Outdoors

Published
January 26, 2013

Uplifting experience for some

Skiers who skin their way up the hills may be a minority, but their passion is forcing resorts to reconsider policies.
Published
January 19, 2013

Deirdre Fleming: Snowmobile race series expected to be a huge draw in northern Maine

When the International Snowmobile Festival, shared between Madawaska, Maine, and Edmundston, New Brunswick, fell apart three years ago, Madawaska was without a winter festival to draw tourists for the first time in a dozen years. In its heyday the three-day international festival brought in 1,000 people, said Jean Ouellette, a member of the town’s snowmobile […]
Published
January 19, 2013

Birding: Christmas count delights from around the state

This column is the second of three in which I will describe some notable sightings of Maine Christmas Bird Counts. We’ll take a tour around inland portions of the state this week. The next column will cover some coastal and off-shore counts. The Lewiston-Auburn CBC on Dec. 22 produced a nice mixture of lingering species and winter […]
Published
January 19, 2013

Best Bets

THURSDAY Full Moon Hike 5 p.m. in Jefferson The Full Moon Hike at Hidden Valley Nature Center will include an owl prowl, led by Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association naturalist Lynne Flaccus. Coyote tracking, winter tree and twig identification and winter camping skills are also on the schedule. There’s a $5 suggested donation. Reservations are recommended. […]
Published
January 19, 2013

Snowmobiling: Snowpacked happy trails there for the riding

So far, Maine has been blessed with a white winter and while the warmer weather early last week may have melted some of the snow on the southern coast, there is still plenty of good snowpack in the western, central and northern areas. “With the exception of this minor January thaw, riding conditions have been […]

Published
January 19, 2013

John Christie: Waterville Valley regaining its grandeur

A few times every ski season I like to spread my tips a little and explore some undiscovered (by me) ski area either in Maine or beyond, or to revisit a favorite or two of mine outside the state that I’ve neglected for a long time. The neglect is excusable, as we’ve got such great […]
Published
January 19, 2013

Hunting: What’s in a name? It depends where you are

More years ago than I care to remember, I came across an elderly bird hunter and asked how his morning had gone. His response included some mention of flushing a few partridge. I was still a student of wildlife biology and, thinking I knew it all, dismissed his identification as the ramblings of an old […]
Published
January 19, 2013

North Cairn: Fisher cat best viewed at distance

When it comes to the thrill of a natural encounter with a wild animal, what you don’t see can sometimes count for as much as what you do. That was the case several nights ago when I returned home in the car and rolled into the plowed area that leaves clear the graveled dirt just […]
Published
January 19, 2013

Allen Afield: It’s tying time again with visions of salmon

Fly-tying booms across Maine each winter, a wonderfully pleasant pastime that requires no license to participate — just good eyes, nimble fingers and sedulous nature. Reasons to tie flies vary with individuals, and for me an important motivation involves priceless memories generated by flies constructed decades ago. In short, my flies form a record of […]
Published
January 19, 2013

Soldier’s joy in the snow

Veterans from all wars find therapy and comfort in the many outdoor activities at Pineland Farms.

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Outdoors