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Today's Maine hike in the Coastal Boothbay region at 'Oven's Mouth'. Foliage still a ways from peak along the coast.

Let's go out to eat, 2020 style... 1. Arrive at restaurant, fish three month old single-use surgical mask out of car's filthy cupholder (still slightly sticky from this morning's 84oz diet Pepsi). 2. Strap up with three month old single-use surgical mask. *MAGICAL ANTI-GERM BARRIER ENGAGE!!!* 3. Proceed into restaurant, opening door with same handle grabbed by 200 people so far today. 4. Hostess has immediate seating for your party of three. Walk past entire restaurant of unmasked people. It's ok, they're sitting. 5. Sit down. *SEATED ANTI-GERM FORCEFIELD ENGAGE!!!* 6. Safely within your anti-germ forcefield, remove mask. Browse menu while making relaxed inhales of the same recirculated AC air previously inside the lungs of the 200 people that also grabbed the door handle. 7. Waitress drops off drinks bare handed. 8. Grab drink with your bare hand. Sip leisurely, secure in knowing you're within your anti-germ forcefield of seatedness. 9. Too many drinks. Need to pee. Don the magical anti-germ barrier mask as you leave your anti-germ forcefield of seatedness. 10. Walk past 40 unmasked restaurant patrons. Open bathroom with same door knob grabbed by 100 other people so far today. 11. Return to table past same 40 unmasked restaurant patrons. 12. Remove mask. Once again safe in your anti-germ forcefield of seatedness. Waitress takes your sweaty drink glass with her bare hand, refills, hands back to you. You accept with your bare hand. Grab some bread and eat it. Same hand. Yum Yum. 13. Meal complete. Mask on. Walk past 40 unmasked patrons. Make full body contact with at least 4 people waiting at the hostess stand as you squeeze your way back to the door - no matter, they're all also wearing their magical anti-germ barriers. 14. Grab exit handle, which you are now the 220th person of the day to touch. Eating out successful. 15. Breathe a sigh of relief knowing that even after leaving the protection of your home and venturing out into the scary world of the public, you are essentially sterile thanks to your state approved methods of magical germ mitigation.”

There is a state of Maine trail map available to order on the Maine Snowmobile Assoc. web site. Not sure if the state maps show local trails. The major snowmobile hubs I listed in a previous post should have regional maps through their tourism site or chamber of commerce site, and I also believe the Maine Snowmobile Assoc. has lists of where to get local maps. Aroostook County has a nice map, do an on line search to order one. Back when I did a lot of riding in Aroostook County, maps were very easily available at just about every hotel and tourist stop. Starting a saddlebag trip out of Rangeley gives you the shortest drive in the truck when coming from out of state. Also, most of the towns listed have dedicated parking lots for your truck and trailer. I would guess most Maine hotels don't have space to leave you rig for a week so make sure to check that info when you call about your first night's stay. Also I am guessing most of these towns have no form of taxi service so it might be wise to pick a hotel in town near services or ones that have a restaurant. Most of these towns I listed are very small and far from any big cities and some have no sled dealers. In fact, If I had a breakdown on a saddle bag trip, I would look into an airport at the town for some commercial pilot to fly me back to the truck in his Piper Cub as most of these towns have a small airport. Finding someone in Maine to transport you and your broken down sled hundreds of miles back to your truck could be a real problem.

Relais de la Cache - Update Gesgapegiag Economic Development and Lands has been busy with many projects and is happy to announce the fuel pump upgrade and tank replacement starting October 8, 2020. The manufacture of signage is still in progress and should be installed in the coming weeks. We want to let the public know that we are actually open 7am to 10pm, 7 days a week, but we only sell fuel at this time. The new system is equipped with Regular and Supreme fuel. In the meantime, room rental and catering services are closed, but should be open again by the snowmobile season. However, we accept that campers park on site during the hunting season for a small fee. Please contact Relais de la Cache at 581-880-6025 for more information on pricing. We remind all those who visit the Relais de la Cache to respect the Covid-19 measures in force to ensure health and safety. Nous apprécions certainement votre patience sur toutes les questions relatives au Relais de la Cache.

How about a guy with mask in open convertible ! WTF

If you hang your mask on your rear view mirror for 24 hours it becomes completely disinfected. Ready to go to battle !

Sums it up perfectly Man, we are all so fortunate that these rules and decisions are so well thought out. ca va bien aller #PerfectlyLogical #LoveMeDemMagicalForcefields

"Anyways not looking to start a debate. Just presenting some numbers to see what's driving these decisions."

Hi Mike, I love the coastal Boothbay Region ! My sister and I were at Boothbay Harbor the weekend of Labor Day. Stuffed ourselves with lobsters, haddock and wild Maine blueberries. Got caught in a “traffic jam” at Wiscasset ( I think Red’s Eats had something to do with it 😁😁). Looking forward to going back there. Thanks for the pictures. Gemma

Hey Mike, well already started my plan B, hoping the SNOW GODS will corporate. I’ll be in Fort Kent between Xmas and New Years hopefully riding. Will just be a 4 day ride to get back into Snowmobile mode!!! I have to tell ya.... man do I need to just get LOST on my sled. Working during this Covid thing is DRAINING. Thinking I might just buy the season pass and just ride the GREAT STATE OF MAINE this year.If the border happens to loosen up during the season, I’m thinking of exploring NB a lot more Hope a lot of us US members on here can cross paths with each other on our Maine trips. Stay well. Chris

This is not a good situation at all anywhere, but in some instances Canada is far better off. Looking at active cases (folks you can actually catch this from) #'s from today shake out as follows. Canada 544 cases per million. US 8144 cases per million. That's 15 times worse stateside. When you look at the border states it's not quite as big of a spread. Ontario 403 cases per million Quebec 1000 cases per million Maine 462 cases per million New York 3780 cases per million Michigan 4513 cases per million Vermont 253 cases per million New Hampshire 600 cases per million Break it down into rural vs urban areas and you probably find big swings as well. Health care in the US is as good or better than Canada. Question is whether you have coverage. Anyways not looking to start a debate. Just presenting some numbers to see what's driving these decisions.

Awesome!! 4 gas lines...those will reduce wait times at the pump. Good food, clean, friendly, now lots of gas all positive changes. All they need now is a good dependable generator. I sure hope to visit this winter.

bonjour de la vallée !!! long time no see...must be busy preparing your technology !!!..yaaa...at the '' forks ''... yaaa...funny that night !!! back from a '' sunday drive ''' on the z e c....snow on the mountains of pârk matane... still windy here....0c at the lake this morning jean-guy

Afternoon cocktails with a view. JFK Not quite the same, but it will have to do

Beautiful day for a ride up around Eagles Mere Pennsylvania yesterday, cool crisp air, pretty fall colors. Won’t be long....👍

A Quick Trip to Mt Washington to check out the views and foliage! Looking North you can almost see over the border to Quebec: Looking South you can almost see NYC! : And the Leaves! the Colors were Great!!! Later GutZ

bonjour !!! -2c this morning....pics from yesterday afternoon and this morning !!! ....around town !!! jean-guy

bonjour !!! this morning and at noon ...on one of the pic ...the windmill on the far left alone....thats the first one the ducks almost hit....then went toward to the 2 close together big patch of fog...looking toward les plateaux.... no camp ...staying home !!! jean-guy

I agree the small outfitters are a nice experience when saddlebagging. But for staying in one spot for two weeks and doing day trips, I enjoy the amenities of a big hotel and a town with lots of restaurants and bars. I have had nothing but great experiences in RDL.

Maybe book next season (2022) in Maine too. Beat the crowds. https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/3661758001?fbclid=IwAR0CGerRW7UjIkFcuQ2UPhF6Tdcj2kBkxh-ipDa8CKQJgI6lFl8-JY_Ujgo

I can't help but to think it will be a sizeable impact on the bottom line of the FCMQ, clubs, and service providers if the border is not open for next season. The biggest percentage of members on this site are from south of the border. The percentage seems to similar to riders I meet at Relais, hotels, and restaurants when riding. It will be devastating to the sport.