8843-R6_MSA_September2024_Newsletter

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NorthernTimber Cruisers

Founded: 1969

Members: 200

Miles of Trail: 35

Groomers: Tracked Kubota tractor, Polaris UTV and two wide track snowmobiles for the cross country ski trails Best Tip: “We have a new trail to East Millinocket that will be opening up. It’s so new that it doesn’t even have a name yet, but it really offers some great views.” Why volunteer? “I love the sport. I’m a two wheel guy – I raced motocross for years, but when the mill closed we lost a lot and while nothing can likely replace the mill in terms of jobs, snowmobiling is one piece that can help . . . besides if I don’t volunteer, who else will?”

First stop in Mattwamkeag

his real name) concerned. “We have maybe 20 members and of those even fewer are active mem bers,” says Kasie, who juggles home life with her husband and children, work and going to school to become a registered nurse along with helping out the club. With many of the Road Runners growing ever older and inter est waning in the club, Kasie says her husband and her along with a few oth ers are holding on the best they can as she really doesn’t want to lose the trail . . . a familiar refrain I would hear from other club members throughout the rest of the day. Mattawamkeag Road Runners may not see as many sledders in their area, especially out-of-state visitors, but my next stop has been well known as a Snowmobile Destination for many years – Millinocket, Maine. Millinocket’s Northern Timber Cruisers are one of the older, if not oldest clubs, in the area going all the way back to 1969. This club’s hospitality in serving both sledders and the community is legendary. This year marked the 11th year the Club has participated in the Snow ball Run for Cancer. A highlight each

year for the Club is the Snowmobile Parade in downtown Millinocket along with their Antique Snowmobile Show. In addition the Club maintains cross country ski trails for local skiers. I walked into the Club House to the smell of bacon, eggs and toast wafting out of the kitchen. Sledders and locals alike were beginning to file in for a breakfast worthy of an old time lum berjack – a tradition the club has main tained every Saturday for a number of years now. TheTimber Cruisers can boast of hav ing over 200 members, but those num bers do not tell the entire story accord ing to Club President John Raymond. “The money we receive from mem berships certainly helps,” says John. “Every membership is appreciated since like most other snowmobile clubs the money we get reimbursed from the State always falls short of our actual expenses. However, we also need people to brush the trails and put up signs and this is where we typically only get a handful of volunteers to help out.” Unlike many clubs, theTimber Cruis ers have chosen to hire private con tractors for some of their projects, such as building bridges. This is com pletely understandable when one real

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