||page updated on March 3rd, 2010||

The 25th Great Caribou Bog Wicked Winter Ski Tour & Race is RESCHEDULED for SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27th, 2011
*17 km Distance*
"The Silver Klister Year", recognizing the 25th year of skiing from Bangor to Old Town

-- RESCHEDULED EVENT NOTE --
March 3, 2010, 4:pm: Karl and I have looked at the trail today, and while some parts in the woods are marginally skiable with rock skis, there are long stretches with no snow, and no snow in the vicinity to shovel. The last 1 km in the field to the school is all bare ground. The railroad bed is also bare ground for about 1.5 km.
In the interest of skier enjoyment and safety, we have decided to NOT hold this year's Great Caribou Bog Ski Tour & Race.
As the National Weather Service statistics tell (below), February set records, not a one of which was helpful for skiers.
Philosophically, a short winter like this one makes us all appreciate the good ones.
I am pleased, though, of the participation numbers during mid-December through early February on the Great Caribou Bog Ski Trail portion near the Orono dump. High school ski teams from Orono, John Bapst, and Bangor Christian used the Newman and Bangor Hill loops frequently, as did many local skiers. Many thanks to the grooming crew of Chris, Karl, Julian, and John for keeping the trail open and the equipment working. Thanks also to those who helped on the fall worktrips clearing brush and picking rocks.
If we get more snow in the next few weeks, we will pack it down for spring skiing, which can be just delightful out there.
On Saturday, April 24th, during Orono Land Trust's Trail Day, I have a trail project on Bangor Hill. Plan to meet at my house at 9am, carpool out, finish by 12:noon. Rain or shine. This would be a relocation of the snowmobile trail off the gravel logging road (so we can use it for skiing), and also some trail clearing on a new loop trail higher up on Bangor Hill.
I'll keep the web page updated also, periodically.
Best Wishes,
Chris
Here are some statistics from the NWS: http://www.maine.gov/mema/weather/pwmclmbgr FEBRUARY 2010 WILL LONG BE REMEMBERED AS THE MONTH THAT WINTER ALMOST FORGOT!
BANGOR'S OVERALL AVERAGE OF 28.7 DEGREES WAS THE 3RD HIGHEST ON RECORD...AND THEIR AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 21.9 DEGREES WAS 10.5 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL PLACING IT AS THE SECOND WARMEST AVERAGE MINIMUM FOR FEBRUARY IN BANGOR.
MONTHLY SNOWFALL DEFICIENCIES WERE MUCH MORE IMPRESSIVE. BANGOR'S 2.2 INCHES...8.9 INCHES BELOW NORMAL...SET A NEW RECORD FOR THE LOWEST FEBRUARY SNOWFALL TOTAL.
-- TRAIL CONDITIONS --
Feb. 15, 2010: As many of you are aware, the trail from the Bangor City Forest to Old Town is not skiable in certain sections. To hold the event, we need about 6 to 8 inches of new snow. A final decision will be made on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3rd whether to hold the event.
Feb. 5, 3:45pm, 2010:Julian and I widened out the Bangor Hill loop for skating, and set a really nice, deep classic track, from the rr bed up Bangor Hill, down, and all the way back around Newman Hill. The skiing is excellent. Views of Katahdin from the top of Bangor Hill. Many thanks to John Belding for fast repair work on the tracksetter on Friday during his lunch break.
Feb. 4, 4:pm, 2010: Karl groomed the Bangor Hill loop and snowmobile trail for skating. We plan to set a track tomorrow or Saturday morning where the snow is decent.
Feb. 3: groomed the Newman Hill Loop - two short walks - one by Dan Smith's and one on the rr bed. There's a skied-in track; use blue klister, freeze it down outside, then cover with extra blue hard wax, don't cork too much or you'll mix the hard wax with the klister. Bomber kick.
Tomorrow (Thur.) Karl and I are going to groom most of the Bangor Hill loop for skating. This is as good as it gets for FAST skate skiing.
January 21st, 2010, 12:noon: 5.5 km loop around Newman and Bangor Hills packed and a classic track set. Karl is going across the bog tomorrow, hopefully to the Bangor City Forest.
January 16th, 2010: trail was packed and smoothed from the Orono landfill out across the Caribou Bog and south to the Veazie railroad bed (crossing Forest Ave.). No track set (not enough base yet). Two days clearing the downed gray birches.
January 12th, 2010: trail was packed and a classic track set around Newman and Bangor Hill loops. Use binder with hard wax over, or very thin blue klister with hard wax over. We plan to cross the bog and start cleaning up the fallen gray birch, probably Friday.

January 5th, 2010: trail was packed and a classic track set around the Newman and Bangor Hill loops. Best to ski it the direction of the race (counter-clockwise); one 3 foot wide spot of running water by the beaver flowage at the bottom of the "Pink Trail" near the rr bed.

December 16th: trail was "tenderized" and corduroy set from the Putnam Road trailhead, to Newman Hill, to Bangor Hill, and back rr bed. No track (not quite enough base); very FAST conditions.
Here are some photos from today (Sat., Feb. 6th). First two photos (left) are the north side of Newman Hill; third photo to right is near the top of Bangor Hill; fourth photo is along the old HC Haynes skid trail at base of Bangor Hill, known as "Jeff's Causeway" - I believe a fisher cat is denned up in the tree root balls just after the bridge.
Much work was done on the trail again this year. Dave Thompson brought his tractor and bush hog out this fall and mowed portions of the trail. Several days of excavation work were completed to tidy up some skidder rutted wet areas, old logging slash and stumps, and the stony section on Piney Knoll and Bangor Hill.
Water bars were added up and down Bangor Hill.
Many people helped this fall with the bridge building, rock picking, and brushing. THANK YOU.
Below are 4 photos from work this summer. The goal is to get the upland portions of the trail smooth enough to mow easily and to ski on a 2 inch base.
Left photo: Jay Raymond seeding and haying on Newman Hill. Middle left photo: this was the old convergence of 3 skidder trails which were funneling water into the "muck hole". Middle right photo: this is the north side of Piney Knoll, down near the bottom. Right photo: a typical waterbar on Bangor Hill.

ORDER OF (2009 results) is posted here. If you started at the 11am cow bell ringing, your time should be accurate. If you started before 11am, your time is not accurate and just shows when you arrived in Old Town.

Thanks to all skiers, volunteers, spouses, parents, and everyone else who made this event work.

photo from 9pm on Feb.23 of the Great Caribou Bog (this is the trail before grooming!!!)

2007 PHOTOS:

Start of the Tour (left); skiers crossing the Great Caribou Bog (middle photos); sharing stories at the fininsh (right photo).

The goal of this event is for skiers to enjoy the natural world in winter, through lands located in the "backyards" of Bangor, Veazie, Orono, and Old Town. The course winds through upland pine forest, along the second oldest railroad in the U.S., through old growth black spruce stands, across a peatland (the Great Caribou Bog), up and over Bangor Hill where Katahdin can be seen, through experimental forest, and finally across farmland to the end.
REGISTRATION AND START LOGISTICS - 2010 - this year all skiers will again register at the finish in Old Town (village of Stillwater), and be bused to the start in Bangor. Download and print the registration form. Please post mark by Saturday, February 21st.

Left to right: The old Veazie Railroad section; night grooming on Newman Hill; the "lead" pack; touring through the Caribou Bog.

WHILE ON THE TRAIL RECOGNITION AND APRES-SKI THANKS:

Left to right: Building the trail on an old skid road (before) on Bangor Hill; after; the rebuilt bridge with grassy trail at the bottom of Bangor Hill

Left to right: Rock picking on Bangor Hill new logging bridge for access, Pine State Amateur Radio Club members

MORE INFORMATION: Chris Dorion, 866-7806 or Chris Dorion's e-mail or 941-5670 (days) and 825-3230 ( evenings).