From year to year you just never know what's going to appear in your Christmas stocking, now do you?

For me, it's been anything from toothpaste, dental floss and deodorant to M&Ms, Planters mixed nuts and Hershey Kisses.

Ah, but this year, well, this year was special.

I got an ornament. Not just any ornament, mind you.

An outhouse ornament!

It's the perfect gift for the outdoors person in your life who's really on the move, that's for sure. A symbol of the finer things in life. The important things. Back to Nature like.

So, so thoughtful. Thank you!

Of course, since I rarely put up a tree, I've got the thing setting on the window sill. Come to think of it, I may re-gift my little ornament and give it to the pooper-peeker. I'll bet he'd appreciate it!

Digging a little deeper in my stocking I found another prize winner:

Spam!

How did you guess? What's an outdoorsy guy without his Spam?! Fry it, dice it, hash it, sprinkle it on your ice cream... Oh Spam, wonderful Spam.

What did you get in your stocking this holiday season?

You gotta love how the ski areas creatively manage their weather reports. Don't get me wrong now, 'cause we love you guys. But one has to admire your ability to massage the message sometimes.

Take today at the Loaf, for example. The boxed in weather report reads "Todays Weather: Showers and drizzle, rain possible this afternoon." Pretty accurate description I'll bet.

But just below that, in Today's Update, and with more room to maneuver, a much rosier picture: "Snow conditions are spring-like here at Sugarloaf right now, with soft, edge-able snow all over the mountain." And further... "The rest of our terrain is nice and soft and just waiting for you to carve it up."

You guys kill me! Did you write this while slurping down a few Pick Pole Pale Ales in The Bag?

Let me interpret: It's raining cats and dogs up here. The snow is goopy slush. You'd better wear a raincoat. Be prepared for fog thick enough to cut with a knife. And, oh by the way, there's only three trails open.

No matter, we love you guys anyway. And we're coming up there for New Year's
regardless of the weather forecast. So shove over a stool or two there at The Bag. And put another batch of popcorn in the popper. We're on our way. Soggy confetti, hats, horns and all.

We may get some turns in. We may not. But we'll have fun dammit. Just in case, though, I'm bringing a book and my cribbage board...

I received an email today from someone touting the ski programs of their outdoor travel agency.

In the subject line it read "Mt. Ararat Ski Tours".

OK, I thought. That sounds cool.

Clearly, their was either a) a lack of oxygen flowing to my brain b) an insufficient level of caffeine in my system c) too much tryptophan-tainted turkey gravy in my gut, or possibly all three.

Because as I scanned the message and opened up some of the attached images it began to sink in that this wasn't Mt. Ararat in Maine that they were talking about, it was Mt. Ararat... TURKEY!

Oh, uh, I get it now. Duh!

Anyway, the name of the company is Explorer Outdoor Specialists, based out of Ankara, Turkey, and operated by Yasemin Kececi.

They've got a pretty fine looking calendar of ski mountaineering tours, hiking treks, rock climbing trips and other tours. And some wild looking guides to boot who look like they might just know how to throw back a Turkish beer or two and have some serious fun. Definitely worth checking out.

I guess I hadn't considered Turkey very high on my ever-lengthening "to-do" list, but maybe that will change now. Life is short and there's lots of things to see and do. Gotta get on it...

Yasemin says "We are ready to welcome you to the undiscovered paradises of Turkey!" 'Nuff said Yasemin. I'm with ya bud.

The mighty Pamola has descended from the mount with great news. There's a new sheriff, I mean director, in Millinocket town today.

Jensen Bissell was chosen this morning by the Baxter State Park Authority to succeed the iconic Buzz Caverly as park director.

Bissell has been acting park director since Caverly retired earlier this year. Beyond that, I don't know much about him. But apparenty he's been with Baxter Park for some 20 years, so that's a good thing. He surely knows the turf. And the issues.

Now Jensen... may I call you Jensen? As soon as you get yourself settled in up there I'd like to chat. Just you and me.

You see, I've been trying to get an auto road built to the summit of Katahdin built for years now. You know, just like them nice entrepreneurial folks did over in NH on Mount Washington. A toll road with nice smooth pavement, lots of cars, gift shops and restaurants at the top, port-a-potties--maybe even a few slots--the whole nine yards, I say. Really get people into the wilderness experience, if you know what I mean?

Buzz just wouldn't have any part of my plan, even after I promised that a portion of the revenue generated would go directly to Gov. Baldacci to help reduce the state budget deficit. Nope. He just kept telling me to go away. Buzz was a nice guy and all, but he was always quoting that Percival Baxter fella and tellin' me about protecting the natural resource, until my ears would plug up.

Jensen, I'm hoping you'll be a bit more of a forward thinker and will give the idea a go. It's a sure winner.

What do you say Jensen?

Jensen?

You still there?

Jensen???

[Whoa! Hold the nasty emails. I'm just pulling your leg!! Congratulations Mr. Bissell. It's a big job managing our Baxter State Park. We wish you good luck!]

My blogosphere friend Maya has just introduced me to a new online forum for hikers.

At HikingForums.net you can get in on discussion groups with other hikers, share hiking stories and tips, talk about gear and food, health and safety, and whatever else floats your hiking boat.

Currently, there are more than 4,000 articles posted and nearly 1,000 registered users on the site, so there's already plenty of information for your perusing pleasure and plenty of like-minded folks who want to talk about it.

Maya, a big hiking enthusiast herself, is hoping to grow the site into an online hiking community where hikers can share their love of the outdoors with others. It appears she's well on her way to achieving that goal!

I've just gone to the site and added my name. I hope you will too. More hiking friends and more hiking info and trip ideas. How can you go wrong?

I like spam. The kind you eat, that is.

Yep. Good 'ol Spam.

A standard item on those early camping trips. When me and my buddies would load up our makeshift backpacks and haul cans of beans and spam and hot dogs into the woods for a weekend of roughing it in the wilderness around Bangor.

Even today I am prone to packing along a can of Spam along on a backpack trip to fry up with some potatoes or with a couple of scrambled eggs.

Mmmm. Nothing like t aroma of Spam frying in the pan. And that distinct greasy, salty taste of heavily processed fat, er, I mean meat. Yum!

But I digress on this fine post-Christmas winter morning...

For it isn't canned Spam on the menu today (although a couple of Spam slices on rye with a little mustard would go down real nice right now)...

It's the spam I've got in my inbox this AM.

What does this have to do with the outdoors you ask?

Well, other than the daily adventure of plowing through all this crap in my inbox, nothing. Nothing at all.

You see, I didn't do a damn thing of a physical nature over the holiday weekend any more strenuous than hanging out with family, going to the garage to restock the fridge with beer, or going to the john to pee, or, well, you get the idea. So this is what I'm stuck blogging about. And, therefore, what you're stuck reading.

Unless you decide to click out. And I couldn't blame you. I may do the same.

Anyway, thought I'd share some of the thoughtful Christmas spam I discovered in my electronic stocking over the weekend. Note to spammers: you don't actually believe people read this garbage, do you? You do???

Consider these catchy subject lines:

"plaguesome maggot"
"acquiesce prink"
"inscribed disintegrator"
"preen depopulate"
"shipboard extant"
"apostatize critic"
"sir travel"
"hmmmm, Huddleston"
"retroaction noseband"

Okay now, sure makes me want to click through and see what's up. You?

Spam spam spam spam. Spam. Lovely spam. Spam. Lovely spam...

Hope you all had a very nice Christmas. I'll be back when I have something even marginally more interesting to say (and after I get my Spam sandwich)!

In my younger days (please refrain from any "senior" comments--I know where you live!) I financed a lot of my adventures by working in fast food restaurants.

First at my dad's Orange Julius (for a whopping $1.40 an hour, incredibly, a legal wage then), then McDonald's, and later Wendy's.

Fry man. Dress man. Grill man. It was sweaty, greasy work. But it was also fun and put plenty of cash in my pocket so I could take off on big dreamy trips.

Like driving across the US for two months in my brother's red Chevy van, visiting as many national parks as we could squeeze in and getting a taste of personal freedom that has never been satisfied.

The next year it was a five-month thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. 2,100 miles of life-altering adventure, walking northward, and home, with the seasons.

And finally, such work afforded me a few years of college and the essential monies for food and beer.

Good stuff. But it took money, and my stints in the burger joints made all the difference.

And that's why still to this day I have a warm spot in my heart for all who toil away in the funny uniforms asking if you'd like that super-sized. They're probably financing their dreams too.

So, at this very special time of year, please join me in a little holiday cheer and sing along in celebration of the season...

There's a veil of secrecy over 64 Balsam Drive in Millinocket. Mum's the word. Shhh!

You didn't hear it from me but there's soon to be a new director for Baxter State Park. A replacement for the recently retired Buzz Caverly.

Buzz II.

The Baxter State Park Authority is meeting next Wednesday at its compound under a cone of silence and with bellies full of turkey and stuffing to make its decision. Rumor has it that Pamola himself may attend this special gathering.

The anticipation is killing me. I can't wait. Just a hint please?!

Seriously, the new Buzz will have some pretty big shoes to fill and face many challenges. Caverly ruled the Baxter roost for more than a quarter century, and by all accounts did a fine job of adhering to the bible according to Governor Baxter and protecting this magnificent resource. It's a tough job and he managed it with aplomb.

There is growing pressure on the Baxter resource from the sheer number of people who want to love the park to death. Never mind that Baxter State Park is, for all intents and purposes, the epicenter of a growing controversy over what the future of Maine's North Woods should look like and whether or not our long history of traditional uses can survive.

So whoever is chosen for the job--congrats! And good luck. You're going to need it. But you've got a great staff and a state full of supporters who care deeply about our Baxter State Park. We wish you well.

Who will replace Buzz Caverly as Director of Baxter State Park? We'll know next week...

Over lunch today I opened up my latest copy of The Beacon, the quarterly newsletter of the Cathedral School in Portland, and discovered a heart warming story.

Every Tuesday morning the entire student body, as well as teachers and staff, hits the trail for a 2 1/2 mile walk up Munjoy Hill, around Eastern Prom and back to the school via the East End Path.

That's awesome kids!

All told, the Tuesday Cathedral walking group has logged more than 20,000 miles since summer school. And they hope to surpass 25,000 by the end of the school year.

Wow!

Kudos to the teachers for their guidance and motivation. A great program.

And keep it up kids. Walking is a good habit that is central to a long, healthy life.

When you shoot a deer you'd better make it good apparently. Or else you may end up getting thrashed, as did a Mississippi hunter recently.

When Lonnie Jones ducked into the brush to retrieve the trophy that he'd just downed with his muzzleloader, the not-quite-finished buck decided to come after him. And managed to land a few healthy kicks to his butt, actually lifting him off the ground each time.

The buck succumbed, however, and Jones got his prize, but not before he was good and black and blue.

Now I wonder, if Jones didn't have a gun and had to wrestle this particular deer to the finish, it might well be Jones' flank simmering away in the cast iron fry pan amid the onions and garlic today.

Food for thought.

Spray on mud.

Huh?

Sure, why not.

It's just the thing for that busy outdoors person who wants to impress friends and co-workers!

Spray it on your vehicle, your hiking boots, your backpack. No one will ever know that you didn't even set foot anywhere near the woods last weekend.

Why go outdoors when you can simply look like you've gone outdoors!

Sometime in the not-too-distant future, when hiking the trails on Bigelow, or the Crockers, or Saddleback, we may very well crest the treeline and be greeted with huge wind turbines on the ridgeline before us.

I just don't know how I'm going to feel about that. But I'd better figure it out. Soon. You too. Because this thing appears to be moving forward.

This is a tough one.

You, me, all of us know damn well we need new sources of energy. Clean ones. Efficient ones.

Wind energy fits that bill.

But it comes with some not-so-nice side effects; a hefty price tag of sorts.

Like s series of 200-foot towers on the peaks of our western mountains. And that's something awfully hard to ignore. Impossible actually. No matter which way you turn. No beauty strip of trees will be able to hide this 800-pound gorilla.

By night, of course, these towers will be lit up. Just like any telecom tower. Visible for many miles around.

Can you imagine?

I'm trying. But it ain't working so well.

That's the emotional side of me.

The practical side says, "Hey, we need power. This is clean. And plentiful. It'll be OK."

I know, I know.

We do, after all, hike peaks with telecom towers and ski lifts and various and sundry other man-made developments on them. Do we get all wigged out over that?

No, not really, I guess.

We live in the eastern US. Such development is part of the landscape in this crowded corner of the country. We ignore it as best we can.

Are we gonna be NIMBYs about this. No way. We need to do better than that.

But how?

If only this was something a little less obtrusive. If the visual impact wasn't so enormous. If it just wasn't the Redington Range or Black Nubble that we had to make the choice over.

But it is. And we may well have to live with it.

If, if. Big, big maybes.

What to do?

First we had the Plum Creek development project to the south and west of Mount Katahdin to deal with. That pot is only now beginning to boil. Stay tuned.

As if that weren't enough to squabble over, there is now, to the east of the majestic mountain, another proposal for a development project, similar in nature (pardon the pun), but on a much smaller scale.

Matt Poulstein has proposed an adventure resort with a lodge and some 58 cabins smack in the shadow of Katahdin. Well-heeled guests will recreate by day in the surrounding "wilderness", and dine and sleep in unheard-of comfort in the evening.

The horror!

Poulstein is a pretty good guy from all accounts. For years he's been associated with the recreation industry in the Katahdin and Kennebec regions through his successful rafting and lodging business, the New England Outdoor Center. He's as savvy a businessman as there is. And he cares about the environment in which he does business.

And I believe him when he says he plans to operate in a sustainable way in an effort to meld with the natural surroundings and preserve traditional uses.

I'm very curious, however, to see what kind of reaction Poulstein's develoment proposal will generate.

Will the enviros loudly cry foul, as they have with the big, bad multinational giant Plum Creek over their Moosehead plan?

Or will they quietly give the nod to a local grassroots guy and allow his development plans to proceed unhindered, without fanfare and ecoterrorism threats?

Poulstein may well succeed. If anybody can pull this off and do it right, it's probably him. And he'll no doubt make it into a good thing for the region.

But I'm still curious...

Does scale make a difference, i.e. Plum Creek vs. Poulstein? What if ten other entrepreneurs wanted to do the same thing? What then? Or is it the robber baron image of Plum Creek that sets people off in foam-mouthed frenzy?

Could be the weather. Or boredom. Maybe it's the burrito I ate.

Hard tellin'.

But something made me Google for "hiking in Iraq."

And the results are...

Not much. No organized treks. No instructors or guides. No hiking accomodations. No equipment rentals.

What gives? You'd think there was a war going on over there or something.

But there's at least one brave (insane?) soul, however, who's been hiking in Iraq on his own. Bet the IEDs make for exciting hiking!

Hmmm. Where else off the beaten path can I try?

North Korea maybe?

The weather may be total crap along the coast right now, but up in the mountains it's a different story.

The folks at Sunday River report 5-6" already with more on the way. Sugarloaf reports 5" right now, with a total of 13" predicted.

So fear not all you ski bums. It may be raincoats today, but it's gonna be ski parkas tomorrow!

Ladies and gentlemen I do believe the ski season has arrived in earnest. Let the games begin!

Sometimes you don't have to travel very far to enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature...

Baxter Woods in Portland during this morning's snowstorm.

Brrr! I'm-a cold!

Think I want one of these for Christmas!

And maybe one of these too.

And definitely one of these!

To go with this from last year...

Ho ho ho!

I just came across a new twist in hiking journals: A "fill in the blank" style from Nomad Adventure Journals.

Fill in the blank?

Yeah, you heard me.

Nomad claims "the journal is a fantastic accessory for any serious hiker or backpacker."

Yeah. If you've had a lobotomy.

Jeez, how lazy can you be!

Soon we'll have no motor skills at all. Our brains will atrophy. It's the demise of the species I tell you!

I can see it now...

Billy Bob's Trail Journal

Date: Dunno.

Today we hiked to Mt. Numb-as-a-hake.

The trail was very muddy.

It was a 3 mile hike.

We are headed for Can't Think Lake.

My pack weighs a lot.

Our GPS coordinates are huh?.

The weather is lousy.

Yikes!

Better idea: Grab a pen from the desk drawer. But a 69 cent spiral notebook from Hannaford. Go out and hike. And then--brace yourself--think some pithy, original thoughts and write them down.

Voila, a real trail journal. Easy. Even if you're less than a literary giant, but have the desire to get outside, observe the world around you and how it makes you feel, and write it down.

Leave the fill-in-the-blanks stuff for the crossword.

And speaking of journals, check out the online journals of hikers and their treks on trails long and short, near and far at Trail Journals. It's tremendous reading and will easily get you jazzed to do some big walks.

One minute last Friday afternoon I'm happily walking along Preble Street heading for my center of the universe, my oft times raison d'etre, Bleacher's, and a draft and a late lunch (early dinner?).

Happy because everyone in my office has bailed out early because of the storm. Ecstatic because, yes, it is still snowing to beat the band. Snowing that awesome fluffy snow that makes for killer skiing.

The next minute my feet go out from under me and my arms are flailing wildly in the air. And then, wham! I take a mondo digger on the sidewalk, smashing my right knee into the pavement.

The same right knee I whacked hard while descending Bald Mountain in Camden a week ago. And the same knee I will need for skiing on Saturday.

Not good.

I hobble to Bleacher's, take my seat at the bar and consider my condition (and the beer and food menu, of course). And over the course of the next several hours I tilt back a couple of pints of liquid medication. The throbbing in knee decreases dramatically.

Go figure.

It isn't until I spin around and hop off the stool to leave that the pain reappears. Clearly further care is needed. I stop at Hannaford for a six on the way home.

For medicinal purposes.

Sunday River is on the docket for Saturday morning. Morning being a relative term, it's 10ish before all the gear is rummaged up (first time out is always hell) and tossed in and on top of the car.

I swear a season pass makes you lazy (lazier?).

A crack of noon start. The sun is out and the snow looks fine on the lift up from South Ridge Lodge. We burn down Right Stuff. Awesome. Ride the Locke Triple for runs down T-2 (best snow on the mountain), Sunday Punch, Monday Mourning.

Bum knee? I ain't got no stinkin' bum knee. Well, maybe I do, but I'm not gonna let it bother me today. I may hobble into work Monday, but I'm skiing today. Dammit.

It's Barker Lodge for an obscenely expensive, but very tasty, burger and fries. Two bites, maybe three. No more burger. A Redhook ESB helps wash down the fries. The singer at the bar strikes up his guitar and belts out some some Jimmy Buffett tunes. I am transported to Margaritaville.

Out of the tropical trance and back to the slopes. American Express and Risky Business off the Spruce Peak chair. Nice. Very nice. Ditto. More runs off the Super Quad. A cold finish in the steely gray of late afternoon on T-2.

It's Liam's on the access road for apres-ski. Never been. Inside we find a $2 Rolling Rock, some weird though strangely riveting but ultimately stupid reality show on the tube, and a nice cadre of locals.

On to the Old Sudbury Inn in Bethel village and a descent to the basement bowels of Sud's Pub, THE place to go before all the other swanky stuff invaded the area. And still my favorite. Stone walls, no windows, real old-style pub warmth, 29 beers on tap, outstanding pizza, fun locals.

So good I swear the gates of heaven might be right next door.

Overcome with that awesome apres-ski R&R feeling we settle into our chairs. Gwen, our lovely waitress, takes care of our every need. We depart satisfied and happy. The weekend has come full circle. Happy hour, ski, more happy. Bum knee and all.

Life is hard.


Bright sun at the top of Right Stuff.

Cruising Lazy River.

Late afternoon shadow on Monday Mourning.

Late afternoon sun over the Presidentials.

Thumbs up for good skiing.

... let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

I can't imagine why, but I think I'm finally in the Christmas spirit!

You too, you say?

Ayuh.

Could have something to do with the SNOW outside my window, but I'm not sure.

What I am sure of are the ski conditions up in the mountains, where Sunday River says it's been "dumping all day" and Sugarloaf says it's "snowing hard" up there.

Not to difficult to figure what we're gonna do this weekend now, is it?

Duh!

At least that's what a popular bumper sticker, part of a very successful long term Virginia tourism campaign, says.

I can't personally vouch for this as fact, but Virginia tourism officials sure seem to think the slogan has merit. The 35 year old campaign centered around it has boosted the state's tourism revenues from less than a $1 million to almost $12 million annually.

Can't argue with that.

But Virginia, apparently, is also for land buyers. Of the good kind. And that's very good news for us here in Maine.

The Conservation Fund, an Arlington, Virginia based conservation group has rather quietly purchased 7,700 acres in our own Washington County. The deal will help protect the headwaters of the beautiful Machias River and some 47 miles of pristine shoreline on the Machias Lakes and 13 miles of river frontage.

That's a lot of prime paddling, fishing and wildlife territory. Gotta love it.

Thanks to Virginia and the Conservation Fund!

So what do you think: "Maine is for lovers"?

Lovers of the great outdoors, that's for sure. Lots of us.

Beyond that, well, you'll have to figure that out for yourself...

...then maybe I can get away with it too.

Huh?

Awhile back I pointed out that the Outdoor Life Network was featuring professional hockey games on its TV network. Of course I now see that they are also featuring speedboat racing, dune buggy racing and motocross. But I digress...

Yes, I moaned and groaned about it then, but since they've broken the ice here, I figure it gives me a little leeway to stray off the straight and narrow outdoors path somewhat too.

Huh? Get to it boy!

OK, OK.

You see, last night it was cold and windy outside. Dark too. Not fit for man (person?) nor beast.

But inside, a different story. Especially if you were inside the Cumberland County Civic Center in the stands amongst a sellout crowd of rabid fans watching the two-time national hockey champion University of Maine Black Bears skate, slug and shoot their way to a win over Brown University.

For Maine fans, though, the game was a sleeper for the first 2 1/2 periods. Brown had our number and outplayed the Maine kids big time. 1-0 after two. It looked grim. A nail biter at best.

Almost as grim as the Coors Light, the only draft beer available between periods. (Note to CCCC: Can you say A-L-E?).

Anyway, midway through the 3rd Maine caught fire, peppering the Brown goalie with shots, tightening and toughening up the defense, making passes and ultimately putting two sweet pucks past the Brown goaltender.

Final: 2-1 Maine.

Whew! Almost made the Coors Light worth it.

M-A-I-N-E... Gooooooooooo Blue!

[band plays here, adoring fans and alums sing] Fill the steins to dear old Maine, shout til the rafters ring... ! Woo-hoo!

And now back to your regularly scheduled outdoors blogger programming...