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The Town of Fort Kent.

I know this is April and your thoughts are turning to the green days ahead, but I’ve got to step back to March to give this month’s Harry’s Choice Award.

The award goes to the community of Fort Kent, which to my way of thinking, epitomizes what the heart of Maine is all about.

Now, Fort Kent is fine any time of the year, but you simply can’t beat it when it comes to snowmobiling and last month we brought the Northeast Journal crew up there for one of the best adventures I’ve ever enjoyed anywhere.

It’s hard to say just where to start in extolling the virtues of this community at Maine’s northern extreme, but let me start with the snowmobiling itself. While we were there in the middle of March there was five feet of powdery snow on the ground and two more feet came down from the skies after we left. I suspect you’ll be able to enjoy snowmobiling well into May.

The snowmobile trails up there are fabulous too. Without a lot of effort you can get info to find wide trails that are used by few other sledders on any given day, but if you like company, there’s always the well-groomed trails of the ITS. The scenery along these trails is nothing short of spectacular as the rolling hills of the St. John and Allagash river valleys combine to offer endless vistas.

But what I really like about this region are its people. These are the old-style Mainers; friendly, self-reliant folks who really enjoy having people come and visit them. You’ll find friendly, welcoming people whether you are stopping at a local gas station or eating at one of the many restaurants in the area.

Let me give you a couple of specifics based on my trip up there. If you want the latest on trails for either snowmobiles or ATVs, then you’ll want to stop at Fort Kent Skidoo at 5 Joseph Street. This is the true hub for off-road vehicles in the region, and if your machine needs some tweaking before you head off into the puckerbrush, they are first-rate. And they specialize in that friendliness I mentioned earlier.

If you want guiding services for ATVing, snowmobiling, fishing or hunting, plus quality accommodations, then you should call Kevin Pelletier at Crossroad Cabins. The Pelletiers have lived in this area for many generations as guides and game wardens and they know all the best places. The cabins they rent sleep up to eight and are set up for convenient housekeeping. Best of all, everything’s new, with the latest in TVs and appliances. Really, you’ll find everything clean and ship-shape here. Plus the beds are wicked comfortable.

There’s so much going on in Fort Kent these days, you’ll find endless activities. This is a college town with all the cultural events that implies, and the town’s website can direct you to a host of family-oriented places and events.

What makes Fort Kent so especially appealing is that while you have all the benefits of modern life while you’re in town, you only need to drive a few miles in any direction to find yourself in some of the wildest, least developed places in Maine.

If you’ve never been, or it’s been too long, it really is time you found what Fort Kent has to offer to outdoors people today.

For more information, visit www.fortkent.org