As always, Labor day weekend finds me and all the idiots in Maine to raise a little hell an have a little fun. I am usually on the ATV, but this years wicked excellent circumstances dictate I take the KLX and enjoy it.

A lot of guys say they want to go. A lot of guys back out at the last minute. OK, Whatever. I go, I have fun. Screw whoever doesn’t go, maybe next time.

Without babbling on and on, lets get right to the pictures, shall we?
Oh, and idiots is a commonly used term that recognizes we are all good fun guys that love to laugh and have fun.


Cant take the KLX with that shabby front tire, can we? Well, if we want Dave to be bouncing off the ground on a regular basis I suppose we could. Screw that, I hate bouncing and bruises.

Love that new Kenda



Gotta get the GPS mounted were I can see the dam thing



Ask me later how well that worked? OK, maybe my eyes aint as good as they once was once ya get a layer or dirt in them

Gotta get the bash plate mounted, its rugged up there



Friday morning we was loaded up and ready to go, 5 quads and the KLX in the back. We will meet up with the Brother in law with 3 more dirt bikes for a weekend total of 8 idiots.



We blasted up The Maine turnpike, and lo an behold, by early Friday afternoon we was at Troll Valley Campground. Didnt see any trolls, but I guess it was still light out, aint they night time creatures? Probably tast like chicken anyways.



After a few hours we were all set up and ready for the weekend.



Stars n Stripes are proudly displayed for ALL to see.



Lets just say dinner was excellent, and we had a great evening.



Didnt do any riding, but I heard we got the margarita mix perfected.



And the dam trolls musta been in hiding, we didnt see any. But I think the yellow quad did




Saturday morning we made up our breakfast buffet, and it disappeared real quick like.
3 pots of coffee and we were getting it



Its always nice when the local Mainiack happens to be your favorite Aunt !! Always great to see her!



As always right about flight departure time, someone has issues. Its a 2004 YZ250F, and we struggled with it all weekend.


Eventually we got it back together and ready to go.



So lets rock n roll BOYS !!



One of the reasons we decided to stay with the trolls was there is a Recreational trail ¼ mile away.
Its an abandoned railroad bed, and the towns used ATV grant money to make it a trail open to anything but cars, trucks, jeeps, all that. We planned on using it to go down and see what we could find.

Nothing spectacular, but real good for making time and eating dust.



Nevertheless, everyone was loving it



We ventured off the main trail and found the gravel bank to play for a bit

 

Yea, Im liking this



And so are the rest of the idiots



We ventured off on one of the trails out of the gravel pit, but it got hairy in a hurry, so we sent out the scout patrol. Report was getthefukouttatheswamp there is nothing over there.




We kept cruising down the trail. It was kinda odd, as it paralleled the main roads and was fast and fun.
There were stop signs, yield signs, warning signs and even this sign



So we proceeded to proceed with caution, it was ok though, someone musta left the sign there last weekend or something. We followed the trail to Jay, then found our way over the Androscoggin river and headed northwest along ITS 89. GREAT trails now. Lots of rocky, muddy twin track, and we was getting it done until we found some mud.



I usually lead the group, as I have a GPS, with a good built in compass, as well as I am know as Rand McNally for my navigational abilities. Its great cause it cuts down on the dust. It sucks cause you usually miss all the good ones from the rest of the idiots
After the mud bogs, we took off and started climbing, but at one point when I looked back, everyone was lagging back. Not good usually. Must be time to break for a snack. Soon enough they rode in



with great tales of heros floating through more mud. It sure didnt seem like it to me on the KLX, but the quads can sniff out mud within a country mile effortless. Its all good, we need some rest



The trails only got better. We rode up ITS 89 until someone spotted powerlines and thought we should head over them and see if we could loop back to the rail bed.

As usual, pictures do no justice, this was a steep hill, with plenty of loose rocks, and gravel.



( while technically we could ride the powerlines until we got to civilization, I had concerns about the quads and unregistered dirt bikes running a few miles on pavement. There ATV friendly here, but why test how friendly?)
Anyways, we started climbing and climbing up the power-lines. Didn't take a genius to realize there hadn't been much traffic through here.

This hill doesnt look to bad in the picture, does it?



What the?? Fahk-en-A




HELL YA ! Big biff going up this one, went azz-over-tea-kettle-into-a-freakin-briar-patch !!



perhaps the bruises will be gone next month when we go again.


That was a steep hill. I am unsure what went wrong, I was motoring up it, it was loose and rocky, I tracked left, tried to lay into the throttle and hammer it along, but once I was loose, I was just outta control and off I went. No big damage ( ego??) so we mustered along through some more climbing and mud bogs. Almost to much fun to stop for pictures, until we got here.



At this point we realized how steep the hills really were. We also decided it was getting close to supper time, so we might be best off to give up the azz kicking riding and follow our tracks back to the campground before dark set in.



Of course we had to play in the mud a bit on the way back, its just to dam good not to.





The bike do so much better then the quads, I buzzed through this mudbog, as did the other 3 bikes, but he couldnt get the quad over that branch and lost momentum. Oops.



Did he really get a flat on the quad? WTF?



I hate when shi-tuff like this happens. 3 plugs and a can of Slime and we was back cruising. It gets dark quickly in the mountains, so we backtracked to the railbed, and hauled the mail back to camp.
Margaritas, Sam Adams, and Steaks. Yup, we was good, real good.
Total Miles for the day was 67. Not bad considering the late start we got.

 

Sunday morning arrived way to early, but the coffee pot was stocked with some high test Starbucks coffee, so the hangovers were washed away quickly.



It doesnt take us long to get ready to go



Then bang, someones machine doesnt start. WTF, over??? All revved up, with no place to go



Finally we pull the plug, something is drastocally wrong with the quad, spinning over with no compression, thats a blowed up one. Pahk it !!

We zip up the railbed in the opposite direction, we are gonna ride up through Temple, then into the mountains. We set aim on Mt.Blue.



So far so good, no if I could just figure out the dam maps??



Whatever, we have a GPS, we will figure it out.
Of course I saluted !! We dont need no stinkin maps, look over there, its a freakin sign pointing us where to go.



The trails out here are amazing. Snarly twin track, really geared towards the quads, but if your into it, great fun on the bikes. I was into it.



Delicious stuff . I could ride these trails everyday and not get sick of them, rocks the size of a babys head everywhere. Its like riding a dry riverbed. GREAT STUFF



What a perfect place to stop for a break. The water in the stream was cold, clean, and tasted great. What a perfect day



We rode on, and found a lookout up there near Wilder mountain. Stout climb up, the pictures dont do this hill justice, I was working



But it was well worth it. Hell ya



We was looking out at the Presidential Range in Cow-Hampsha, last seen in my Epic Bike week 2009 ride rport.



Looks like everyone was into it today.



From here we crossed the mountains towards Phillips,Me. No time to stop for pictures, it was rugged, azz kickin, fun, rocky, awesome, and even entertaining. It finally turned back into a hard pack dirt road type trail, and we hammered along



We got to a familiar area.



Time for a quick break again, I thought


A look back were we just came down the mountains



Oohh WTF?? No way.



Where are the tire irons and the spare tube? No way? Back at camp??? WTF OVER? Its only 35 miles back. GGGRRRR, this sucks

 

Really not having fun anymore, why does this crap have to happen?
We decide to get the bike filled up with air and another tube of Slime, see if we can get back to civilization and then decide what to do.

Lucky we are on real gravel roads, not hairy rocky trails. But looking at the GPS, it shows we have about 8 miles to get to a tarmac road.



Gotta stop often for air refills so we dont bend a rim.



We poke along together at walking speeds then finally hit the slab and limp the bike over to the gas station/country store.



We hoped we would be able to buy a tube and pay someone to mount it, or better yet borrow a few tire irons and do it ourself. We hoped wrong, it was closed. WTF
Suprise, the guy with the bike that has a plate gets volunteered to ride back to camp and get a fix. It was now 4:30, and I was looking at a hour ride down and back. We decided to get the trailer and take it back to camp. Bummer.

I decided it was game over for me to, after a 1 hour break, I wasnt sure if it was wise to get back into it. I probably would have been ok, but I was feeling a bit sore from yesterdays Biff on the hill.



No regrets from me. I rode a lot of trail on the KLX this weekend.



Put them back on the trailers, we are leaving in the morning anyways.



A good day of riding until we got the stupid flat





The dust on the trails will ruin a good eye if you aint careful with your goggles.



We loaded up on Monday morning and headed home. Game over.



26 more days and we go back again.
Heading to Coos Canyon in Byron, Maine. Planning to ride up to Rangely Lake one of the riding days, looks like a 100 mile day.
Cant wait.

 

Sweeeet! Nice pics.. Reminds me of riding in the Berkshires in Mass..

Is ME pretty friendly for ORV's? Been meaning to get up there forever and do a camping trip!

Keep on keepin' on

 

Larry, Maine is very very freindly ot Off road toys. Everywhere out there. The state decided that we off road riders spend a lot of $$, and its worth there effort to keep us coming back. They really do a good job maintaining the trails, mapping them out, and really seem to enjoy seeing us flatlanders have fun. People in Maine are laid back, very friendly, and seem to really enjoy there surrounding. By all means you should go.
We are heading up again Columbus day weekend, your more then welcome to go with us.

 

Wow, those looks like some seriously fun trails and riding. Thanks for all the pics. That hill you biffed on looked pretty steep. Kind funny how quickly things go sour once you start to get out of shape. Not "ha ha" funny, though.

 

Great trails!! Looks like you got your shiny new skid plate all dirty You'll be very happy down the road, when you look at that skid plate and see all the dents and dings that would have otherwise been on your frame or engine case. Out of eight guys nobody had tools or a patch kit? lesson learned I guess LOL. Good stuff, thanks for puttin up the report.
Dan

 

nice post!! I snowmobile that same area...I did not know you could use bikes on the its trails....my sister in law is right in farmington....Maybe I will have to bring the bike up next time we head that way....was going to sell it, but I really want to keep it!

 

Next year you should try Moose Head lake in Greenville Maine...lots of trails in that area... ...great pics from a great adventure!!!