ATV Troubles

Flats the Pits

Last spring while ATV riding, my left front tire suffered a puncture. While the hole wasn’t major, it did cause the tire to rapidly loose air pressure and the only way I was able to make it back to camp was by repeatedly re-inflating the tire with a hand pump. Examining the tire at camp, I noted that a large nail was causing the issue. Unfortunately, it was a long drive to a repair shop and I had no tools available to fix the issue, so the rest of the long Patriots day weekend, I had to sit at camp while the rest of my friends enjoyed epic trail riding. Shame on me, for not having the knowledge and tools that would have allowed me to make this super easy tire repair.

Under Pressure

One of the most common breakdowns an ATV can have is a flat tire. Preventing this from happening starts even before hitting the trail, by checking tire pressures. Choosing the right ATV tire pressure is based on a combination of the manufacturer’s recommendation, terrain and load. For example, when riding on hard surfaces, such as pavement, packed dirt and hard snow, stick with recommended pressures of 7 to 8 PSI for best traction and ride comfort. On soft surfaces, such as gravel, mud or soft snow, tire pressures can be reduced to 3 to 4 PSI which improves overall traction. When transporting heavy loads, such as an additional passenger, tools or gear, tire pressures can be increased to 8 to 9 PSI (just never exceed the pressure listed on the sidewall). If readers find all of this confusing, most ATV manuals reference 5 to 6 PSI as a good compromise for normal trail riding and also a safe PSI for avoiding most tire troubles. As always, reference the owner’s manual, as with all the different designs of ATVs, these general guidelines may not work for your particular machine.

Be Proactive

Several products exist that allow ATV tires to continue to function even if they receive damage. The least expensive of these options is Slime tire sealant (https://www.slime.com). This fantastic product can be added to leaky ATV tires or simply added to tires as a preventative measure. Small tire punctures, like nails, are instantly sealed by the “slime” product and it is likely that ATV riders won’t even realize they have received damage.  Because of this, ATV riders who “slime” their tires should thoroughly inspect their tires after each ride. “Sliming” costs approximately $12 per tire.

A more expensive but ultimately more aggressive option, to protect ATV tires, are Tire Balls. This product consists of many small tough rubber balls that are placed inside each tire during the mounting process. The balls allow an ATV tire to continue to function, at nearly full speed, even with a large hole and no air pressure in the tire. Tire Balls retail for around $200 per tire and are available for most sport quads, 4x4s and UTV tire sizes. Contact Tire Balls (https://www.tireballs.com) for ordering information.

Trail Side Repair

Having the proper tools and knowledge will fix most tire troubles. Most critical is never leave home without a tire repair kit. While several companies make these repair kits, my favorite is made by Slime. This simple kit is comprised of only four components, a reamer for cleaning out the puncture hole, rope plugs and rubber cement for sealing the hole and a plug driver for inserting the rope plug into the hole. With this simple kit, tires even with significantly large punctures can be repaired with multiple rope plugs stacked on top of each other and sealed with rubber cement. At the very least, a big leak can be slowed enough to get home. Make sure to add to the Slime kit, a set of pliers for pulling the nail out of the tire and wire cutters for trimming the rope plug.

Central Maine Trail Riding

Despite the posting of large parcels of land in Central Maine, local ATV clubs do an excellent job of working with landowners to keep trails open. The three clubs in the general area of Central Maine, include the Central Maine ATV Club in Fairfield, the Messalonskee Trail Riders in Oakland and the China Four Seasons Club in China.

I recently had a chance to talk with Tom Rumpf, president of the China Four Seasons Club. Tom told me that due to decrease in volunteerism, dwindling land and landowner relations there has never been a more critical time for sportsmen to join an ATV club.

The China Four Season Club is an impressive facility, boasting a sizable club house, ample parking and a beautiful sand beach located on the shores of China Lake. All 40+ miles of club maintained trails are easily accessible via the club house. Tom outlined that the club has a large number of exciting activities and events scheduled to occur throughout the summer months for club members, including a club ride with a date to be determined, club booth at “China Days” the first weekend in August and a club raffle for an AR10 rifle.

If interested in learning more about the Four Season Club please call 207-416-2070, email rrrumpf@cinabro.com or join one of their club meetings, held on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 7 pm at their clubhouse located across from the town office in South China, ME 04358. 

Hiking Central Maine

Last spring, my two sons informed me that it was my fatherly duty to take them up Maine’s highest peak, Katahdin. While in my 20s and 30s I had climbed Katahdin over 30 times, including 7 winter ascents, old knees, a bad back and a 47 year old cardiovascular system had me realizing that before attempting the mountain, I needed to train. (*Side note, before starting the Katahdin hike last summer, I packed a small container of Bayer aspirin in my backpack in case I had a heart attack, LOL! When I later told my wife, she didn’t find it nearly as funny as I did!)

While millions of people head to the gym to prepare their bodies for a wide variety of outdoor pursuits, I have always found that the best way to train to climb mountains is to well…climb mountains. No elliptical runner, stair stepper or tread mill ever created, can prepare muscles, ligaments and tendons to handle slippery, unstable rocks, adverse weather, airy heights and the full body workout that is required to drag oneself up Katahdin Stream Trail. Because I knew this to be true, my training regimen consisted of hiking some of the “larger” mountains in the central Maine area.

Bond Brook 
Anyone starting out on a new exercise program should first consult a doctor. It’s also a good idea that if you have not exercised in a long time to start out with something relatively easy. In Augusta, the Bond Brook Recreation Area (Map 12, C-5) is a 270 acre urban wilderness area owned by the City of Augusta. At only 270 acres individuals will be pleasantly surprised to discover a network of over 12 miles of trails here. These trails are popular during the summer with mountain bikers and hikers and in the winter enjoyed by snowshoers and Nordic skiers. The Bond Brook parking lot is located directly behind the Augusta airport. To get there from Downtown Augusta, head north on Mt Vernon Avenue and turn left onto Bond Brook Road. From Civic Center Drive, head south and turn right on Bond Brook Road. Turn left on Tall Pines Way; there is parking located before and after the bridge and more parking is available at the stadium. Follow Tall Pines Way up the hill to the Stadium Parking Lot. Parking is also available at Mt. Hope Cemetery off Winthrop Street.

Mt. Pisgah Conservation Area 
Once a new exercise program is started, it’s helpful to slowly increase the intensity of your workouts to continue to strengthen muscles and cardiovascular systems. Mt. Pisgah (Map 12, C-2) is a perfectly “moderate” hiking trail. The 0.7mile trail to the summit is up a steady grade but not oppressive. The forested summit of Mount Pisgah features the former Maine Forest Service fire tower, which was in use from 1949 to 1991. The tower provides spectacular 360 degree views and on a clear day, Mt. Washington can be seen looming on the western horizon. To get to the Mt. Pisgah Trailhead from Route 133 in Wayne, turn south onto Fairbanks Road. At the end, turn left onto the Mt. Pisgah Road. Travel south about 1.7 miles, the parking lot is on the left. From Route 202, turn onto North Main Street and go into North Monmouth. After about 0.7 mile, turn right on New Road, which becomes Mt. Pisgah Road. Continue for approximately 1.6 miles, the parking lot is on the right.

Kennebec Highlands, Hiking Kennebec County’s Highest Peak 
After maintaining a fairly steady hiking program for a couple months, most individuals will be ready to take on more challenging mountains. The Kennebec Highlands are comprised about 6,400 acres in the town of Vienna, Rome, Mount Vernon and New Sharon and is the largest contiguous block of conserved land in central Maine. Fantastic hiking opportunities, exist in the Kennebec Highlands, including Kennebec counties highest peak, McGaffey Mountain (Map 20, E-3). The summit of McGaffey Mountain (1,310 ft.) is accessible via the “A” trail, a “moderate” hike which follows a gradual uphill grade. After 3.3 miles of hiking, the trail opens up onto a beautiful overlook. Following the trail another 1.2 miles across a rocky ridge line and it terminates at the view less summit of McGaffey Mountain. The McGaffey Mountain Trail starts off Watson Pond Road, which branches from the west side of Route 27 about a mile north of the intersection of Routes 27 and 225. Several other small mountains, exceptional for hiking and well worth exploring include: the 2.9 mile loop trail up 854ft. Sanders Hill, the 4.5 mile loop trail up 1,133 ft. Round Top Mountain, the 1.3 mile loop trail up 755 ft. Mt. Phillip and the 1.5 mile trail up 665 ft. The Mountain.

Wildlife Quiz - Gray Squirrel

The Eastern Gray Squirrel’s (Sciurus carolinensis) native range stretches from northern Canada, all the way into sections of Texas and Florida. A species well adapted to survive in a wide variety of rural as well as urban environments, the gray squirrel has rapidly spread across the country, largely displacing native red squirrel populations.

Highly prolific, gray squirrels breed twice a year, once in the spring and again in late summer. Gray squirrels construct nests comprised of dry leaves and twigs called a drey, usually constructed in the crotch of a tree. Litters range in size from 1-8 young, with only one in four managing to evade predators, avoid sickness and starvation to survive to one year of age. Of those individuals fortunate enough to survive the first year, about half perish in the follow year.

In preparation for winter, gray squirrels hoard tremendous amounts of tree buds, berries, seeds, acorns and even some types of fungi in small caches for later consumption. Scientists studying the behaviors of gray squirrels have estimated a single squirrel make thousands of caches each season. To prevent other animals from retrieving cached food, squirrels will sometimes pretend to bury a food item, if they feel they are being watched. Those who have spent time watching the antics of the gray squirrel in woodlands and parks across the country will surely note this species amazing ability to descend a tree head-first.

Gray squirrels rank as one of few mammalian species that can accomplish this amazing acrobatic feat. The squirrel does so by turning its hind paws so that the claws point backwards, allowing the squirrel to easily grip the tree bark.