NE area wheeling trip plans

Maine isn't all like that if I remember right by the house in Eustis

 

I'll look into it

 

in VT you might come across gates. You can put up gates but can’t lock them, such as for farm animals. You as a driver can go right on through so long as you close it behind you.

 

It would be cool if we had a place to share some of these off road routes. I have lived in Maine and New Hampshire all my life and I am not sure I could tell you of any off road routes. Especially in the current go no where mode, I would love to have a nice drive to take.

 

Your best bet is going to be to join a group like Exploring NH, or get a Gazateer and find the routes yourself. In the Northeast sharing legal areas leads to Billy Joe HIllbilly tearing the area up/not staying on the designated trail and traversing private property. Most people just aren't respectful, and that gets shit shut down. Not saying I haven't done stupid shit, but i've learned.

For example: down at the RI spot there's a Transmission Line and a gas line running through the area. The utilites were doing work a few years ago and they had areas taped off as environmentally sensitive that had been basically mudholes before, but due to permitting and USACOE requirements were flagged as sensitive wetlands. As such they taped off the areas, and I think put up a few signs to try to keep people out of them because since they were doing work there they were responsible for upholding the conditions of the permit, and they had notification requirements if they saw those areas disturbed. Obviously all the local yokels just tore the markings down and drove through the swampy areas. This led to them putting boulders around all the areas to dissuade people from going through them and increased partols by Fish & Game.

In summary, people are dumb and can't be trusted to use publicly accessible areas responsibly. That's why legal area's to wheel are relatively closely guarded.

 

Ahhh that's what the other cut out is! I didn't know it was for a gas line.

Sounds about right. It's typically high schoolers, I used to do that kind of stuff back with my jeep in HS. We stuck to trails but block off our trails? Whatever. We're going anyway!

 

They didn't block the trails besides the gate at the top of the old ledge climb. They put boulders around some of the environmentally sensitive wetlands because people kept driving though them after they roped them off

 

That's what I meant - in my old trails back home someone blocked them off for some reason or another and we just cut out gaps in the fence because we were hooligans. Kids will be kids, sucks sometimes.

 

Gotcha

 

For the RI spot, I have never been but would love to go. I have a feeling of where it is by the chatter and some pictures. The fam did a picnic and I spotted a trail that we took for a few minutes before turning around, but is this the entrance or an entrance to the spot?

 

That looks like it is possibly one of the entrances. There are multiple.

 

Thanks any ways. I love Maine, but dam I wish I was out west. Lots of public lands for this shit. I think it’s completely ridiculous not share some driving routes on dirt roads. In fact, I would argue it would be safer and more respectful as there would be less chance I end up somewhere I’m not supposed to be.

Guess I’ll go get ready to go nowhere again for the 50th something day.

 

So true..

 

Lot of logging roads that lead to nice views out in western Maine by Canada

 

@ejewels This is where you want to keep an eye out for trail runs

 

Thanks, look forward to it!

 

Anyone from RI Sunday? I'm on the fence - it's going to be super nice out, but that also might draw a lot of people and the trails might be really busy.

Saturday might work, "Showers", but would be real muddy, probably wouldn't want to give any of the ledges a whirl, and don't want to rut up the trails.

@aStrauss @Cochisecrusher

 

I'm not trying to be a dick. All the places that are legal to go are shown on maps. It's just a matter of locating them. Maine is pretty easy, pick a logging road and go. There's just not much of anything besides private land (illegal without permission) or powerlines (illegal) near civilization in the Northeast. You've generally got to travel a decent amount to get to the legal places.

 

I drive up on the logging roads a bunch. When I was younger, I was way more willing to look at a map, find a “Trail” and see what happened. I stopped trusting my “trail” finding skills after scratching the shit out of last new truck on the first weekend driving it. The scratches sucked, but the wife remembering it always comes back to bite me. So now, we go up to the NMWs a couple times a year when possible. We are just looking for a nice day drive that gets us out somewhere different. With all this time, it would be nice to know of some fun runs, rather it be logging roads, dirts roads, or just some light trail.
But back to my original point, it would be nice if there was a place some of this type of stuff was shared. Some of the 4x4 groups have worked hard and I get why they don’t want to share.

 

i feel you on this @Spare Parts, im new to these forums and searched for the same type of trails with no luck. after reading more threads i get why that mindset exists though, no one wants to be the one to put a location out there and have it ruined for those who are actually respectful of the area. Definitely makes sense. Im hoping to take part in some of the exploringnh day trips this summer once they start up after this virus crap. Although from the looks of some of the pictures im not sure which "stock" runs i would actually be capable of. Im down to send it but in a "this truck needs to get me to work on monday" type of send it