Bike ride through Kennebunkport

I have to admit I'm not a big fan of road biking. But Elaine and I had a day to kill in the Kennebunkport area on Saturday. Griffin was going to spend the day at the Seashore Trolley Museum. So we packed our bikes and rolled from the museum parking lot. Our plan was to go toward Ocean Avenue and see Walker's Point.

We headed south down Log Cabin Road and quickly ran into Winks. It's a small market with a great sandwich and meal menu. If you're in the neighborhood without provisions, it's a good place to start building a picnic basket.

It took almost no time to get to Kennebunkport Village. We skirted around it and found Ocean Avenue - one of the most scenic routes in the state.

This also was where the traffic increased. Once we were in view of the ocean, the road got tighter and windier. We're not avid road bikers so we were a bit nervous. But we stopped a lot to soak in the view properly and take photos.

We found St. Ann's on Ocean Avenue a beautiful place. The seaside chapel was a great place to pray, meditate and shoot photos. I have to say it impressed me more than Walker's Point.

The Bush compound is in a pretty spot. And I appreciated the overlook to see it. But we didn't feel very welcome. Part of it was the certainty that Secret Service agents were sizing us up. And there was the well-marked poison ivy (I don't know if that was a security measure planted by the Secret Service). And the view was obscured by fog (Another Secret Service touch?).

We kept going along Ocean Avenue and found Turbats Creek - a beach area near Vaughn's Island. It had some very quaint "houses" along the water. Elaine called them shacks. I thought it was classic Maine. But we scouted it out as a place to put in our kayaks the next time Griffin has a day at the trolley museum.

From there, it was a short ride to Pier 77 in Cape Porpoise. It's a popular spot with two seafood restaurants and a working pier. Parking was chaotic. Well not for us. We leaned the bikes against a sign and ate lunch on a bench.

Normally that spot had great views of the ocean and Goat Island Lighthouse. But fog had rolled in. We enjoyed our wrap from Winks and watched a group of kayakers put in.

By the way, there are rest rooms at the seafood shack.

We decided to keep rolling east and make our way north - angling for the trolley museum. About 20 minutes later, we ran into Dave and Kathy, a couple friends who ducked out of the rain in a stand of trees. After waiting out the rain, the four of us rolled past Goose Rocks Beach and to Fortunes Rock Beach.

By then, there was practically no ocean to see. The fog had cloaked the beaches very well. Distant thunder convinced us to call it a day. We split up, heading back to our parking spots.

It took us almost an hour to make our way to the trolley museum via the back roads on the other side of Route 9. It was a pleasant, sunny ride. Very little traffic to bother us.

All in all it was a great day. We kept the pace gentle - stretching 26 miles over six hours. It was just right to get around the area and enjoy the views. Plus it's always good to run into Dave and Kathy.

A mortal's guide to hiking

Maine outdoors writer Ron Chase has authored a hiking guide with his wife, Nancy. Mountains for Mortals has information for hiking New England's best mountains. It also promises to have great photography.

I haven't seen the book yet so don't take this as a book review. There isn't any local distribution yet so it looks like the only way to get it is by Amazon.

Ron writes occasionally about fun adventures for The Maine Switch, a Maine Today publication.

Daniel Krebs - Come on down

Because the Beaverton, Mich., man's name was the first one called in the 2008 moose lottery drawing. He was one of 295 hunters from out of state who got a nonresident permit.

A small army showed up at the Kittery Trading Post on Thursday night to hear various officials and volunteers read 3,015 names. (For those of you checking my math that means 2,720 hunters from Maine got permits)

No one here is sure why they come. Any minute now, I will have the names online. So will the state. And other various media will publish the names.

But it's a fun atmosphere. Various groups have booths. There are raffles. And there was even free samples of moose meat in case you needed a preview of what could fill up your freezer this year.

Before I go I have to thank some people. Mark Osterman of the DIFW was responsible for getting the names sent to us. Deborah Turcotte, of DIFW, and Julie-lynn Belon, of Kittery Trading Post, were very helpful getting me the info I needed. And Bob Adams, a KTP technician, set me up with this Internet connection in no time flat.

First time on the ocean

Elaine and I went out from East End Beach, Portland, last night. It was our first time this season on the ocean. The weather was perfect. There was a little bit of chop in the water.

We went around Macworth Island and back. Nothing eventful or burly. It was a good shakedown cruise. I tested some rearrangements of my gear. I stowed the spare paddles on the bow instead of stern. I will be able to reach forward more easily than back if I need it.

On the forward deck I kept the clutter to a minimum: Deck compass and a short line. The paddle float and pump were stashed behind me. I'm keeping the deck clear because I'm keeping my paddle as low as possible. It's so low that I bang it on equipment stashed there.

The deck compass is moved closer to the cockpit. There's a depression forward of the hatch for it. But it's a bit too hard to read. The few feet closer make all the difference in the world. I know. I'm getting old. The knees will go next.

But in the meantime, I have plenty of ocean to enjoy.

Let's be careful out there

WebMD.com has a bit about common outdoors injuries. (Thanks to Two Heeled Drive for finding it.)

Then there are a couple tips for preventing injuries. Top on the list is "Stay fit, know your skill level and experience, and don't exceed your limits."

I whole heartedly agree with the first half of that. A little bit of strength and stamina reduce your chances of getting in trouble and increase your ability to get out of it. That doesn't mean you have to be in competitive shape to enjoy the outdoors.

But the "don't exceed your limits" makes me pause. I'm not planning on an Everest expedition or running class 5 rapids. But I do like to test my abilities. I might paddle in seas a little rougher than usual.

Challenges tend to increase skills. I'm never going to get better without taking a bit of risk. But the key is managing the risk. If I paddle in rough seas, I'm not alone. And I have confidence in my rescue abilities. And I'm wearing clothes to help me survive the water temperatures.

But I don't always manage the risk well. While trying to cross an icy slope during a winter hike, I fell and broke my leg. I was lucky in a lot of ways. I could have been hurt worse, and there were a lot people to help with my rescue handy. My mistake was not recognizing the danger and my limitations to handle it.

The best strategy is to be with people who have experience and skill. They can help mitigate your risk while allowing you to learn from challenges.

Got it!

I got the Maine Island Trail Association 2008 Guide last week. It's one of the more useful books a kayaker can have.

The bulk of the book is dedicated to descriptions of islands - location, rules for visiting and camping, where to land, etc. - but there are boat launch descriptions, and articles on safety and conservation.

This year, they returned to a coil binding that allows you to open the guide and lay it flat.

I've only had a chance to leaf through it but it feels more useful than ever before. The chartlets are easier to read. Don't get this book thinking you won't need NOAA charts. The chartlets are good for reference but you need the real thing for navigation.

This guide is well worth the price of MITA membership. But your money also goes toward supporting Maine's beautiful islands and coast.