Maine's finest snowmobile trails!
The JoMary Riders Snowmobile Club maintains over 100 miles of wilderness snowmobile trails with our three commercial-grade diesel powered groomers. Our trail maintenance staff has been recognized by the Maine Snowmobile Association as being "Trail Groomers of the Year."
The Club is located on South Twin Lake, eight miles outside Millinocket, Maine, and at the edge of the KI/JoMary multiple use forest that spans the high country known as Maine's famous 100 Mile Wilderness. The region lies between Mount Katahdin to the north, Moosehead Lake to the west, Sebec Lake to the south and the Penobscot River to the east.
From the parking lot on South Twin Lake one can ride for hundreds of miles through spectacular forests and over mountains without ever passing through populated areas. Nearly all the region's snowmobile trails are on level, wide, gravel roadbeds used by Maine's logging industry. These landowners thankfully allow use of their unplowed roads during the winter months for both our groomed trails and hundreds of miles of "off-trail" riding.
Along the way there are dozens of scenic spots, moose watching opportunities, and off-trail challenges such as riding to the top of Ragged Mountain.
Some of our fantastic groomed trail riding includes:
JoMary Riders Snowmobile Club's trail system links to several other groomed trail systems to provide riders with an endless variety of routes. Our trails link directly to these destinations: Millinocket; Kokadjo; Ragged Lake; Rockwood; Northeast Carry; Pittston Farm; Greenville; Jackman; Brownville; Schoodic Lake; Abol Bridge; Shin Pond; Chesuncook Village; Baxter State Park; Katahdin Ironworks; Gulf Hagas; and Nahmakanta
Join Us
We welcome you to enjoy our trails, and hope you will join the JoMary Riders Snowmobile Club.
Support Snowmobiling and Fight with Us
We love to snowmobile and are willing to work hard to provide the best riding opportunities possible. But that takes major support from our landowners, our Legislature, and our business community.
Our Club must be heard. The Maine Snowmobile Association (MSA) must be heard. And you must be heard. That's where you come in. Every snowmobiler must make an ongoing effort to be heard - Not just by supporting a club or the MSA. The most effective way to protect your interests is for you to show up at Legislative hearings and industry meetings, writing to your Legislators, and writing to your newspapers.
Can our industry count on your support?
Thanks! See you on the trail.
Our Latest News and Reports
Visit our Facebook Page for more trail updates.
Black Pond Trail – Much better looking with snow on December 27, 2016
This looks great with snow, but check out the bare rock approach ramp put in by the state last year on the Black Pond trail. Fortunately this is in a high snow depth area. Unfortunately, the state used a 12 ft culvert which makes for a very narrow trail for our 10 ft groomer!
Black Pond trail courtesy of the State — too rocky and too narrow
Black Pond Trail showing how a 10 ft groomer fits over a 12 ft culvert
Monday’s snowstorm only dropped about 5-6 inches of very light powder snow. So we now have about 10 inches on our trail system (more at higher elevations??).
We have received a lot of calls today wondering if we have started grooming yet. The answer is “NO”. We need about 18 or 20 inches before we start grooming so that we don’t damage our equipment.
Last year we reluctantly went out to groom (with inadequate snow) and between the three Groomers and the drags we did over $1,500 worth of damage in ONE NIGHT OF GROOMING!
Our cats weigh about 12,000 lbs and the drags weigh an additional 3000 lbs. We will compress 18 inches of snow down to about 8 once we make the initial “pass.”
Please ask Mother Nature to give us some more snow and we will get out and start our season as soon as she makes the additional snow deposits!! No sense in damaging our equipment just to satisfy a few early season riders. Thanks!
Cutting new sign backer boards
Every fall we put out hundreds of trail signs. Before we do, the signs must be repaired, mounted on backer boards and the sign posts cut and painted.
Prepping trail signs in the Sign Shop
Our new higher visibility blue sign posts
Waterhole before repair
Lots of heavy duty trail improvements were accomplished this fall, including fixing this waterhole with a new culvert, and grubbing out rocks and stumps in other locations.
We got two bad rocky corners grubbed out and a much needed culvert put in today on our 109 trail at the steep hill leading to the scenic clearcut area! We had issues all last season on this part of the trail! The approach to the steep grade was also built up to eliminate a dip which made it almost impossible to groom flat!
These projects cost bg up front, but pay off in the long run with less grooming requirement and those fantastic “Jo Mary” trail reports.
Waterhole repair in progress
Below, the way a trail bed “should be”…
Waterhole after repair
The Jo Mary road was plowed today from Mile 6 (intersection with Johnston Pond road) all the way to Mile 12.5.
The 109 “Alternate” (Mile 12.5 to ITS 86) is still usable but PLEASE STAY OFF OF THE PLOWED ROAD!
Thanks!
Snowing hard at the intersection of ITS-109 and the Parkway trail – March 7, 2016
Yesterday was a great day because we received 3 to 5 inches of snow across our trail system! All three groomers were out on the trails last night.
This is what we groomed:
The Penobscot River along ITS-85/86 – March 7, 2016
Grooming ITS-109 – night of March 7, 2016
Grooming the PP X-over – night of March 7, 2016
Sunset from the 109 clearcut – March 5, 2016. Sorry about the dirty lense
On Saturday night, March 5, all three groomers were out again. We groomed the following trails:
Heading north on the 109 (climbing Potaywadjo Ridge) – March 5, 2016
On the 109 Alternate…Jo Mary Mtn. in the background. – March 3, 2016
All three machines were out grooming the trails today and the trails are great! 95% of the icy trails sections are now snow covered with a heavy dense snow. Had to cut six big trees out of the trail today.
The Jo Mary road was plowed by the landowner today so to get to B Pond you will need to utilize the Greenwood/Gauntlet loop trail.
Grooming will continue on Friday & Saturday nights for sure!
On the 109, south end of Potaywadjo Ridge – March 3, 2016
On the 109, north end of Potaywadjo Ridge. A snow covered hill in the background! – March 3, 2016
Return groom on the Jo Mary road…flat as a pancake! – March 3, 2016
Many trees down due to the heavy wet snow and ice. Cut them first, then pushed them out of the trail (very carefully) with the machine. – March 3, 2016
Fresh snow on all the Jo Mary trails as the groomers head out on March 3
All three groomers headed out first thing this morning while temperatures were in the single digits. There is fresh snow on all trails, as shown in this pic of a rider who enjoyed a great “first track ride” early this morning.
Full report and more pics coming up shortly.
The “storm” is almost over…we got 3″ of snow, then sleet & freezing rain before a short period of real rain.
End result is 2″ of heavy wet snow with temperature already back down to 32F and it’s currently snowing lightly. Low temp tonight predicted to be 3F.
So all of our icy areas (and the lakes) will now be snow covered and we will be able to groom the trails.
Higher elevations got more snow, less rain. Chesuncook Village is reporting 6″ new snow and no rain.
The long range forecast doesn’t look too good for next week, so if you have the ability to ride this weekend, DO IT!
All three of our machines will be out grooming all the Jo Mary trails on Thursday morning while it is still very cold.
Enjoy, this might be the last great weekend.
