Yeah we made it up there and followed your directions past Shawnee Peak and found a few convenient stores but never saw your trailers. We stayed on 302 until we got to Rte. 5 in Fryeburg and then headed towards Lovell where we parked.

# 10

3/22

Place: Bridgeton Me (southern Maine Home to # 13 A.K.A the Bridgeton Witch)

Departure time: 5:30 am from J&B bar and grill

Weather: Rain and Snow

Attendee's: # 2, # 3, # 5, # 13, and # 388

We left on time from the meeting spot; Once again everyone was early, # 3 by only 2 minutes. # 3 Our trail boss and possibly the next WPR Racer of the Year (he has the only votes so far, 2 of them) Took the lead and set the pace. # 5 truck struggled the entire way barely keeping up. As we approached the sebego lake region the rain was gone and replaced by wet snow. We stopped for fuel (sleds and trucks). This is when I notice a change in # 3. He announces an unscheduled stop to burger king? Here I am with my fruit cereal bar and cheese cracker breakfast and wondering what the hell is he doing? Why would he, on this trip want to stop? He never want's to stop? He just wants to get to the drop zone and ride. But I shrugged it off not trying to read too much into it.

Finally after 3 + hour's we made it to the drop zone only to see # 388 and his lead foot has once again got himself in trouble. Plowing into # 3 trailer, bending the draw bar, breaking the tie down nuts and a taillight. # 388 vehicle defiantly got the worse of it. Broken valance pan, tweaked bumper mount's, broken fender flair's blown fuses and only the body shop knows what else. After a few minutes of assessing damage and tweaking a few thing we UN-loaded and got ready to venture out to southern Me trail system.

The 1^st 24 miles really sucked the trails were ungrommed thus very bumpy, with minimal snow coverage in the tight woods. Visibility was poor because of the wet snow in the air. # 5 finally conceded and admitted the wedge helmet was fogging. This would explain his slow pace through out the day. Intersection ITS 80 and NH trail 19 was the turning point of the ride. The Wyman pond racer clearly made the right decision. The NH trail system was very good. They were groomed with minimum of 6" of new snow. The trails were tight with allot of elevation change keeping everything interesting and fun. We made it to the Town and Country Snowmobile dealer in East Conway where the Arctic cats needed to refuel. The Polaris's and Yamaha just laughed @ the thought of needing gas @ the 45 mile marked. We then decided to head back to the tow vehicles. Again Something didn't seem right # 3 was willing to end the day with less than 100 mile? Then # 5 was willing? Something was clearly wrong; # 3 and # 5 never are willing to pack it up so early? Again I just shrugged it off.

It was obvious when we got back to the Maine's trail system the trail became bumpy again. However, This time with all the new snow and I got to lead the ride was much softer. What was I doing leading? I haven't lead all year unless # 3 wasn't with us. Why was # 3 letting me lead something was up but I still couldn't quite put my finger on it? When we got back to the vehicles we had done 72 miles it was 1:45 PM. We all loaded up and went to work on # 388 truck. We found a bad blinker bulb, 3 blown fuses and 1 fuse that just kept blowing. Again some seemed odd # 3 and # 13 were in the truck hanging out? We were out in the snow offering assistance and there they were warm and cozy? I don't know!

Lunch was ok extremely slow but they had the best blueberry beer I have ever had. The ride home was slow. # 5 couldn't keep up, # 3 set a blistering pace # 5 blazer didn't have a chance. This vehicle is good for 70-mph max in attack position. I guess # 3 and # 388 really didn't care that we couldn't match their pace.

After a full night sleep thinking about all of those uncharacteristic decisions being made especially by # 3. I finally figured out what was going on. I have heard Story about # 13 and his protégé's. # 3 must have been zapped by one # 13 spells. This could seriously jeopardize his Wpr of the year nominations.

Is # 99 out and # 3 in? Only time will tell. I hope # 3 snaps out of it. This club just won't be same with out him.

To All WPRacer's Be ware of # 13 A.K.A the Bridgeton Witch

# 2

Hey #2,

I sent you those bonfire PICs already and you replied. Alzheimers? If you don't have them anymore please let me kow and I will resend.

Just came back from the Mooshead are and trails are in Great condition for this time of year. Thursday nite they got about 3 new inches of Snow and it was Flurrying when we left on Sunday. We stayed in Jackman and on day one went to Pitson Farms, down through NE Cary to Kakajo, across Kineo over to Rockwood and back up to Jackman. A nice 170 Miles. On day two we rode from Jackman down to Parlin Pond to the Forks and over to Eustis back up to Jackman, another nice 158 Miles.

Stepping off the trail in some areas you still sing right up to you crotch, Pletty of Snow left.

Like I mentioned Overall trails were in excellent shape and Jackman was rooming Sat. nite, likewise Parlin Pond and The Forks also groomed Sat. Nite. In town there is a few sketchy spots but easy to avoid. ITS 86 out of Rockwood is scrapped down due to Logging activity so there is about a 2 Mile section that is bare but you can still ride slowly along the sides. Kind of sucks but if that's the worst for late March riding I'll Take It!

The Snow along the roadside has really thinned out down around Grey and that area so if people are up for it Moosehead might be a better bet. Up to you I'll try anything.

Wish I could make it, in order to settle that bad performance from the xc7
against the xc6. I put the stock reeds back in and it brought my animal
back to life, it now stays at 8000 rpms vs. the 8400 it was putting out with
the reeds. This thing pulls hard and my top end is back. I hit 100-105 on
Diamond with conditions being poor due to the 12" of snow the got this
weeks. The lake wasn't packed down. Trust me it screams! I will put the
Delta II's back in next seaon but I have to clutch it for the added HP's in
order to bring the rpm's down to 79-8000 where it pumps all of it's ponies
out. We did 175miles in Nash, the trails were great except for a few bad
spots here and there. Their not grooming in Pittsburg due to money problems
I guess. We went to the Canadian border and ask customs if we were allowed
into Canada for a short distance and we were allowed into the first town
without a day pass. It was pretty cool going through Canadian customs and
seeing the views. I put some picks on my sight. See ya, Craig #388

sat. night. The time had come for the now famous "Dash for Cash."
#99 and #3 loaded at 6:30 and headed to the lake. a quick stop for chow
and and a little strategy discussion and we arrived shortly after we
left at the secret parking area for machines that do not have a tendency
to breakdown. out of the rig, one could hear the tuning and priming of
the competitors. the bees were on the lake in what sound like great
numbers. we stopped to say hello and then took a quick tour before we
headed up to the venue. i was surprised to see the great number of
sleds. what a turn out. most of which were labeled as cats. (they
tuned out to be kitties) the track was tested. i was surprised to see
that it was as rough as it was. the race line would be much more
important than i had originally thought. without a full compliment of
cones, I AM WONDERING IF THEY EXIST, the time trails began. from my
scouting position #37 looked very fast on the high corner. his
adjustable shock looked like a nice advantage. during his hot lap for
qualifying he was robed to to the poor decision of a spectator. they
almost collided putting him in the back of the qualifying. in the end
#2, our pres, took top honors as expected. it is his race. i was
surprised with his choice of lanes leaving me the inside which was had
proved to be a much smooother line. in addition, he allowed the 2
polaris machines to shoulder him. this was his 1st of several
mistakes. the stewards sent us on our way up to the first turn. the
little xc jumped under throttle. the first turn seemed a little
crowded. i could see lights out of the corner of my eye, but from my
prospective it was clear sailing. round and round we went. first a
blue yamadoddlle on steroids is in the woods. on the next lap you have
to avoid #66 in the standing waves. once by him, #5 is off the side in
his customary position. ( on the sidelines with his hood up.) round
and round. i do see a light close behind occasionally, but nothing to
worry about since it has become and issue of not missing a corner. 2 to
go. wait, 2 more to go. #99 is lapped like a dog on a hot day sitting
in the sun on blacktop. is it over? take another. where is the
checkered flag? my only complaint. the finish was anticlimactic. the
snow bound sled is just getting dug out. #66 is righted and know
searching for pieces. a crowd gathers around #5 sled. hood still up.
purrrrrrr. he had owned a polaris once, didn't he?

4 dnfs. 1 srx and 3 kitties. for those of you buying a new ride for the
coming season, take note. polaris took 1 and 2. we in the star family
would welcome you and the competition you would bring.

down to the lake. awards. thank you. i will be investing in a number
of after market products tanks to your generous donations. next year
does not get easier.

drags. where's that sr.?

again polaris takes 1 and 2.

it may be perspective, but the 600 is very quick off the line. and in
some cases was not being left behind at the higher speeds. this is to
be cont.

#3 "Dash for Cash Champion for the New Millennium." AKA "DCCNM."

Oh the stories and perspectives that follow...

to all at the bonfire:

thank you to one and all who offered (or allowed) #5 to take your
beautiful, working snow machines for a rip this weekend at the bonfire!
seriously, thank you, for the show of support and understanding for a down
rider. I have already identified the problem with the sled - I noticed it
as soon as I opened the hood the next day. there, right in front of me,
the problem was as clear as day - there was a Suzuki motor in that sled!
I'm not sure at this time what I can do about that problem.

today (Monday) it will reach 50 degress and the local snow will go away
quickly now. and although I truly wanted one more great ride up north
before calling it, appearantly, the ZR has called the season for me. with
a new baby right around the corner (due end of April), and a new job (start
in 2 weeks), I believe I will use this time to begin work on the KTM to get
it ready for the long upcoming season. the only time I will have available
soon must be reserved for RIDING, not repairing.

and so, alas, I will give my final ride report for the 2000-2001 snow
season: drove around the entire lake looking in every nook and cranny I
know of to stick a truck/trailer away from #2's camp in vain. unloaded and
carried the start/finish cone to the field. said hello to everyone, and
did my qualifying runs without having yet seen the track. P6 of 9 - not
very good, thanks to #27 and Tony for a great job on race control. there
was a moment of pure exhilaration at the start when I heard the sound of 9
screaming motors and saw a flashbulb go off (no Tony, that was not
lightning) from the huge spectator turnout - THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!! I
was 3rd going into turn 1 behind #3 & #388. the first backfire came on the
sharp rise after completing 1 lap, second backfire at turn 1 where #2
ducked underneath taking 3rd place from me (an all too familiar sight), a
third backfire in "turn 4" and lost the motor immediately after. pulled
off and watched with bitter-sweet emotion the remainder of a truly awesome
event. there, under the stars and ski area lights in a nearby field of our
beloved lake, was the culmination of our pres' dream. 8 of WPR's finest
battling it out for supreme recognition of Champion.

a hearty congrats to #3 - you are clearly Top Dog this year. enjoy the
trophy, $80, and a long off season of bragging rights - you earned it!
keep in mind, it is more difficult to defend a title, just ask #2.

thanks again for the condolences and ball-busting from all the members who
showed to make the 2001 Bonfire another spectacular event. also, let's not
forget a big nod to the snow god who endowed us with tons and tons of fast
thick snow for the party!!!

SEE YOU ALL NEXT SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!

faithfully,
#5

We clocked in a good 125miles up at Nash Stream. Diamond pond was excellent! I got my arse kicked by my buddy and his MXZ700. My sled could barely hit 100-105mph. He would pull awayfrom me after 90mph. After the much anticipated ball busting, I tried to explain something wasn't right. Come to find out, I stripped one of the bolts for the VES plastic cap which eventually fell out and ripped the rubber bellows. Sled is in the shop, hopefully it's back in time for Saturday. I have some catching up to do!

# 24 and 195 arrived in Grand Isle late Saturday afternoon. Temps had fall rapidly. Just outside of Caribou a snow drift blanketed route 1. Five cars were of the road. 24 said look at that van of the road. I replied I was watching our trailer trying to pass our truck on the left hand side. Winds were gusting all afternoon and would last well into late Sunday evening. 10 below zero temps with 50 below wind-chill limited us to a 42 mile ride this evening. Short ride to the Lake View for supper.
Sunday the high was -5 with the same amount of wind. We headed east and to south east ending up in Fort Fairfield for lunch. Trail down was hard and fast. After lunch we headed back north to Grand Isle. In the open fields winds nearly blew you off your sled. 157 miles would be the total for the day.
Monday was a heat wave. High of zero and no wind. We rode to Oxbow with hopes of having lunch here only to find out they no longer served lunch. Trails down were perfect. 15 miles from Oxbow suffered some wind damage. Many trees down. One hung low across the trail. No Blair Morgan riding style here. This part of the trail was littered with some major Geos. Despite lunch we met some new friends Rooster and Sable. A pair of labs. One chocolate and one yellow. We rode back to the Four Seasons in Ashland for lunch. After bodies and machines refueled we continued our ride which would lead thru Portage. From here we headed north passing old WPR camp. By way around long lake thru Madawaska we would end up home in Grand Isle with 202 miles.
Wednesday we headed over to Fort Kent. No in town riding was needed unless desired. New bridge was complete. Tracked to Eagle Lake. Trail in great shape. We decided to continue south with a plan to have lunch at Dean's in Portage. A quick stop was made on the trail after spotting some moose. After some picture taking we fired up the sleds. Another stop would be made before lunch. This was at the Portage Lakers Snowmobile Club's trail shelter. I had to check if the WPR business card the pres. give me on the last trip was still here. I proudly stood out protected by it's placement inside the shelters window. After lunch we crossed various trails ending with 210 miles.
Thursday we rode south thru Caribou towards Easton. After lunch at Winnie's in PI we checked out some property in Mapleton. Came across a friendly Mainer walking his dog from his sugarhouse. A former Mass resident himself he has no regrets moving to Aroostook County in 68. After riding a few miles we came across a dead Cat. I helped with a tow to the rode were he would await a ride home. This day would end with 190 miles ridden.
Friday we rode out to Dickey with hopes on the return the Deboule trail was groomed. A thumbs up by 24 after a view of the trail promised a smooth ride. We had lunch at Dickey's Trading Post. Comanche was not around. Gloves would be safe today. We decided to ride the river back. Once on the Deboule trail riding continued to be excellent. Met the groomer half way which only made a smooth trail smoother. Back up 85 north we fueled in Eagle Lake. 218 miles later the day ended.
Our final day Saturday would be our high mile day of the trip. Heading south on less traveled trails would be the plan. Arriving in Mars Hill for an early lunch at Al's Diner. 24 had the whole clams not the tenderloins. 195 tested the homemade soup and sandwich. Both excellent choices. Upon firing up the trusty Polaris we came across some more less populated trails in superb condition in and around PI and Mapleton. Here we rode west to north and south experiencing some of the County's less known trails. Wind picked up reminding us of our cold windy start. After a quick stop at the Lake View to warm up a bit we headed home for supper. 234 miles for the ride.
We had a great trip completing the Snow Goddess Run. With a five dollar entry fee and getting your card stamped at 8 locations, you were entered in the raffle for a $1000.00 prize.

195

The Saturday before I sold the ZRT I took a ride around the house. It
will be the last 5 miles for this season The yard is full of tracks,
criss crossing all over the place. I don't have my sled, but I have my
memories of the mighty ZRT. #27
Total miles: 5

Dear Pres,

Headed to Jackman Saturday the 3rd with a couple of friends who rented a
500 liquid and a 600 liquid (Polaris) both were brand new. Went to the
Northlander Saturday Night for some Cocktails that night place was
hoping. Sunday morning after bedding down at Bishops we headed for
Quebec. It was a great day for riding except for lots of weekend
traffic on the trails. Two hundred miles later straight up Trail 75 we
landed at Hotel Berienes in St. Nicholas. We parked the sleds, checked
in and took a cab into Quebec City. It was a great night. We woke up
and took trail 5 east to trail 551 south to 540 west to 551 south to
trail 55 west to Lake Echimen. The riding was the best ever. Trails
could not have been better. We rode another two hundred miles that
day. We checked in and turned the town inside out. It snowed about a
foot overnight. We woke up to fresh powder conditions and headed west
on 55 to 75 south back towards Jackman. The trails were excellent until
we hit Maine. We rode up to Pittston Farm. The trail could not have
been worse. Plenty of snow and plenty of whoopdedoos. We had a good
meal there and grinned our way back and stayed at Bishops again. Total
miles for the three day tour was 531. We had one fouled plug and one
guy went off the trail into heavy powder. It was the best trip I've
been on. Touring is a great way to go. The people are very friendly in
Canada. They love Americans. The dollar goes a long way up there and
the trails are the best I've ever been on. Dana ( Danas snowmobile
rentals in Jackman Maine) was very good to us. He took time and pointed
us to various places to go. He knows the area well and even had a few
cold ones for us upon our return. If anyone would like some info about
Canada let me know. I have a few places to recommend to insure you have
a great time and you will have a great time.. Saddle bags are worth
their weight in gold. They ride excellent and are easy to take on and
off. They are a must for touring.

WPR of the millennium,

#4

# 2, # 3, # 5,# 18, # 37(nice to finally meet You) and big john from wpr2. We all departed from the Poor farm up into the wood twords mason n.h. All trails had good amont of hard packed snow. The trail were a lot of fun, but extremely tight (75 % of them) With many elevation changes along with some semi fast trail's and plenty of whoop sections. We did have on trailing arm issue on big john's xlt. I also hit something pretty good but escaped with no damage (I Think). Otherwise minus a few bogs from # 18 mechanically we were pretty good Again (good job members). On the way home we stop off @ Pratt pond for some drag racing # 3 wins again, But a surprise from # 18. The 6 of us were greeted by mason finest who was checking radar and registration out on the trails. Since one member was registered in NH The waiting game began. Adventualy the officer flashed us with his blues while leaving us out on the lake.

# 2 and # 3 ventured to the pearl hill on the 2nd Tuesday of February 2001. The trail consisted of untouched to hard pack. After doing the usual loops we decide to head back @ a reasonable time no to wake the neighbor's. # 3 and I had a few good laps out in the fields along with a little rubbing before calling it a night. #2

Day 1 Friday after dinner (prime rib and bake stuffed shrimp) Total distance 2 miles time 1 hour. To make a long story short, I couldn't climb up an old ski hill (mechanical issue) and # 8 had buried her sled in the wood on top of the hill 3 tenths of a mile high @ approx. 60 degree slope or steeper. So I had to walk up it. It almost killed me!!!

Day 2 Saturday we were off to Lancaster to get a new belt and unloaded just over the bridge in Vermont on rt. 2. We started @ 10 are and finished by 2 PM. We went north out of Lancaster to Grovetown Nash steam and back. # 8 started feeling pretty good about 3/4 of the way to Nash steam and really picked up the pace as compared to the start of the day. 48 miles total

Caribou - day 2 PM

I can see several are writing in with their experiences from our latest
adventure. I hope to see every member write at least a quick something.
Just so we can get a general feeling of what each member thought of
Caribou, ME.

I will write about my epiphany on the afternoon/evening of day 2. first of
all, I would like to personally thank #27 for his companionship on that
fateful afternoon. he is always willing to go out for a fellow member -
thanks 27! I understand that my riding buddy (#23) dutifully headed back
for my side and was overwhelmingly turned around again by #27. thank you
also #23.

now, on to the details (abbreviated). after lunch in Fort Kent (with the
really nice waitress) having decided not to head over the border, we headed
out for the Allagash River Trail which sounded beautiful to me. after
negotiating the "city" again, we headed out on rail bed which was groomed
flawlessly. and that's when my situation went from managable to not. I
waived on member after member (and appearantly #24 into head-on traffic -
sorry #24!!!) I waited for some mid power to return as it had for the past
1 1/2 days, but it did not. in fact, I slowed and slowed until I could not
build enough revs even to engage the clutch. I pulled to the side of the
trail and changed plugs but knew in my heart that this time it was near
fatal. after making a plan with the returned #195, the friendly proprietor
of John's country store stopped and offered to lead me to the Cat dealer
nearby (he was on a 700cc Yamaha longtrack) - thank you John!!! after a
while #27 appeared and we 3 were off. at the dealer I pled my case and he
agreed to take it into the bay and check the TPS. he adjusted it but the
only affect that had was now my throttle safety switch didn't work and had
to be disconnected (I don't think they were really related).

after wasting 1 1/2 hours at the dealer his best guess was that my
cranshaft was twisted due to the BM clutch kit I installed. (biting my
tongue and not blurting out "you're an idiot!") I explained that this
problem existed before the kit was installed and that doesn't matter
because the problem is intermittent but he insisted. here is an excerpt
from the futile conversation... "#5: let me get this straight, are you
saying bent metal???"... "tech: yeah."... "#5: INTERMITTENT bent
metal???!!???!??". "tech: well, um, yeah. y'know these motors do funny
things sometimes." it was then that I knew it was time to move on. (#2
your point is well taken stating that these CATMASTER technicians took a 2
week course six years ago or whatever and are nothing special - good call.)

we decided we'd better head back keeping our route near highways just in
case we needed to come back with the trailer. I led and it went something
like this, 20 seconds at 20mph, then 10 seconds at 80mph, then 20 again.
this went on for appx. 25 miles or so with #27 being extremely patient and
not blasting past me on any of the well groomed straights (I don't know
that I have that same kind of throttle control). we stopped at one point
and swapped injectors to see if the problem (too rich on mag side cylinder)
would follow the injector. when we stopped 10 miles later it had not.
while peering at the motor in the fading light of my dying flashlight, one
of us saw that my coolant level was low in the reserve tank. as we stuffed
snow into the tank and chatted, I was lost in thought of my condition. it
couldn't be stator or computer because it was only affecting one cylinder,
it couldn't be injector because it didn't follow the injector when swapped,
it wasn't fuel pressure (pump/regulator) because the gague was rock solid
at 39lbs. all day, it couldn't be cylinder/piston damage because it was
intermittent, WHAT THE HELL COULD IT BE????!!!!??

after filling the tank with snow for about 20 minutes (it was slow going) I
looked in to see where we were - and it was EMPTY! the tank was completely
empty, no coolant, no snow, nothing. what? we kept filling until it was
half full again, which set me on another thought tangent of what just
happened. why the coolant disappear after sitting (motor off) for 20+
minutes? I didn't think this coolant thing and my problem were related.
we got started again. the sled started up and could run at full throttle
again because it had cooled down from sitting (could this be temperature
related I thought?) after clicking off 5 miles without missing a beat, the
further we rode, the harder I pushed, waiting... pushing... focused on
any miss, any hesitation, any sign of less power... nothing. the harder I
pushed, she was always right there, asking for more. 10 miles - no lack of
power, multiple 90&100+mph straights with no loss of power. one more long
hill climb, surely the motor is up to full temp and will give on this climb
- it was 500yards of 20 degree incline, I leaned back and put the lever to
the bars and held on... 70, 80, 90, more and still pulling at the top.
what could this be?? low coolant???? how could it be?

#27 and I decided to go the same restaurant as the night before. I
wouldn't allow myself to believe the problem was discovered - and it was
low coolant. when we got to the restaurant I stuck my head down to the
bottom of the engine and there I saw what I was looking for, the conspicous
green fluid on the bottom of the pump and little stains of it in the
bellypan below. my thinking originally was that that was a reserve tank
and so long as there's some in there, then there's enough in the system.
but while eating diner it occurred to me that if there was a leak at pump,
either out of the motor (true) and/or into the crank (maybe true) then the
proper amount of coolant being moved by the pump wasn't making it through
the motor and to the coolant temperature sensor on the other side (after
the thermostat). therefore the coolant that was going through was absor
bing more heat.

now a lesson in superior Arctic Cat technology: the sensor told the
computer of the elevated coolant temperature which forced it into a rich
mode I've heard called "limp home mode" (explained below). what surprised
me most was that it was non-discreet. in other words, I thought that this
rich mode was on or off. the fact is, the hotter the coolant, the more the
computer compensates. rich mode does 2 things: 1. limits revs to reduce
the amount of heat produced by the motor, and 2. dumps extra fuel/oil mix
into the cylinder (appearantly more on one side than in both equally) to
increase lubrication and act as an additional cooling fluid to protect the
motor. it does this on one cylinder and allows the other to run and allow
you to "limp home". I have done a pretty thorough inspection of the
pistons and cylinder bores on the intake and output sides once on my work
bench due to the nature of this problem and everything looks hunky-dory.

I want to go on record as saying that THIS BATTERYLESS EFI SYSTEM BY
SUZUKI/KOKUSAN DENKI DEFINATELY SAVED MY MOTOR!!! THANK YOU TO ARCTIC CAT
AND ITS ENGINEERS FOR THIS REMARKABLE SYSTEM!!!!!!!

the fix: total rebuild on the water pump. required parts: oil/water pump
drive shaft (corrosion on shaft causes wear of seals, inner and outer
seals, oil pump gaskets (must remove oil pump to remove/replace shaft and
drive old water pump seals out from the other side of the crankcase).
total parts cost: $93. current status: motor in basement, one broken
screw and screw extractor still in crankcase of 3 that failed when trying
to remove (fyi: cobalt drill is NOT harder than hardened screw extractor).
1 1/2 old seals out (1/2 seal remaining is difficult to drive out through
crankcase). oil pump off, drive shaft out. all parts in except waiting
for 1 last oil gasket from A/C. plan: should be ready next weekend if
gasket comes in. total mental anguish: TBD.

I am pleased to have found the problem with this machine. it will have
been well worth it once I am back together. this sled really flies (#4
hits the nail on the head with his description - it feels like a dirt
bike). there will only be another report on this topic if this doesn't fix
the problem. there had better not be!

my next tech report should be "the hazards of installing picks". later...

faithfully yours,
#5

P.S. a big thanks to all those who lent mental labor helping me with this
deal, and screw you to all those you didn't! (just kidding).

The Mountain is now gated off. A new route has not been investigated.

Damage sustained to the Pres.'s tub. As a reward for a successful hill climb, (See Pros), he set his exhaust on a stump and melted a hole twice the size of the original.

On a positive note, he now has a snow cooled chain case.

Did I mention the lake sucked?

#2 ran over a boat.

Digging out. We were constantly digging out #2's and #388's snowbound sleds. The snow banks were quite high and crusty.

It was a good thing #5 wasn't there. We all know his success rate in this type of terrain.

If the lake wasn't soft, it was frozen in clumps and jolted your skies. Whacka, Whacka, Whacka....

Pros: Several hot laps around the "Dash for Cash" course. It may be noted the a clockwise route is in my opinion the way to run. In addition, due to the size of the course, it is also my opinion that no more than five should race at a time. The corners get very crowded and the speeds can be high.

Wintery's pits. A few good hill climbs. Lots of freshsnow.

Witnessing the tenacity of the Pres, our Fearless leader, using all three attempts the climb a wall that #388 thought better of walking up. Two failed attempts brought his skis over the lip only to find the sled sliding backwards 65 feet to the ground. (#2 surely has more distance backwards than most of our members combined.) The third
was of course successful. He carried a lot of speed to the top. It was quite impressive. I would like to go on record as nominating him for WPR's Most outstanding Member for the period 2001.

All in all a good time. Loaded 12 - 12:30. 20 miles recorded.

I logged 30.9 miles for the record # 2

Caribou trip:

Left for Colebrook, NH. after work on Friday (1/12/01) with three close
friends, two of which are my cousins.
I would have liked to join in on the Maine trip but lack of vacation time
prevented that.
Hit the trail at 9:30 Saturday morning and crossed the CT. river into
Vermont. Road to East Burke, Vt where we fueled both the sleds and
ourselves. Lunch at the Outback (not to be confused with the chain of
Outback Steakhouse) was very good. The trails from Colebrook to E. Burke
are in great shape and well maintained with the exception of a couple small
connecting trails.
You will have to excuse the lack of trail numbers, I do not have the trail
map to try and reconstruct the day. If anyone would like the details I
would be happy to get them for you.
From E. Burke we road to Island Pond Vt. Again the trails in great shape.
We arrived just as it was getting dark. Found 60 to 70 sleds )and a couple
trucks) gathered at a drag strip plowed down one side of the lake. A 50 ft
stretch of packed stow was the staging area which dumped you onto the Ice
for a good 1/4 mile strip. We immediately lined up (4 across) and waited
for the starters signal. The Polaris SKS-700 didn't have a chance without
picks, the XC-600 and XC-500 both had difficulty hooking up but the ZR-600
EFI snapped off the line and ran by itself for the length of the runway!!
We parked 100 ft off the line and watched several drags before continuing
on into town for fuel and beverages.
We left Island Pond and headed back to Colebrook. I think we passed more
groomers than other riders on the way and can honestly say we never had
better conditions than the ones experienced that day.
Arrived back in Colebrook approx. 7:30 - 8-00pm. Approx. 180 miles total.

Sunday morning road to Diamond Pond, NH, The Balsams (Dixville Notch) and
back. Conditions were as expected, beat close to town and good at high
elevations. We were able to find some trails in good shape. The weather
was warmer and the small snow/sleet was causing a nuisance layer of ice on
face shields.
Came across an accident scene from the night before. A rider was unable to
negotiate a turn across a bridge. He needed a life flight for medical care.
Not good.
We ended the short morning run on a good note and loaded up feeling good
about the weekend.

Synopsis:
First real ride for # 37 in over 10 years was better than expected. My sled
performed with only a couple small quirks. I managed to stay with the pack
the majority of the time. Not bad considering the lead sled is driven by an
Ex- Snow Cross Racer!!! It is amazing to watch him ride. His stories of
racing, double jumps, battles with Chris Vincent (Ski Doo) and victory
circle scuffs made for interesting conversations at the Island Pond
watering hole.
Manadnock B&B in Colebrook. $27 /pp/n includes breakfast. We had the cellar
with our own entrance, our own bedrooms, a bath, livingroom with cable and
a refrigerator. Good Deal!
Vermont trails in great shape and more open space. Real nice scenery. NH
had more (expected) weekend traffic Including Park Rangers with radar.
Probably because of the accident. We did come across a Ranger in Vermont
however he was only checking to make sure you had the VT reg. tag.
Over all, a great time with good friends. Thumbs up to the guys driving
the groomers in VT!!!!

# 37

Time for US (#66, #34) to cash in some more WPR "fun miles"!
1/5/01, Rode from the house, down the power lines, and to the tracks. We hit the usual spots, and did about 12 laps around the big field. (If you run the perimeter of the field, it totals .8 miles per lap!) We are currently scouting a parking facility, in hopes of having a WPR dash for cash "north"! Total miles: 23
1/6/01, Same deal, power lines to the tracks, more laps and jumps, BUT...we found a trail off the tracks which leads to a small bridge....we passed under the tracks and ended up in the town forest. Rough acreage is 65. There are many trails, but mostly less than 6' wide. We ended up at another Town field at the other end of the woods. This field is almost perfectly flat, with perimeter lenght of .6 miles. Total miles:35
1/7/01, We went to Merrimack, N.H. Our goal was to find the trail head (southeren most start). After many miles of searching, we finnaly found the begining of the trail! We headed North, but after only 3 miles.....a new gate, at the begining of a new housing development! (big BIG bummer). Total miles: 35.5
These 3 rides egual 168.5, bringing myself and Duane up to 262 for the season.
(easy to track total miles....Duane's sled a none at the begining!)

I went to the lake today with the whole family. # 8 even logged 2 miles, she left after an 1 hour. The camp did get up to 65 degree in the kitchen by the time I left @ 1pm.

I got up there to set up for 9 am expecting # 8 by 10 am. I hooked up with #388 and his buddies until 10:30am. # 388 blew up after battling with Vmax 600sx. Kind of reminds me of locking bumpers ?? Then I saw #6. We rode together for a bit. Checking out the dash for cash race track, the sand pits and a few speed runs on the lake.

The lake had 6" of solid ice with packed slush, snow and ice totaling a 1 ft on # 6 side of the lake. Slush developed though out the day on the untouched stuff. Keep it safe

Quick evening ride for #195 and #24 14miles.


195

Well, it wasn't Aroostook County, but it will have to do for now. How many days until the trip? Went out solo this evening. Not far from home, so I know I could always walk home from the woods. Did a few speed runs up the hill. Hit the trail after this. Conditions not bad due to the light travel. Went exploring and found some decent trails with pretty good cover. I came across a frozen swamp. I check first before crossing. I didn't want a repeat of a swim I had two years ago in Oxbow Maine. Made one more speed run upon leaving the woods, before heading home. 16 miles for my solo trip were logged.


195

The riding was 50/50 on the way out of the flume. We started to hit some moguls for a good beating, the trail hadn't been groomed yet. We ended up as far as Lancaster and decided to head back for some chow at Faybans. We ran into some good stretchs that had been groomed on the way back and got into some fast paced riding. We ate dinner and departed from Faybans without letting our food settle. We then raced back for a solid hour and pushed ourselves to the point of puking. We had a near collisin with some moron on an arctic cat, who came flying around a blind corner only to find myself and three buddies heading the opposite way. Finally outcome- we moved, he rolled and did about a G's worth of damage. It was his fault and he knew it, so he picked up his pieces of sled and moved on, oh well! We made it back to the flume just in time to run into the groomer. He should have been grooming farther up north because the trail he was fluffing was already in great shape, go figure. We logged in 120miles.

It was a good ride with some rough sections, but the entire trail system had snow on the ground, it just needed some fluffing up. I'm beat so I'll give a more indepth report on my page later, you'll get a laugh at all the things that could have went wrong and did. #388.

The Grovetown Classic:

The started off wonderful. Our departure time was earlier than planned. We left Townsend common @ 5:40 am (GOOD JOB to the TEAM # 3, #5, #10). We made great time north and with 2 stops, one turn around and one Blown fuse. We were @ the drop zone before 9:30 am. My anticipation to hit the trails was so great I didn't even care about the blown fuse and figured I would deal with it later. We started out on corridor # 5n up through Nash steam Condition were awesome You could ride as fast as your machine would take you. Of course we did the speed limit. As we head toward Errol on trail 82 grooming ranged form good to poor. We then picked up corridor 19n to 18s into Errol center for lunch. Lunch was good however I think # 4 (our culinary director) should have some homework to make a recommendation instead of sending his team members out blind. After lunch with our new detailed map we decided to head up to diamond pond By way of corridor 18 then south down 134 to dixville peak. This area was extremely well groomed and tons of snow it was pure heaven. We never fount a trail marked as 134 but we did find 132. Trail 132 wasn't on our new detailed map? This is when we decide the map looked good but didn't match the trails. This leads me into the poor job NH does with their trail naming techniques. There was one intersection marked left to corridor 18 s and the right to corridor 18 w? How can this be? I think we should get # 5 involved in cleaning this mess up, he had plenty of good ideas. What was left of # 10' map's were enough to get us to dixville peak from the backside by way of corridor 5 to trail 110 (the balsams trail). Did I mention we have a new saying @ Wpr? It's similar to "do bears shit in the wood"? Well our saying is "does # 10 shit in the woods"? Well the answer wood is the same for either question. After dixville peak we decide to head back to Nash steam we basically went home the same way. At Nash steam with a little over 100 miles we decide to head north on corridor 5 up to the Nash bog trail. This trail was single track not groomed and tons of snow. We even saw a moose out on the trail. Now it was time to head back to the trucks by way of the high side if Nash steam only to find once again our trail map and the trails didn't match. After some back tracking we found our way to the high side of Nash steam and cruised back to our trucks. Logging in 137.5 miles.

Now the trip home, We found the blown fuse put in a spare and all seamed well. We decided to stop for a drink @ the quick stop, when leaving the parking lot the fuse popped again. I decide we could just head home with out the gauges and the defrost/ heat. All was well until Franconia notch when the Toyota started to pop and wiese until it died. We coasted through the notch down to rt. 3 exit and all the way down past # 6 old stomping grounds the Indian head motel. Replacing the fuse along with a jump and all seemed well? We decided to just drive straight home and skip dinner. The toy made it home fine we even stop @ shortys in Bedford New Hampshire per # 4 recommendation This was a well though out choice that # 4 is capable of. Once back @ # 3 house when # 3 hit reverse it became apparent what was wrong. The fuse blew again. The Toyota trailer wiring system far outdated # 3 trailer wiring. The backup light on my truck was connected to the trailer ground every time we would go in reveres the fuse would blow.

I would like to thank # 10 for all of his help as my support vehicle without him life would have been even more miserable.

I would also like to thank # 3 for not jumping ship to # 10 warm / cozy truck.

• # 5 parking techniques one would think that after 7 + years of riding he would have figured this out
• # 10 calling to nature
• # 5 riding off trail exertion (all of them)
• # 2 consistent car issue's when going to Nash Stream (2-2)
• # 10 electrical dark cloud that appears when ever we ride together, except this time he gave it to me
• # 3 not bringing enough oil or spark plugs that he didn't really need, but some how try's to blame the prez.
• 80% of trails were perfect
• Lunch and dinner were excellent
• Riding safely with good Friend's # 2

Myself and to buddies from work hit the lake on 01Jan01 @ 9:00am. The lake was pretty well packed down by the locals. We ripped around for awhile and found that we were breaking loose quite a bit. We took the trail up to the field where the "dash for cash" will be held. It was in mint condition! We then crossed Rte. 140 and went into the lower parking lot of the MTN. We heading up the trail to see if anyone had tried the mountain, but found the trail to be free of any sled marks. We took a left and followed the tracks and came out in a field(1 of Jamies buddies), we turned back and ripped back on the lake. We logged in 30 miles. The conditions were getting better as the sun beat down on the lake, we ended up picking up another 10mph top speed on the lake. Over-all the lake was great, I can't wait untill it's total packed for optimum traction. #388

Dec. 31
We went up to Pelham, N.H. and met up with a friend who has ridden the local trails. We off loaded at Pelham town forest, and hit the trrails. All the trails where narrow and rough. We saw a few other sleds, and a LOT of 4 wheelers. Obviously the 4 wheelers where KILLING the trails. We played in a few fields, and also played on a couple of ponds and one small lake. #34 wasn't TOO fond of the lake, as it had a few "WET SPOTS" and a large open section on the other end.
Total for the day....12 miles # 66

Dec. 30.
We (# 34) cruised the fields, and power lines around my neighborhood. We also ran the RR tracks to the next town. We played in a snowfield that had a ridge to jump, and took turns attempting a GRACEFULL landing. We returned later, and found a hidden field (state acreage...) and set some hotlapos around the perimeter (about 10-12 acres). Came upon some "domesticated" deer (6). They weren't too bothered by sleds OR riders, and took a break from riding and watched them graze.
Mileage for the night was 10 miles. # 66

Official report soon to come by # 5. However I felt it was important to post a special thanks for the wonderful hospitality # 3 and # 4 provide. Since our trip is leaving from Townsend # 3 and # 4 have gracefully offered to do the following for the Prez:

Store his sled in a heated garage

Store his trailer until after the Tuesday trip

Shovel the snow of his trailer

Fill the gas tank of his sled

Change his carbides on his sled

Load his sled on # 3 trailer

Cover his sled when its on the trailer (Hint)

Giving him 2 bush for snowmobile stickers

Giving him axo motoxcross boots

Lending him dry pants after our ride last night (52 miles worth # 2, # 3, #4, # 5)

Again thanks to # 3 and # 4 for all of there hard work # 2

Also, I would like to mention # 5 displayed great style in the shit pit hill climb, story soon to follow.

#2,
Myself (66), and Duane (34) went for our first ride of the 2000-2001 season. We arrived at the rest area at Franconia Notch at 9:20am. Trail conditions for the notch area are good. Temperature was 14 degrees, with a hefty 25-35mph wind. The trail up to Twin Mountains was average for this time of year, with moderate base, and many washouts from all the streams. Once at the Twin Mountains, trails around town had a sparse snow base, with lots of ice underneath! (Ice storm, 1 1/2 weeks ago). Sections of the trail up to Mount Tom were extremely rough. This was the worst ride to the topof Mount Tom I have ever experienced. From Mount Tom, we headed to Fabyan's for lunch. On the way, #34 had a problem with traction on a down hill grade with ice (no studs), and ROLLED his BRAND NEW sled. No damage.....no personal injury! As we hit the railroad section to Fabyan's, I did a high speed run down the trail, only to miss the turn-off from the rail road bed, and slowed in the rails to turn around. As I was turning, I caught a glimpse of #34 attempting to make a highspeed turn onto the bridge....and he was abruptly spat-off, causing his sled AND himself being tossed upside down!!! Rider suffered no injuries (just ego), but sled suffered a minor fracture of the hood. After lunch, we headed up to Mt. Jefferson. By this time it was 3:30, so we headed back to the truck.
All in all it was a decent day. Most of the trails left much to be desired, but all in all it was a good ride. Mileage for the day was 134.
"66", 34 & 66jr.

Trails at my house are 3-4 inches of packed powder after the 2 groomers went out. Keeping speeds down the XCR800 did a fine job grooming the trail. The XC 600 groomed the secondary trails. Performance by operator and machine was excellent. Thanks #24. After 11 miles by #195 and 7 by #24 the trails should be in fine shape for this coming weekend.

#195

Dear Pres just wanted you to know I rode 5.7 miles on the Killings
fields. The corn stalks are a little high this year.
WPR of the Year,
#4

Mileage for # 2 on 12/14. Rode in my yard for a total of 1.8 miles.

#2,
Mileage for Thursday nights ride is 3.8.
"66" and 34