Outdoors

Published
June 1, 2013

Canoeing: Lake Cobbossee has its secluded confines

Lake Cobbossee and summer paddling solitude? Yes, it is quite possible on the southern end of this majestic island-studded lake just west of Augusta. Put in at the State of Maine Boat Launch facility on the southwestern corner of the lake just off Route 135 in Monmouth. Consult the Delorme Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (map […]
Published
June 1, 2013

John Christie: Affordable trip to Quebec City offers a taste of Europe

One of our regular, but not-frequent-enough, trips from our midcoast home is only about 250 miles, but it takes us not only to another country but another world. A lot of Mainers have discovered that the straight shot on excellent and scenic roads skirting the east side of the Kennebec River through Bingham and The […]
Published
June 1, 2013

Best Bets

TUESDAY Happy Paddlers 9 a.m. in Boothbay Harbor The Pemaquid Paddlers are celebrating their 10th year of warm-weather Tuesday paddles. All trips last two to three hours. The trips are easy to moderate in difficulty. Participants must provide their own canoe or kayak and wear a life jacket. All trips are free and open to […]
Published
June 1, 2013

Allen Afield: Distance, respect the best approach with hornets

During my childhood, my father or an older cousin, Lawrence French, occasionally took me into the woods to help cut down trees to work up for firewood or logs, mostly the latter with Lawrence. My phrase “to help” offers hyperbole, too. Mostly they dragged me along for company, and in that age before cell phones, […]
Published
June 1, 2013

Carey Kish: Penobscot’s peaks offer a Maine mountain high

East of Baxter State Park, in the far northern reaches of Penobscot County, are a couple of mountains that don’t get very much attention outside of local hiking circles. That’s too bad because both of these peaks — Mount Chase and Sugarloaf Mountain — are great hikes with tremendous summit views, a real wilderness feel […]

Published
June 1, 2013

Deirdre Fleming: Bethel trail race puts focus on suicide awareness and prevention

Kristen Kimball at first only wanted to share with others the trails on which she loves to run around Gould Academy in Bethel, where she lives and works as a college counselor. But somewhere during a morning run this spring, a message about understanding and support came to mind. Kimball thought of creating a 5- […]
Published
June 1, 2013

North Cairn: If only this dog had nine lives

I fear the end. Not my own, you understand. The dog’s. In a way I have been planning for it for years, ever since she was diagnosed with epilepsy at 11 months of age. The vet already by then had been tolerating my dogs and me for 20 years — through the loopy antics of […]
Published
May 25, 2013

Allen Afield: Bass fishing in Maine — an experience like no other

Maine’s black-bass anglers find lots of action during most months from mid-spring to fall, but fishing peaks in the next five weeks, depending on latitude and elevation, as males defend spawning beds in the shallows. Our smallmouth bass in particular offer a world-class experience, an overused description in outdoor sports, but this species provides that […]
Published
May 25, 2013

What’s Up In June: Summer’s coming, and that means the solstice

The month of June always marks the beginning of summer for us in the northern hemisphere. This year that will happen at 1:04 a.m., June 21. The word solstice means “sun stands still” in Latin. That day marks the farthest north of east that the sun will rise and the farthest north of west that […]
Published
May 25, 2013

Hunting: Hunting suffers when landowners deny access

I lost a dear old friend recently. He was one of those rare individuals who respected differing opinions. Though not a strong proponent of hunting, he understood my passion for it, for some reason took a shine to me and allowed me access to all of his multiple properties. His widow was largely indifferent, but […]

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Outdoors