BINGHAM, Maine — This winter’s lack of snow has some resorts and businesses that rely on snowmobilers’ dollars worrying as the Presidents’ Day holiday week approaches.
Conditions have improved recently across many northern communities, but businesses still worry about attracting visitors to the south, where unseasonably warm temperatures have people skittish of taking a winter vacation.
Jim Murton, who owns North Country Rivers resort in Bingham, had to reschedule some of his early season snowmobile reservations because of poor snow conditions and transfer them to dates in February and March.
Murton tells the Morning Sentinel in Waterville that if there’s no snow in Boston, people don’t think there’s snow in Maine.
Snowmobile-related businesses are typically hit harder than the ski industry when there are poor snow conditions, because many ski resorts make snow.
Dirtmobiles?
translation they are called 4 wheelers
Global warming.
Get used to it.
yessah
Come up to the St John Valley. Lots of snow and beautiful trails.
Global Warming has real costs.
Tell that to the people of Alaska.
Hear that Mr LePage ? More welfare suckers gonna be filing for assistance…..Lol
It seems to me a bit late to “Start to Worry”… I’m sure by now the pinch is very tight!!
And it’s cut down on one of my dogs’ exercise needs this year. She hates the snowmobiles. Her self appointed job in life is to chase them off (trail runs next to us). I only wish she would succeed in getting that one that sounds like a giant mosquito off the trail!
Seriously, there’s always an inherent risk to any business that is dependent on the weather, whether it be nice sunny days or snow covered trails.
Ya.
But that’s all the liberal treehuggers want for northern Maine
Meanwhile, shift after shift is reporting to work at the mills……………
From the Katahdin area north, the trails are the best they’ve been in years.
Bring that money and drop it all up here while you’re having fun.
How about the lack of snow and cold helps many more Mainers save on heating costs?
Plenty of snow in northern Maine.
Plenty of snow and immaculate snowmobile trail conditions in the St. John River Valley!! USCC Madawaska100 next Saturday and CanAM DogSled Races in March….come on up! Get out of that city rush and relax on a pair of snowshoes or x-country skies in Aroostook County! We’re only 3.5 hours away from Quebec City :)
This business is a bit like farming. You are held captive by the weather. Good years, bad years. Shouldn’t come as any surprise to anyone.
It’s easy to say “Oh Well”. however the truth of the matter is that in Maine, people in the motor sports business are always taking chances. There are no crystal balls, and dealers have to buy sleds from the manufactures. Imagine how you might feel if you had 300k worth of inventory on the floor and no snow? I can tell you that after 25 years in the business, that IT SUCKS! And to make matters worse, that same inventory will have to be priced below dealer cost to make it go away next year(maybe), AND, in then meantime there have been interest checks written every month to the finance company. It is a very tough business to be profitable with, been there and done that. I got out a few years back when I could see the change, but I feel for anyone in Maine who is in a seasonal business. It ain’t easy!