Having written about four dozen columns over the past two summers about the special places we have available to us to visit in Maine, and recreational destinations that are worth the trip, some readers have asked if we’re running out of places to visit and activities in which to participate.

The simple answer is we’ve just scratched the surface.

Every time I write about a hike, or a kayak excursion, or a scenic drive, or a favorite fly-fishing spot, readers write about their particular choice that adds to the menu of options for those of us who revel in all it is that truly makes Maine the way life should be.

I remember years ago, on the Town Landing in Camden, I was talking to Peanut Alley, sage and resource for recommendations on fishing spots and other hidden local treasures, when he said, “You know, it’s amazing how many people spend their lives in Maine and never really live here.”

Wise words from a wise man. And so true. We’re surrounded by pleasures that others spend thousands of dollars to come enjoy, and who wait lifetimes to finally get to appreciate.

As I think about the recreational diversions I can plan and write about for next summer, my plate does runneth over.

Here are just a few trips I can spend quiet winter evenings after a day on the slopes dreaming about and planning, and you may well read about next summer:

For several years I’ve been enjoying the scenic and recreational opportunities that abound in the Jackman Moose River Region, from hikes on Boundary Bald Mountain near the Canadian border, to kayaking and canoeing on Wood Pond, Attean Lake, Long Pond and Holeb Pond.

And every year I’ve said this will be the summer to take the Moose River Bow Trip, but something always has interfered with those plans. Not so for the summer of 2013, I’ve promised myself.

It’s been variously described as “a 34-mile jaunt through public and private lands” and “an excursion offering spectacular scenery, occasionally challenging paddling, and a hike or two.” Both characterizations are right on, as I’m told that the trip that begins on Attean Pond and snakes along the Moose River through Holeb and back to your starting point is a once-in-a-lifetime look at the best Maine has to offer to the outdoor enthusiast.

Two clearly marked portages, each about a mile long, are required but the reward is worth the effort. The trip can be broken into multiple days because there are 21 campsites scattered along the route, so my plan is to entice a son or two and maybe a few more adventurous friends to embark with me on a trip that I’ve put off for far too long.

Another multiple-day excursion, perhaps in the canoe for comfortable fishing, is a circumnavigation of 20,000-acre Flagstaff Lake, launching in Stratton, heading east down the south shore in the shadow of imposing the Bigelow Mountain, stopping the first night at a tent site at the Round Barn before continuing on what will probably be a three-day paddle back around the east and north shores, where there are ample camping opportunities within the Bigelow Preserve, managed by Maine’s Bureau of Parks and Lands.

Still another adventure planned for next summer is to launch the kayak in Rockwood and paddle over to Kineo to climb one of Maine’s visual landmarks with its sheer cliffs rising out of the waters of Moosehead Lake. And while I’m up there, I’ll plan a return hike on Big Moose Mountain, which I haven’t ascended for about 50 years, other than on the now-defunct chairlift at Squaw Mountain.

And waiting for me for next summer is a trip on the ferry from Bass Harbor to Swan’s Island, with the kayak strapped on the car so I can return to what used to be a favorite destination of mine in my lobster boat to re-explore from water level. While out there I’ll explore the shorelines of the myriad little islands that lie just offshore as well as the protected Burnt Coat Harbor with its classic lighthouse guarding the entrance.

Speaking of islands, you’ll read in one column next summer about a return trip to spectacular Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick east of Campobello, with its remote and wild scenery enhanced by guaranteed whale sightings.

Planned hikes in the Evans Notch section of the White Mountain National Forest and a three-day trek from Route 4 in Sandy River Plantation over Saddleback, Spaulding, Sugarloaf and the Crockers to Route 27 are on my 2013 bucket list, and that’s just a smattering of what I hope will prove to you to be adventures truly worth the trip.

See you next summer … and on the slopes sooner than that.

John Christie is an author and year-round Maine explorer. He and his son, Josh, write about places to enjoy the beauty of Maine. He can be contacted at:

jchristie@fairpoint.net

 

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