By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — The owner of Plourde and Plourde Caribou officially confirmed that the snowmobile season has officially begun.
“Obviously we’d like to have a some more snow, but there’s enough to ride on,” Bob Plourde, owner of Plourde and Plourde, said on Monday afternoon.
Snowfall in Caribou and the surrounding regions has increased in the past couple weeks, putting the county over the low-snow hump; Plourde seemed pleased to report that the trails are groomed and the riding is very nice — something he experienced firsthand during a short trip.
“The Caribou Parks and Recreation Department are doing an excellent job in grooming [the trails],” Plourde said of the Caribou area.
Plourde’s heard good things about the county’s famed trails from many who’ve been through the store recently — particularly since the snow has taken on that snowmobile-appealing depth.
“Sales are great right now and people are coming in from out of state,” he said.
As anyone in The County knows, an influx of sledders from downstate and beyond mean good things for the snowmobile industry, be it Caribou, Fort Kent or Houlton.
Before hitting the trails, however, Plourde encourages individuals to bring the sled to a certified or qualified location for a yearly checkup.
“With today’s snowmobiles and all the technology they’re using, a certified or qualified dealer should be looking at this new machinery yearly,” he said. “Everything has a computer on it now; they’re not the same sleds as 20 years ago.”
While a good snowmobile season means a busy season for Plourde, he does have a favorite loop to sled when he gets free time — heading out of Caribou toward Limestone, hopping on the border trail to Van Buren, hanging a left out to Long Lake to stop by a restaurant and then back down into Caribou for a nice, long day of sledding.
