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You Can't Get There From Here

May 28, 2008 - GREENVILLE -- Greenville, as the gateway to Moosehead Lake in the north woods, is a vastly appealing draw to visitors who seek the best in outdoor recreation. Folks who come here for the traditional pursuits for hunting and fishing, the natural pursuits of hiking and backpacking, and the motorized pursuits of snowmobiling and ATV riding, all pass through this portal, most of them stopping to purchase something on the way, whether it be to fill up the car for the return trip, have a meal to end the day's activity, or an overnight in an inn, a B&B, or a sporting camp.

Decades ago, snowmobilers were scorned as loud, destructive and disrespectful of private property rights. But enthusiasts organized, developed safety standards, worked with the state and their local communities and establish safe riding practices on a network of trails, local and state supported, gained with the approval of those very private landowners who originally denied access. The process is ongoing, as trails shift and new ones sought, but there is no question that the snowmobiler is a welcome and necessary visitor to Greenville in the winter months, pumping mega bucks into the local economy.

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are traveling the same roads that snowmobiles did and still do, literally and figuratively. Furthermore, ATVs travel over ground that sustains more damage in its passage, as it does not have the cushion of snow that sleds have. Marketed to the younger male as a rip roarin' way to get down and dirty, the pursuit alienated a large portion of folks, even those who enjoyed a day on a four wheeler riding on existing, dry roads into the backcountry.

Today, ATV riders have gained a great deal of respect. They have organized into clubs that have established trail networks that are signed. Furthermore, they promote safe practice and deep respect for the land and others on the trail while riding. Recognizing the enduring popularity of the sport, the state has brought it under its umbrella of trail development; all new trails, snowmobile or ATV, must be multiuse trails, open to snowmobiles, ATVs, horses, and jeeps. A network of multiuse trails now connects Greenville Junction to Newport.

But you can't get from the junction to the village or any other part of Greenville on the east side of the lake. The Northern Lights ATV club has brought sanctioned trails to the Greenville line. Moosehead ATV riders club have trails north, south and west of Greenville Junction. But between the two networks -- the village where restaurants, shops and fuel are to be found -- ATV traffic is prohibited.

A trail leading east from Indian Hill around the Wilsons is the likely connector to Kokadjo, for both ATVs and snowmobiles. It could become the new ITS., a designation originally for snowmobiles, but which now would include ATVs, if a trail can be negotiated from Indian Hill west through the woods to the junction, according to Ken Snowden, president of the Moosehead ATV riders. However, that route would still leave out the village, the most appealing day destination in the area, whether from Guilford, The Forks, Rockwood, or down from Kokadjo.

There needs to be a trail that travels through town, or failing that, a spur that brings riders into the heart of town so that they can have lunch at a number of different restaurants, stretch their legs in a village that offers a wide variety of unique shopping, and fuel for the ATVs.

We know it takes time for change and acceptance. But in a slowing economy, we say the time is here to make this happen. The players know who they are -- the riders, the clubs, organizations in town, and the town officials themselves -- and they must work together to bring this traffic, on an established trail to an improved parking area, to the center of town. It only makes good business sense, now and in the future.

This editorial appeared in the Moosehead Messenger, May 23, 2008.

Lakes: Moosehead Lake
Regions: Moosehead


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