Life is an adventure worth sharing... thanks! Happy Birthday W!

For some time now I've heard rumors of a new hiking area somewhere up in Central Maine. You probably know all about it, don't you?! Always the last to know, I am. Anyway, just did a Google search for "Kennebec Highlands" and came up with plenty of info...

Wow! The Kennebec Highlands is a 6,100 acre preserve in the Belgrade Lakes region. It's got 18 miles of multi-use trails (hiking, mountain biking, and horseback--with more to come), secluded ponds, mountains with far-reaching views, and loads of wildlife. Sounds like quite a beautiful place. I'm going to try to get up there this coming weekend and poke around a bit. I'll let you know what I discover (and hopefully bring back some decent photos using my new digital camera!).

11/1/04 Update: Hiked the 4.5 mile Round Top Trail. It was a fine walk on a wonderful 60 degree Indian summer day.

I've been thinking a lot lately about getting out for a nice long hike. Not a day or a weekend, mind you. A week or two, at least, maybe even three. Something beyond Maine's borders...

There's really nothing like an extended period of time out on the trail. Enough time away to really get into the rhythm of the walk, the surroundings, the people, Mother Nature; while allowing all the "stuff" that clutters up our daily lives to fade away, if only temporarily.

My last long hike was the West Highland Way through the wilds of Scotland, now several years ago. It's time for another, I can feel it. And Europe, one of my favorite hiking destinations, is a likely choice. Maybe the Tour Du Mont Blanc this time, a ten-day trek through France, Italy and Switzerland around the massive hulk of Mount Blanc. Well-kept trails, high mountain passes, extraordinary scenery, quaint villages, cozy pubs... that would do just fine, I'm sure.

There are other possibilities... the GR20 on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. The GR20 is reputed to be the most challenging long distance trek in Europe and would require about 15 days (plus travel time). I like the sound of that! And then there's the spectacular and often wildly-exposed treks through the Dolomites of northern Italy. So many trails, so little time!

I was in this long hike mode the other night as I sat down to relax after dinner. I plucked John Hillaby's Journey Through Britain off the bookshelf and retreated into its pages for a few minutes of quiet escape. On page 68 there's a wonderful quote by Hazlett, a frequent walking partner of Wordsworth, that sums up my feelings about a good long hike.

"The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty to think, feel, do just as one pleases. We go on a journey chiefly to be free of all impediments and of all inconveniences; to leave ourselves behind, much more to get rid of others. It is because I want a little breathing space to muse on different matters... that I absent myself from the town for awhile... Give me the clear blue sky over my head, and the green turf beneath my feet, a winding road before me, and three hours march to dinner--and then to thinking... I laugh, I run, I leap, I sing for joy."

Yes, it's time to get the guidebooks and maps out; to start scouring the Internet for info; to gather up the gear. I love the excitement of it all. A long hike surely looms near...

Registration information for Shawnee Peak's "Racing with the Moon" corporate night ski racing series just arrived today.

I've participated on a team of friends for five of the last six years and have had a great time. It forces you to get outside and get some exercise during the week, something that can often be pretty hard to do during the dead of winter. And it doesn't require that you know how to race, believe me! We've all taken our share of diggers on the course, whacking ourselves on the marker poles, skidding out of the course on an icy turn, yelling expletives as we fly semi-out-of-control.

But it's so much fun! Just take your two official runs down the slalom course, flail away at will, and then the rest of the night is free skiing for fun under the lights. Finish off the evening with your teammates at Blizzard's lounge with a cold beverage and hot wings, while race results are announced and prizes awarded. What could be better?

Is it actually possible to start the ski season without taking in a heart-pounding Warren Miller ski film? I don't think so!

Miller's latest film--Impact--is another classic. I watched the trailer and now I can't wait for more. It's got skiing and riding's hottest stars tackling impossibly steep slopes of beautiful, untouched powder in exotic locations around the globe, all set to adrenalin-pumping music. It'll leave you screaming for the white stuff!

Impact is coming to Portland to the Merrill Auditorium on Sunday, November 7th. Don't miss it!

It's taken me a few nights camped out on the trail and some late nights at home, but I've finally finished reading Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. The book is a departure from Krakauer's prior writing that focused on adventure, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Under the Banner of Heaven is the true story of the gruesome murder of a mother and daughter by Mormon fundamentalists in Utah in 1984. Well written and exhaustively researched, Krakauer masterfully weaves a detailed history of Mormonism into the story that provides the perspective essential for the reader's understanding. It's a disturbing and controversial book, but well worth the read if you've enjoyed Krakauer's other books: Into Thin Air, Into the Wild and Eiger Dreams.

Next on the winter adventure reading list: Good Morning Midnight by Chip Brown. It's the story of longtime New England conservationist and author Guy Waterman, who committed suicide on top of New Hampshire's Mount Lafayette on a sub-zero February night several years ago.

National Geographic Adventure arrived in the mail today. So I sat down, grabbed a cold beverage and proceeded to read it from cover-to-cover. And now I don't ever want to go back to work (please don't tell my boss)! I just want to trek all over that world. Seriously, it's that good a read.

Adventure travel, backpacking, climbing, kayaking, mountain biking--you name it. Top it off with great writers and photos, this magazine has it all. I may never get to many of the places that are featured monthly in Adventure, but I've damn well added them to my "to-do" list. And with a little determination...

This month's Adventure just happens to feature a place close to home--New Hampshire's Mount Washington--a favorite destination of Maine adventurers. Because of its weather the mountain is considered the deadliest in the U.S., and 133 people have lost their lives on its slopes. The story provides a frightening account of two climbers who died while ice climbing in Pinnacle Gully, while making the case for Washington's deadly reputation. It's a chilling reminder to all of us.

My American Skiing Company Season Pass finally arrived in the mail today! I opted for the Bronze Pass, the least expensive deal at $349 (it's gone up a little since to $379), with only 14 blackout days. That should work out to be plenty of skiing (Wait: Did I just say plenty of skiing? Is it is ever possible to have too much skiing?!).

You wouldn't know it with all the great fall weather we've been having, but in just a few short weeks it's very likely that we'll be bombing down the slopes through the white stuff. Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Attitash... here we come.
Can't wait!

Have you bought your pass yet?

I guess I've never been real big on technology, especially when it comes to the outdoors. I don't own a GPS, an altimeter or an iPod, for example, all hot "must-haves" on the trail today. About the most advanced thing I ever carry into the woods is a camera. Even that's been just a simple point-and-shoot Olympus 35mm slide camera. After five years of abuse, though, it finally died on me last year while I was rafting, mountain biking and backpacking in Utah. And I've been bumping along with a cheapie ($39 at a Salt Lake City Walgreen's!) camera ever since. It was time for a new one, and--whoa! stand back!--a digital one at that.

Now, when I bought a cell phone earlier this year I thought for sure I was the last person in Maine to do so. The Madison Avenue marketing people would certainly not categorize me as an "early adopter," the term for those people who jump on new products. Nope, not me. I like to wait and see and wait and see...

Well, I have indeed gone hog wild with technology again (what's happening to me?). I actually went and bought a digital camera. Can you believe it? Am I again one of the last people around to get one! Seems so.

After doing plenty of research and waiting long enough for prices to drop, I went to Best Buy to take the plunge. I settled on a Nikon Coolpix 3200, a sweet little 3.2 megapixel camera. As far as I can tell, it seems pretty easy to use and it's lightweight--perfect for the trail. Just enough, but not too much.

I tried it out it this past weekend while mountain biking up north. No problems so far, but I'll keep you posted. And I'll work on getting some photos posted here for you to look at.

After five seasons of regular riding and minimal maintenance (read: mega-neglect!) my mountain bike was in need of some serious repairs. So I took it up to the bike shop at L.L. Bean to find out what needed to be done. I bought my bike there originally and have had great luck with their service, so I keep going back. Besides, it gives me a good excuse to shop at the store and spend more money on outdoor stuff. Sound familiar?

Anyway, it turned out I needed a new drive train (cassette, bottom bracket, crank and chain), as well as a full tune-up. Ouch! But it had to be done. I got it back in just four days and it rides like new. Thanks guys!

Anybody know where I can take a bike maintenance course?