This week could turn into one heck of a 50th anniversary around Moosehead Lake, because this is the week Squaw Mountain Ski Area atop Moose Mountain may open its doors again. A friends group incorporated last February pushed into high gear two weeks ago to raise money and turn the once defunct small ski area […]

Sometimes the slightest vision leaves me calmed by the joy only nature can reveal. And so it came to me at the last full moon, the shining, ivory orb in the cold winter sky, held in the half fog of the stilled night, too frozen even for the mice and one bigger animal — presumably […]

A number of Maine mountains provide snowshoers and hikers with access to their ski slopes for winter adventure on foot. Ready-made packed trails allow for straightforward snow travel, and wide-open ascent routes offer continuous views. Base and on-mountain lodges make great places to warm up and enjoy good food and drink, and even entertainment before, […]

I watched with fascination as a pair of black ducks jumped from the narrow salt creek and darted away in an erratic, ground-hugging flight. The falcon, which had been coursing several hundred feet above, folded her wings and fell into a stoop. Nearing the ducks she shallowed her dive, then twisted and turned, mirroring every […]

Wind can be both an ally and enemy to skiers and snowboarders. At its best, wind helps to subtly shift snow around the mountain. Breezes move light snow around after storms, filling in skied terrain and once again creating untracked powder. Unfortunately, wind can also bring in bitter, stinging cold and create a hard crust […]

In my preteens, rabbit hunting meant a short walk east from my home, taking me through a stately grove of white pines and then to a tumbling brook that rushed downhill, enough of a drop for a kid to sled the bank. The stream skirted a huge varying hare (Lepus americanus) cover, dozens of acres […]