Mine wasn't too bad. I did framing for a couple years and got a weirdly huge right thumb from wielding a framing hammer. Still use that hammer but not as much.

 

Interestingly, my wife was going to go this year but decided not to about a month before we were due to leave. We were in the middle of selling our Mass. home and were pretty much moved in here in NH. I think that figured into it a good bit. When we go to Northern Maine she'll take a couple rides with me. Mostly to look for wildlife. Maybe one whole day. A friend of mine described her as a low maintenance wife. She is fine with me riding pretty much as often as I want. Trouble is getting others able to get out.

 

You folks are obviously very dedicated ATV adventurists, I don't know that I would be willing to drive that far to go riding. Maybe that statement is easy to say because we have so many riding opportunities right out of our back door. If I couldn't go as often as we do or have the freedom at the drop of a hat to drive 20-30 minutes to a trail head, not sure I could justify having our machines. I commend you on your dedication. I was showing my wife your pictures you posted today including the ones of you leaving to head home, she commented that she couldn't even comprehend having to drive such a distance after the long days of riding that you had. I told her that I can understand why you would ride your machines so many miles in a day if having to travel to drive that far in the first place. Also what a blessing to be able to have the resources to be able to do it, and good for you for setting a goal and a time frame to go do it, I have a hard time planning that far ahead for anything. That really frustrates my wife, and consequently we don't do a whole lot of traveling. We need to start small and plan some weekend trips to different areas here in the state before planning anything out of the state. With Montana being as big as it is, we can drive as much as 7-8 hrs one way to various parts of the state to get to different Forest Service areas and the trails within. Also we can drive 3 hrs and be into Idaho or Wyoming to some great riding areas as well. We will see what this next year holds for our riding season, we are trying to line up rides already for next year, that is a real stretch for me (LOL) but also trying to talk several different couples into getting machines so we have more opportunities to get out with folks. Some of the best times we've had is when we have a larger group go out, and to be able to take a group of folks out to an area none of them have ever been is pretty enjoyable. I have a friend from North Dakota that I met while working in the oil field that came out this last summer with his fiance', they were already talking about coming back next year as they were leaving. While they were here we went on 3 different rides in 2 days, they left at 4 a.m. on a Friday morning from Bismarck N.D., got here about 1 P.M. and we were on the trail by 3 P.M. for an afternoon/evening ride. There are a lot of places we would like to take these guys and they are hoping to be able to spend an extra day or two next time. I guess we could take a lesson from them

 

When I first started riding I went to several different trails by myself. I think I've been on 24 different trails counting the connectors that go from one trail to another. My friends and I have gone some different places together, including a trip to the U.P., but now we mostly ride 1 trail and a bit of another one near their cabin so we don't have to haul our ATVs to a trailhead.

This summer 3 of us packed tents, sleeping bags, gas cans, and coolers full of cold drinks, and went for a good ride. The DNR has a new interactive map if anyone wants to see where we were. We rode around by Muskrat Lake where the Mio trail goes, went by road to The Meadows trail, The Meadows trail-Rose City trail connector, Rose City trail, Ambrose Lake to Rose City trail south, Ambrose Lake trail, and stopped at the ATV-friendly Ambrose Lake campground where we planned on spending the night. There were signs right outside of the entrance saying no ATVs beyond this point. After discussing it we decided to camp in the woods and found a much better place. I saved the coordinates in my GPS so we can go back. The next day we took the Ambrose Lake trail, Ambrose Lake to Rose City trail, Rose City trail, The Meadows trail-Rose City trail connector, The Meadows trail, across highway M33 to the Bull Gap trail, now know as the Mack Lake trail, to the Mack Lake campground where we spent the night. We could easily have made back to the cabin that day but needed a break. The next day we rode the Bull Gap trail, across M33 to The Meadows trail, by road back over by Muskrat Lake and back to the cabin. Some of the guys have done an over-nighter before but I haven't. That was the only double over-nighter any of us has done so far. It was fun but also a pain having to ride with gear piled up on the front and back of all 3 ATVs. We used every bungee cord we had to secure our gear and the stuff on my front rack still shifted around. Some of us have gone 120 miles on one trail in one day before and had "quad butt" from sitting on our quads all day. I'm not sure we went any farther on the double over-nighter, but I think is was over 150 miles. I'd have to ask one of the other guys.

https://midnr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/w...8110fdb4f7799d

 

The little dot above Flint on the interactive map is The Mounds ORV Park. It's close but I don't want to go there, and all of the state and national ORV trails are "Up North". Or on the west side of the state, like Silver Lake ORV Area, where the sand dunes are.

 

It was about 2600 miles each way. At least, the speed limit most of the way was around 70 mph so we could make good time. We avoided getting anywhere near Chicago so we didn't get into too many traffic jams.

We ride in NH and Maine. Both states are trying to increase the numbers and miles of trails and interconnectivity. Maine is doing a better job right now but NH is trying too. In the northern parts of both states you can ride hundreds of miles and across both states pretty well. The big difference here is that the land the trails are on are owned by either private land owners or paper companies that are nice enough to open up their roads as connectors. It's not like Utah or the other Rocky Mtn. states where you can easily see for 50-60 miles from the tops of the trails. If we can ride up to our mountaintops views are more or less 20 miles max. When down on the lower sections we are dealing with growth that will cover a trail in a matter of a few months if crews don't get out there to trim it back. Other than hilltops we can't normally see all that far. That and deep water and mud holes makes it a completely different type of riding than UT. Two totally different worlds. If I hadn't seen Specta's pictures I probably would not have gone out there. My buddy, Paul used to watch Doug Meyers of ATVTV fame way back when on the Outdoor Channel and Specta's pictures put us over the edge wanting to go out. That and Specta spending a couple days with us riding made it that much more enjoyable (He paid me to say that. ) JK The views, geology, different climate, beautiful rock formations, etc. keep us going back. Each time we try to add in trails we haven't tried before. Still haven't covered all of the main Paiute Trail in 3 trips. So, normally, we drive about 2 hours each way to ride So. Maine and can put in about 80 miles at most on the rough, wet trails. If we drive 4-5 hours we usually rent cabins in either Northern Maine or NH where we can ride right from the rentals each day. A problem we have is losing connectors because people don't behave. Not as common out in the West. We are at the whim of the landowners so it's constantly changing and some trail systems get divided. It gets to the point where some of the trail groups just end up closing down over time. Out there, it's much freer.

The big feeling I end up with is that I don't want to leave when I have to head home. Just want to stay there and soak it all in. There is so much to see, just in Utah alone that I could take a 3 week trip every year until the Lord takes me home and barely scratch the surface. It's also really nice to know a friendly guy like Specta who is such a great host. If he doesn't know a trail he knows someone who does. Even not feeling too good this past trip I had a blast.

Hope this explains the why of our decision to go back every other year or so. As long as the Lord allows it, I'll be willing.

 

Moose glad that you get to go someplace you enjoy, those trips are quite an undertaking with a lot of planning I'm sure. I seem to have the opposite thoughts when I'm on a trip away from home it's fun to go and see some different things but actually get excited and look forward to heading home. 😁 Especially when I'm in a heavily populated area and it's in the middle of ATV season👍.If you ever get through viewing all you wish to see in Utah, and the Lord tarries, and.... you still have the urge to travel west, we(wife and I) would like to extend an invitation to our neck of the woods. Would love an opportunity to host you and your bride and take you to the views on our trails. Put it on your calendar 6 years down the road😊.

 

Moose and his clam are great people to ride with. I really look forward to their visits.
I've lived in the center of the Paiute Trial for years and haven't ridden all the trails yet.
I have friends that have and know the area like the back of their hand.
I would help anyone in any way that I can if you ever want to come out here and ride.
Utah is a truly remarkable place to ride.