Aroostook County Wrap Up

  Here are some pictures from our recent trip to Aroostook County!

 Portage Lake

The drive up was beautiful but very cold.  On our way up we passed by Portage Lake at sunset.

Cold!



That night we stopped in at the Swamp Buck in Fort Kent to enjoy the local color.

Bucks at the Swamp Buck

It didn't warm up much the next day.  We saw the sights in Fort Kent, then headed out to the 10th Mountain Division biathlon facilities south of town.

A cold morning in Fort Kent

The entrance to the 10th Mountain Biathlon Center

The 10th Mountain Center lodge and shooting range

Snowshoeing on the 10th Mountain Center Trails

After snowshoeing, we drove east along the Saint John River to Madawaska, the northeasternmost town in the United States.  On the other side of the river is New Brunswick, in Canada.

Madawaska, the northeasternmost town in the United States

After Madawaska we drove south through a winter landscape of lakes, rolling hills and potato fields.

Long Lake

Potato Fields

Ice Fishing Shanties

We spent the night in Presque Isle, the biggest city in Aroostook County.  The next morning we went snowshoeing in the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge.

Snowshoeing in the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge

Not surprisingly, due to the cold we were the only visitors to the refuge that week.  The ranger was very hospitable, allowing us to change into our outdoor clothing in the midst of the visitor center's numerous animal displays.

 Animal Displays at the Visitor Center

The Refuge is a very unusual property, located on the former grounds of the top-secret Caribou Air Station, adjacent to now shuttered Loring Air Force Base.

 

 A closed gate at the former Loring Air Force Base

Loring was a Strategic Air Command nuclear bomber base throughout the cold war, and the base's nuclear weapons were stored and maintained on what is now the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge.

 A Snark missile at the former Loring Air Force Base

After touring the Refuge and Loring, we started the long drive home.  On the way, we stopped to see the Bigrock Ski Area outside Mars Hill.  A series of large wind turbines cap Mars Hill above the ski area.

 Bigrock Ski Area



Although the cold weather certainly presented some challenges, it also created a truly fitting winter background for our interesting enjoyable trip to "the County."