Due to work commitments, I can't get up to Rangeley Lake, Maine until early to mid-October. I really want to check this area out but am curious about travel conditions at that time of year. Is it still safe to travel in that area in terms of ice or cold? I have a 2008 Ultra with heated seat, grips, and Gerbings clothing but road ice won't respect any of that. If it's just cold, I think I can handle that as I ride almost 12 months of the year in New England, but they say Maine is a world unto its own. Thanks for any advice.

 

I am orignally a masshole, but spent several years i Maine. Yeh it does get a little cold but nothing to worry about if you have all the goods. The ride is AWESEOME

 

There will probably be hard frost in the area by that late in the season. I know northern Oxford county had a hard frost this past Thursday night. I live in southern Maine, and we are getting into the low 40's with fog. Crazy weather this time of year. Today was almost 90, with heavy humidity. Tomorrow is forecast for the 60's. We are waking up to everything being covered with heavy dew, trees, roads, grass etc. Just a short jump to scraping the windshield. Black ice would be my greatest worry up there this time of year.

 

As stated, October will be warm to cold from day to day, you can even get some snow flakes in high country late in the month. But it's still okay to ride, no real icing. Gerbings will make your life much more pleasant.

 

Most years, folks up here ride well into november. I haven't heard anybody mention to watch out for wet leaves on the road, but they are worth paying attention to. Otherwise, it is beautiful up here in the late autumn. Have a great ride, and ride safe!

 

Cochon...like that name...

 

Thanks! The name says something about my heritage.

 

Is this what you mean??


Cochon de Lait
Cochon de Lait literally translates from French to English as "pig in milk", or it is called a "suckling pig". A Cochon de Lait is basically a cajun pig roast of a whole young pig. The pig is slow roasted for 6 to 12 hours. That is what makes a Cochon de Lait an event rather than just cooking a meal. It's an extended "male bonding", "story telling", "bull shooting", "beverage of your choice drinking", "fire tending" event ! I learned how to roast a pig from my late brother-in-law Ronnie Nezat. Click for pictures of one of those early cochon de laits at Ronnie's hunting camp on the banks of the Atchafalaya River.
Ingredients

• 25 to 100 pound young pig
• injecting marinade (see recipe below)
• cajun seasoning mix (homemade, Chachere's or Zatarain's)

• several heads of garlic
• cooking shed
• lots of wood

Preparing the Pig

• Obtain a 25 to 100 pound young pig. I've usually cooked about a 70-80 pound pig. The largest pig I ever cooked was 115 lb, which fed about 80 people.
  Cochon de lait - "pig in milk" These are 80-100 pound pigs.

• The pig needs to be butchered by scraping and not skinning. The skin needs to be on the pig so the meat does not dry out.
• If you do not want the little fellow looking at you while its cooking, then cook it without the head. Personally, I consider having the head on part of the presentation of a cochon de lait. But by all means, remove the eyes.
• Prepare a sturdy frame to spread and skewer the pig. You will have to partially split the backbone of the rib cage from the body cavity side in order to spread the pig flat. The pig needs to be supported for its full length, or else it may fall apart when it gets tender.

 

Lets see, mid October could vary between mid 30's to low 60's.
With everything thats already been mentioned, you'll want to watch closely
for moose and deer (esp moose) on the shoulders and in the middle
of the roads.

Its picturesque over there through the hills and around the lakes....
probably past 'peak foliage', but non the less a nice ride.