Aroostook snowmobile industry grapples with 2nd year of little snowfall

After last year’s dismal snowmobiling season, Aroostook County outdoors enthusiasts hoped for better this year.  

While it has certainly been colder — the National Weather Service in Caribou recorded 11 days in January with below-average temperatures — the snow has been minimal.

Lack of snow has been a big problem statewide, because businesses rely on winter visitors to spend money on lodging, gas, food and more. In the winter of 2022-23, snowmobiling contributed about $710 million to Maine’s economy, according to a University of Maine report released Friday. But that fell last year to about $582 million, due largely to scant snow.

If that trend continues — and experts on climate change say it will — it may take some out-of-the-box thinking to keep the seasonal economy going, Caribou Parks and Recreation Superintendent Gary Marquis said. People may wonder if the weather has really changed that much. He thinks it has.

“I’ve never seen two years in a row like this before. This is unprecedented,” Marquis said. “Everybody looks at this as being awful for snowmobiles, but that’s not the only thing. It all adds up to the economy.”

People who visit northern Maine to enjoy The County’s 2,300 miles of trails spend money while they’re here. And though riding is possible in some areas, in others there’s little snow and trail connections aren’t rideable. That makes it tough, Marquis said.

Visitors who come to ride 200 miles of trails in a day can’t do that. Snowmobile dealers, people who plow and even businesses that service winter vehicles are affected, and some local motels’ parking lots are empty, he said.

In St. David, about 35 miles north of Caribou, the Long Lake Bar and Grill closed this year because poor snowmobile seasons affected its bottom line. Some businesses applied for state aid last year after being crippled by the short season.

It’s not just in Aroostook County. Last winter, wind and rain storms damaged property and trails in other parts of the state, and with the warm winter and early spring, nearly 10,000 fewer Mainers registered snowmobiles.

Many of the state’s trails are suffering this winter, Maine Snowmobile Association Director of Operations Alan Swett said. 

There’s hardly any snow in some places such as Waterville, and the snowmobiling isn’t very good anywhere, he said. But there are certain areas where there’s an adequate snow base and clubs are grooming trails, such as in Rangeley, Eustis, Jackman and North East Carry.

Swett also pointed to the economic effects.

“We had a bad winter last year, and we’re having another. What bothers me the most is the supporting businesses we have that go all out to support snowmobiling,” he said. “I don’t know how much longer their generosity can hold out.”

He remembered visiting the Long Lake Bar and Grill in the past and was dismayed to learn it had closed. 

He just hopes it snows every day in February, he said. There are skiing and other winter sports, but he’s unsure if anything could really take the place of snowmobiling. 

Marquis has some ideas about that. The snowmobile racing scene seems to be growing, he said, referencing the New England Championship Series that kicked off Jan. 18 at Arnold Brook Lake in Presque Isle. The five-race series will conclude at Long Lake.

Those events pull in participants, families and spectators. And the amount of snow on the ground isn’t as critical, since races can take place on manmade tracks and on lakes where the ice is thick. 

Then there’s SnoCross, introduced to The County two years ago when the first SnowBowl drew more than 8,000 spectators to the Caribou area. The 2025 event will start Feb. 23 and will feature more racing, demonstrations and a vintage class. 

Marquis has also been toying with something that’s popular on the Canadian side of the border. Edmundston, Grand Falls and other areas have year-round ATV trails and keep them groomed in winter, which has proven to be big business for them, he said. 

Then Quebec has ice castles, which might be an idea but would take a lot of money, he added.

But to be clear, he’s not giving up on snowmobiling. There are some good trails to be enjoyed even now, mostly in the St. John Valley and Oxbow areas, according to Marquis’ latest weekly Snowmobile Trail Report. 

Access throughout the trail system is fragmented, but people can still go from Caribou to Fort Kent, for example, if they know what trails are open, he said.

Marquis, who has been handling trails for more than 30 years, is fond of telling people to wish for more white stuff by getting out and doing their best “snow dance.” He’s already worn out three pairs of shoes himself, he said. 

He’s optimistic the season can still recover, at least in part. After all, it is Maine, and the weather can change in a heartbeat. 

In fact, light snow fell Monday morning in The County, with 1 to 7 inches expected from Houlton to the St. John Valley this week, according to the National Weather Service.

“It’s going to get better. Another two or three inches of snow [and] I think it will. I can’t see it ending this quick,” Marquis said. “We’ve certainly got the cold temperatures. And maybe next year, we get our 120 inches and we forget about how bad it was.”