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TRAIL and TRAVEL - MAINE

On the trails of Maine with the CF Moto UForce 500. It was a capable trail explorer.

A CABIN IN THE WOODSEven before we met Lisa Fisher, one of

the managers at Northern Outdoors, wewere already impressed. The resort is laidout well, with enough room between build-ings you don’t feel as if you are right on topof the neighbors. One thing we look for is

ample parking for a truck and trailer, andthat is no problem at Northern Outdoors.At the center of the resort is the main lodgebuilding. Lisa walked us through the re-sorts amenities which include:

• Multiple clean, cozy cabins of all sizesto accommodate a couple, or a large

family. Choose how many beds youneed and they’ve got a cabin to fit.

• All cabins are tastefully designed, withfull amenities, and nearly all are petfriendly. They’re the kind of place wewould love to live in!

• Northern Outdoors also offer Condos

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Our group of Northern Outdoors trail explorers.

� By Moxie Karasek

You have to like a resort with their own brew pub, but Northern Outdoors ofMaine offers far more than that. Located in a region known as ‘The Forks” forwhere the Dead River and the Kennebec River meet, Northern Outdoors in

uniquely located in prime outdoor recreation territory. You can ride New England’sbest white-water rapids, hunt, fish, hike, snowmobile in the winter, and of course ex-plore the trails on your ATV or Side x Side in the summer. It sounded exactly like aplace we needed to visit!

Left: This is the typical Maine trail. It winds through the trees and features rocks and some mud. Right: Some of the Maine trailsare logging roads or even side roads like this one. They work as connectors between trails.

and Lodgominiums!• On-site camping!• Full-service restaurant and Kennebec

River Brewery• Main lodge with fireplace, multiple

large screen TV’s, a pool table, WiFi,and gift shop

• Hot tub• Pool with volleyball net• Outdoor patio games such as Corn-

hole• ATV / UTV / snowmobile fuelLisa explained that Northern Outdoors

was established in 1976, and is one of theoriginal all-season resorts in the region.They helped pioneer outdoor family recre-ation in the area, beginning with guidedwhite-water rafting excursions. The resortwas even recognized by Yankee Magazinefor Best New England Adventures & Edi-tor’s Choice awards. Today the recreationopportunities have expanded as the resorthas grown, but we were there for the trails.After quickly unpacking and checking outour cabin which featured a kitchen, spa-cious bathroom, large screen TV in the liv-ing area, and anything else we could need,we settled into a comfy chair on the porch.It’s easy to relax under the tall, wispypines, with the woodsy scents and aro-matic smells of nature, and a chipmunkthere to keep us company or remind usthis was his home too!

DINNER AT THE LODGEWe can’t say enough about the lodge.

We are SO impressed! The expansivelodge is beautiful and has a full-servicerestaurant and bar, a huge indoor and out-door dining area, and is home to the popu-lar Kennebec River Brewery. Just behindis a back-deck swimming pool and a largehot tub. Surely this is the place to unwindafter riding all day! After thoroughly enjoy-ing a steak done to perfection and sam-pling several of their craft brews it wasback to our cabin for a quiet night in thewoods. Tomorrow we would explore part

of it!

THE RIDE TO GREENVILLEOur guided tour with Ben and Holly

Towle, owners of Maine Outdoor PowerSports Rentals, took us on a day trip toGreenville at the shores of MooseheadLake. Moosehead Lake is the state'slargest lake, and Greenville is the hub ofoutdoor activities. They celebrate every-thing outdoors with the Annual WildernessSled Dog Race, Moosehead Lake TogueDerby, Moosehead Artisan Village,Katahdin Steamship Brunch Cruise (thelast remaining steamboat in Maine datingto 1914) and variety of year-round activi-ties. Towering over it all is Mount Kineowith its 763-foot sheer cliff and should youclimb to it’s top, be careful where you step.Our full day of riding, dining, and generallybeing a tourist to Maines never endingbeauty ended at Towle’s Lakeside Cabinsand Resort for a three-hour tour of Lake

Wyman on a relaxing pontoon boat ride.After that we headed back to our cozycabin on the hill at Northern Outdoors.

A CF MOTO TEST RIDEOne thing we were especially happy to

try on our ride to Greenville was a CFMoto Side x Side. CF Moto has beenbuilding ATVs and Side x Sides for manyyears, but you don’t see a lot of them onthe trail. Their U.S. distribution does notseem to be able to penetrate the marketnearly as well as they do in Canada or Eu-rope where they are much more common!Our Canadian counterparts report excel-lent results on CF Moto products, and wewere anxious to try them for ourselves.Our ride would be the CF Moto UForce500, a capable, crossover machine andthere are three models (500, 800, and1000) in the UForce class. Features are:

• LED projector beam headlights withLED accent lighting

NORTHERN OUTDOORS

An overview of the Northern Outdoors main lodge and back deck. There is plenty toenjoy here.

Left: Relaxing lakeside. You’re never far from water in Maine. Center: A quick stopfor fuel and a snack. Gotta love any place with a Moose over the door!4 | www.atvillustrated.com

• Stainless steel bumpers and a 3000lb. winch

• Automotive grade paint • Knobby CST brand tires • 12” ground clearance & 14” wheels• Large capacity dump box with nitro-

gen gas spring assist lift• 2” hitch receiver • High-performance CVtech drive and

driven clutchWe were impressed by the CF Moto

UForce 500 on the trails. The engine deliv-ered plenty of power for any hill we wantedto climb, and the clutch was calibrated nicelyfor perfect power delivery. The suspensionalso handled the rocky trail very well, and itwas easy to handle. Inside the cab we werecomfortable, and small doors protect youfrom trail side branches and splashing water,but we would prefer CF Motor extend thedoors up to the riders shoulders for evenmore protection and security. Overall, wegive the UForce 500 high marks!

END OF THE TRAILDay three closed our trip with a shared

ride. Lisa and Craig Fisher, both ATV en-thusiasts and avid trail riders, and a groupof other riders staying at Northern Outdoorsdecided to join our group. We’re always upfor making new trail riding friends! For ourlast ride we decided to explore Moxie Falls,

Moxie Lake, Grand Falls, and HoustonBrook Falls. As any rider knows, outdooractivity is sure to work up your appetite andafter many miles on the trail, pulling intoNorthern Outdoors was like arriving at anoasis. A quick shower, then a hearty mealand drinks were the perfect way to cap ourday.

TRAILS TO BE PROUD OFWe are impressed at how well the Maine

trails are maintained and marked. It’s be-cause of the countless hours of volunteersthat seemingly never waiver in their desire toimprove the system that the Maine trails arein the excellent shape they are today. Theyoffer great access to the pristine beauty ofMaine, winter spring, summer, or fall. North-ern Outdoors can help you explore every bitof it year-round and be your Northern homeaway from home.

Northern Outdoors - Maine's PremierAdventure ResortPhone: 800-765-7238www.NorthernOutdoors.com

Special thanks to:Steph Dunn and Emily Yearwood, and

Ben and Holly Towle from Maine OutdoorSports who offered great hospitality and anawesome evening pontoon boat ride on

LakeThe ATV clubs of the Upper Kennebec

Valley who have developed extensive trailsystems for many years of future enjoy-ment, and for generations to come.

Hawk’s Nest Lodge & Restaurant207-663-2020www.hawksnestlodge.com

The Hawk's Nest Lodge features firstclass style with a rustic atmosphere ofhandcrafted furnishings and amazingwooden carvings. They offer a deliciousmenu and dining inside or outdoors, fabu-lous river views, and affordable prices.

Maine Lakeside CabinsP.O box 116, Caratunk, ME 04925Toll Free: 1-855-528-3441E-Mail: info@mainelakesidecabins.comwww.maineoutdoorsports.com

Maine Outdoor Powersports Rentals andSilver Cove Cabins, Resort and Bar.Rentals include UTV, ATV, Snowmobile,SeaDoo, Pontoon boat, Jeeps, rafting tripsand fishing excursions. It’s a great locationfor your private retreat, wedding, familyevent, or corporate meetings. An outdoordining hall allows you to have your cateredevent under cover. Also hiking and teambuilding ropes courses, hunting, and limotransportation services are offered.

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It’s not all about thetrails at Northern Out-doors. They helped pi-oneer white waterrafting in the area andstill can help you plan awhite-water trip.