Outdoors

Published
January 9, 2011

Allen Afield: Positive changes require respecting our opponents

For over a quarter century, I have carried a thought into each new year. It started in the 1980s, when David Allen (no relation) worked as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. It’s a good message now, as controversies in the Legislature begin to heat up and escalate through late spring. And […]
Published
January 9, 2011

Outdoors Calendar

Winter Walks, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, 9:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, and Jan. 20 and 27. Full moon hikes are planned for Jan. 17, Feb. 15 and March 18. A $5 donation is suggested. Please pre-register, especially if you want to rent snowshoes. Visit www.hvnc.org, call 586-6752 or e-mail waywards@hotmail.com for more information and […]
Published
January 9, 2011

Glory days

Can Maine cities and towns rekindle some of the excitement and community involvement that the winter carnivals of decades ago generated?
Published
January 9, 2011

Kid Tracks: Libby Hill gives cross-country skiers some thrills

When you think of cross-country skiing, your first thoughts might not be about hills and speed. But my kids’ skinny skis have seen plenty of both because it’s their favorite part of the sport. So our recent skiing adventure on the groomed cross-country trails at Libby Hill in Gray was right up their alley. We […]
Published
January 9, 2011

Snowmobiling: More women getting into the driver’s seat

Maine’s high quality trail system has attracted a growing number of women snowmobilers. When snowmobiling first got going in the 1970s, it took place in fields and backyards. Today, there are more than 14,500 miles of groomed trails in Maine. The growing number of clubs also welcome women. “I think participating in the club as […]

Published
January 9, 2011

Birding: Names reflect history, not reality

What’s in a name? As far as the common names of North American birds are concerned, a lot of history is in a name. However, that history often contains misleading or, in some cases, inaccurate information. The idea for this column came while looking for American tree sparrows recently on the Waterville Christmas Bird Count. […]
Published
January 9, 2011

Skiing in Maine: Novices get nudges to embrace winter

Believe it or not, there are people who don’t like going out in the snow, wind and cold of Maine’s winter months. This month, two programs aim to convince these nonbelievers how much fun skiing, snowboarding and other Maine outdoor activities are. Not only is it National Learn to Ski and Snowboard month, but the […]
Published
January 2, 2011

Deirdre Fleming: State parks are more beloved than ever

As the nation has worked through the recession, few entities have felt good times. Maine’s park system is one. On several fronts during the state park system’s 75th anniversary year, there was growth, new energy, excitement — and even surprising devotion. Like the 25 families taking the first-time challenge to visit all state parks and […]
Published
January 2, 2011

Would your family rather be skiing? Tell us why (in a funny way)

Want to learn to ski or snowboard for free? Make us laugh. It’s that simple. To welcome winter and celebrate January as Learn to Ski Month, The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram has joined forces with the Ski Maine Association for a contest that last year sent six families to the slopes for free. We […]
Published
January 2, 2011

Hunting: A look inside the biologists’ black box

I guess it’s only human nature to complain about the things we don’t understand. People are forever besmirching weather men, but if they had even the slightest understanding of meteorology and nonlinear dynamics, they’d realize how remarkably accurate those guys are in predicting the weather. They criticize Jonathan Papelbon for throwing a ball low and […]

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