Maine Snowmobilers Attempt to Ride from Alaska to Maine

Two men from Waterboro, Maine are attempting a 7,000 mile snowmobile trip from Tok, Alaska to Maine. They're also taking a little side trip to north of the Artic Circle.

So far they've covered 1862 miles, facing temperatures of -30 degrees and frozen rivers with six foot ice heaves:

They've also run into mechanical problems that limited them to only nine days of actual riding during the first 36 days of the trip. They faced long waits as replacement parts had to be flown in and ferried to remote locations.

But they say the spectacular landscape and the wonderful people they've met along the route are making their adventure worthwhile.

Memorable people they have met include a hermit who took them in for a meal of caribou and hardtack, a trapper who explained how he runs a line of 100 traps for wolverines and bears and a waitress who inaugurated Wolfinger into the "Sourtoe Club" after he downed a drink said to have a pickled human toe in it.

This ride is similar to one made in 2000 by Mike Ouellette, Kirk St. Peter and Mike McCarthy of Caribou, who covered the 5,977 miles from Tok to northern Maine in 29 straight days of sledding, with no breakdowns or delays.

Katahdin Land Deal Almost Complete

The Trust for Public Lands still needs to raise $1.8 million dollars by December 15 in order to add Katahdin Lake to Baxter State Park. If they don't meet the goal by December 15, the offer to sell the land will be rescinded by the owner.

To date, the trust has raised $11.2 million and they have a million dollar pledge that will be given once donations reach 13 million dollars.

Adding the lake to the state park fulfills Percival Baxter's original vision for the park. Baxter called the mountain "the greatest monument to nature that exists east of the Mississippi River" and he spent much of his life buying land and donating it to the park. He made 28 separate purchases that total more than 200,000 acres.

The Trust has a web site, and will accept donations on-line.

Man is born to Die, His Works are Short-lived Buildings Crumble, Monuments Decay, Wealth Vanishes But Katahdin in All Its Glory Forever Shall Remain the Mountain of the People of Maine.
--Percival Baxter

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