Wild. Scenic. Rugged.
Maine is one of the Northern states known for its wilderness. Conservation of land through not just forests and parks, but land trusts are helping keep lands wild and undeveloped.
Outdoor adventures are abundant in Maine. Hunting grouse, deer, and moose are popular. Fishing the rivers, lakes, and Atlantic coastline for bass, trout, tuna, cod, and haddock is a more common sport. OHV and snowmobile trails are abundant throughout the state also. Let’s not forget the AT northern terminus on Mt. Katahdin. Hiking trails to waterfalls are epic as well as winter sports of skiing, snowboarding, and snow shoeing. The list just goes on and on. Ice fishing, paddling…
For us, we went with another couple to hunt and do a little sightseeing. We stayed at the Northern Outdoors in a cabin and utilized the experience of a professional Maine Hunting Guide. Our particular guide just happened to also be the Appalachian Trail Ferryman. The weather was challenging with high winds, making it more difficult than hunting in Northern Maine already is. Getting to the preset stands was easy enough, the location and opportunities were good. The thought while sitting there though of dragging a 200 pound plus buck out of there was daunting!
The hunters gathered each morning and evening for food, stories, and instructions from the guide. Definitely a great experience for a first time Maine hunt.
The women enjoyed driving around, sightseeing, and shopping while the men hunted during the week. Nearby Moxie Falls was by far their favorite. They will laugh for years about trying to find Grand Falls, better yet settling for the 4 mile round trip hike to the Logging Deck Diner. Sometimes, the best adventures have no real destination.
The Forks, Maine is an adventure paradise worth checking out. Guides and lodging are ample in the area. We enjoyed our stay and hope you will share your experiences in the comments about the Maine outdoors.
Lessons learned:
- Heavy boots in muddy, steep elevations isn’t recommended. It wears you out fast. Sounds like a no brainer, but forgot it as a flat lander.
- Wicking under-layer and fleece middle-layer worked well while moving about in cold weather.
- Very poor cellular reception in most areas so be prepared with Garmin texting devices or Midland GMRS radios. These worked well depending upon our needs.
You’re never too old to learn something new. Get out there and have a moostastic Maine adventure!
We will be back for more wild and scenic fun!
FLATWOODERS 