open daily during the winter for restroom use.
Ski Level: all levels
Dog-friendly:Only Volunteer Way Trail (2.5k) is open to dogs
Kid-friendly factor: GOOD
By taking the novice trails, you'll avoid the athletes training and will make it easier for parents to ski next to their children (avoiding the single file to allow for passing skiers). And the lodge amenities - a refrigerator and dryer - can make a day long visit all the more pleasant with children in tow on the weekends (lodge is not open during the week except for bathroom use on the ground floor).
Other: There is a wax building open 7 days per week for skiers. A stadium and shooting range are also next to the lodge and offer a chance for visitors to see athletes target shooting.
Kid Rating: Both girls gave this trail 5 stars (on a scale of 1-the worst to 5-the best).
G: I liked the lodge and the trails were good but you just needed 4-wheel drive to get up the big hill to the trails. Walking up the hill to get to the trails was not so much fun. But I really liked the trails because they were groomed and there were a lot of pretty pine trees and there were some fun hills to ski down.
L.: I liked skiing on the hills and being able to ski there at night and during the day. I liked the lodge too because it was pretty.
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