If you've been hanging back avoiding the ski slopes recently because of the unseasonable weather, you've been missing out.

The skiing, at Sugarloaf where I've been anyway, and other Maine areas as I've been told by friends, have some pretty fine conditions.

Certainly there aren't as many open trails as there should be at this time of year, and coverage is pretty thin in places, but beyond that I've found the skiing to be just fine.

Last Saturday the predicted sunny skies and warm temps brought out a Reggae Weekend-size crowd. Lines were long at the Super Quad, Whiffletree, King Pine and Spillway throughout the day.

But the lines were primarily due to the high summit winds that kept Spillway East from operating at all, and Timberline as well.

King Pine had its intermittent moments in the morning. But we managed to get some excellent runs in on Haulback, where skier's right was a paradise with 6-8 inches of soft snow the entire run down.

Sensing an impending mechanical failure or outright lift closure, however, we bolted down the pebbly Stub's Glade, raking our ski bottoms but good. Hey, what's another $35 for a tune-up.

We spent the rest of the early afternoon riding the No. 3 T-Bar and making as many runs as we could off that. All good.

After a brief beer break at Bullwinkle's and a quick late lunch at the base in King Pine Room, we finished up with a few more post-full belly runs down Tote Road. And then retired to The Bag for $2.50 microbrews and more red-faced, knee-slapping laughter with friends than I think any of us had experienced in quite awhile. I just love that!

Saturday night was pizza and PBRs at the ever-entertaining Stratton Plaza Hotel, always a cultural feast of locals and music. But no Canadian ballet on this night (that was Friday night and I heard tell from others that it was a lot of fun!). Chateau Phil again provided some comfy accomodations thankfully within stumbing distance from the Plaza.

On Sunday, Sugarloaf was a different mountain. The crowds had evaporated and lines were non-existent. The winds had died so we immediately made for the upper mountain and made many fun runs off Timberline, with outstanding views of Mount Washington and Mount Katahdin, both backlit with a beautiful orange alpine glow.

Tote and Sluice were fun too. But no doubt the best runs of the day were on the steeps of Upper Gondy which had a surprising styrofoam surface that held a terrrific edge. Skier's right down to the old mid-station was killer, then the far left edge underneath to the cross cut. Awesome!

Satisfied but hungry, we settled in for Superbowls of mountain chili and an ale at The Bag before making for the highway home.

Good skiing. Damn good. Throw a little more snow at us and it's going to be an OK season for sure. And we've yet to hit February.

Top of Haulback at King Pine Bowl. Skier's right was awesome!

High winds on Saturday closed many lifts and made for long lines at the Super Quad. Oh well, it was a quality, not quantity day!

High winds kept most of the upper mountain off limits on Saturday.

Bullwinkle?

Well disquised lunch time beverages.

Riding the old No. 3 T-bar up next to Narrow Gauge.

Sun and crowds at the base lodge.

The ever-entertaining Plaza Hotel in Stratton.

No lines at Spillway on Sunday.

4,000' Mount Abraham from the top of Timberline chair.

Sunday's best run: Upper Gondy.

Late afternoon light high on Spillway chair.

Here's the full poop on our own Maine climbers Bill Yeo and John Bagnulo and their upcoming attempt to climb Mount Everest that I mentioned to you late last week.

Mount Everest... Wow! You go guys!

Climb hard, be safe, and take lots of photos. Gonna be a heckuva view.

I got a kick out of today's Heloise' Household Hint (yes, I can be domestic sometimes, but not domesticated) column in the Portland Press Herald.

E.H. from Kermit, Texas writes in that "on a camping/hunting trip, I discovered several uses for duct tape. After unexpectedly sitting on a prickly pear, I used duct tape to remove the small stickers. I wrapped a long piece around my hand (sticky side up) and patted the stickers a few times. I also found it very effective as an instant patch when my jeans were torn. I'll never go camping without duct tape now."

Well, neither will we E.H. And oh, sorry about that prickly pear. Ouch!

I tells ya, will the wonders of duct tape ever cease?

Dr. Duct Tape, any comment?

My desk (and shelves and floors) here at home is piled high with stuff, and I've admittedly been lax in pouring through it, and winnowing out the good material from the junk.

But alas! I have. So you are about to become victims of a serious house cleaning.

But I promise that you'll pick up a useful tidbit or two of good info on outdoor items of interest. Promise!

So crack a cold one, get comfy, and let's go:

National Trails Day is June 3rd
Mark your outdoor calendar for the 14th annual National Trails Day coming up on Saturday, June 3rd. The event is nationally sponsored by the American Hiking Society and organized locally by trail groups. This year's theme is Experience Your Outdoors. Last year more than 1,000 events were held across the US involving some 125,000 people. And there was plenty going on in Maine and likely will be again this year. So please do get involved and give a little back to our trails and trail groups.

Portland Trails preserves 14 acres on the Presumpscot River in Falmouth
Portland Trails has announced their acquisition of 14 beautiful acres on Sandy Point that includes some 1,650 feet of Presumpscot River shoreline. PT plans to work together with MITA, the Maine Island Trail Association, to protect wildlife habitat and creat public access.

Bill Yeo to attempt Mount Everest climb this spring
Long time LL Beaner and local Yarmouth boy Bill Yeo is heading off on an expedition to climb Mount Everest from the Tibetan side. Bill is outta here on March 8th. Three-month Everest climbing gigs are hugely expensive affairs, so Bill's trying to raise some supporting cash by selling cool hats and T-shirts emblazoned with the expedition's logo and artwork. If you'd like to support Bill and his climbing team, order up your goods today. Hats are $15, T-shirts are $20 (plus $2 shipping). Address to order: 6 Serendipity Lane, N. Yarmouth ME 04097. Or contact Bill directly at yeomomma@aol.com to wish him well and a safe climb and return.

Eastern Trail Guide available
John Andrews of the Eastern Trail Alliance recently gave me a copy of the cool new guidebook to the Eastern Trail, the 62-mile long multi-use recreational route that extends from York all the way up to South Portland. Order your pocket-sized guide to this great resource for a whopping $10 directly from ETA. And while you're at it, please consider joining the ETA. They could certainly use both your financial and physical support. Then get on out there and enjoy!

Appalachian Trail Museum
Did you know there is a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the AT? There is! Currently the museum is online, but there are plans to erect a physical structure somewhere near the ATs geographic center in PA. For anyone who loves the AT this will be an interesting project to follow and support. Check it out online today.

The 100 greatest adventure books of all time
Not only do we all like to get outside and pursue our favorite recreational pastimes, we also like read about others criss-crossing the globe hiking and climbing and exploring and pulling off daring adventures. So for the voracious reader in you all here's just one list of books to start in on. Happy reading! And if you decide to just up and quit your job and hit the dusty trail after a few of these books, well, who could blame you!

Campaign to preserve portions of Maine's western mountains
The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust is seeking to raise funds to protect 1,150 acres on Mount Abraham, including its spectacular alpine summit, and nearly 1,200 acres on the south side of Saddleback Mountain. Very ambitious, very worthy projects. Both need your support to become reality. Please do what you can, however large or small. And knowing how much these special places mean to us, it all helps.

Augusta Nature Center
The Augusta Nature Education Center just published a new map and guide to this wonderful 175-acre property with five miles of trails where you can walk, run, bike or ski free, every day. I haven't been yet, but it looks like a cool place for a visit, so it's on my short-term "to do" list. Get a free trail map and make a visit yourself soon.

Trails for a Healthy Maine Bond
The effort to get a $10 million trails bond on the ballot didn't quite make it last time around. But efforts by the Trails for Healthy Maine Coalition are underway to make another go at it in the future. Stay tuned to what is happening on this critical initiative for Maine trails and consider lending your support to the coalition too. We want to make certain this becomes a reality the next time around!

Another Triple Crown hiking year
A guy named "Squeaky" was, as of a month or so ago, well on his way to finishing hiking's Triple Crown: a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, after already having completed the Continental Divide Trail as well as the Pacific Crest Trail. To date he'd logged just over 6,900 miles of hiking, all in one year--2005. Not bad. Not bad at all. I'm impressed. Squeaky was supposed to finish atop Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the AT in late December. I can't seem to find evidence of that anywhere, yet. Maybe you can, and can let me know. In any case, hiking the Triple Crown of big hikes is an incredible achievement over the course of one's lifetime, much less in a single year. Way to go Squeaky! (But would you consider changing your trail name??).

New trail network open in Manchester
A great new trail network has just been opened to the public in the 708-acre Allen-Whitney Memorial Forest in Manchester, land owned and managed by the New England Forestry Foundation. Hikers and walkers, skiers and snowshoers, mountain bikers and horse riders--all are welcome to enjoy this beautiful property. The trails are well signed and maps are provided at trailside kiosks.

Sleep in a quinzee
I just learned from National Geographic Adventure magazine (February 2006 issue) that there's a place right here in coastal Maine where you can learn winter camping skills and build and sleep in your very own quinzee (it's likened to an igloo). Cool! The folks at Maine Multisport will take good care of you, treat you to lots of good winter fun, and do it for not a lot money, as I understand it. So check 'em out.

Uncle Carey wants YOU to get outdoors and have some FUN! Dammit!

A friend of mine just returned from hiking in the high desert around Grand Junction, Colorado. And came across this rather interesting, if a bit unsettling, sign that I just couldn't help sharing with you...

Beware single hikers!

There is a trail out west that leads to, well, possible danger!

It's called Wedding Canyon, and apparently there's no way out once you're in.

Short of maybe chewing your arm off, of course. Or doing the Aron Ralston maneuver. Anything to escape to freedom.

So go down this path at your peril. For trouble may lurk there...

Wait a minute. Is that my tongue caught in my cheek? I believe it is!

Photo courtesy of BB-SS-LPIA.

That's right.

Sometimes justice takes time, but let the system do its thing and eventually, and thankfully, it usually works.

Such is the case for the eco-terrorists who burned down the historic old lodge at Vail Ski Resort in Vail, Colorado back in 1998. I remember that very well and was outraged. And it stuck with me.

Never mind the rest of the long laundry list of other criminal acts this cadre of eleven nasties has allegedly perpetrated.

Well, no more. I'm banking on a steady diet of bread and water for you dudes for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully this story has the morons who pulled off the spate of eco-terrorist acts here on our own home turf against Plum Creek Timber last year running a little nervous.

Very nervous in fact.

And sometime soon, may our state police announce their capture. And subsequent prosecution.

It's not a done deal quite yet, but if preservationists get their way--and I hope they do--pristine Katahdin Lake and its environs may one day become a part of Baxter State Park.

The Trust for Public Land is currently working out a combination land purchase and land swap that would bring the 6,000 acre Katahdin Lake parcel into the Baxter fold. It has until summer to hammer out the details and ink the deal.

It's an expensive project--$14 million to be exact. But the group has already raised $3 mil and seems confident it can raise the rest. And it's worth the price.

Pristine Katahdin Lake is a sweet place in its own right. This is no road access to it, and from its shores is that most grand and famous view of Mount Katahdin. The parcel also contains significant stands of old growth forest.

Gardner Land Company of Lincoln will receive some cash in the transaction, as well as an amount of timberland elsewhere in the area up to the total value of the deal.

Preservation of Katahdin Lake thankfully doesn't mean that the currently operating sporting camp on the lake will have to go, nor does it mean the banning of existing float plane or motorboat use. These traditional uses are being preserved as well, as they should be.

Nicely done folks. Kudos to all.

Seems like everybody wins in this case.

And that should put a smile on every Maine outdoors lover.

While the rest of us are grinding away making a living from day-to-day, the circus in Augusta continues. Thank goodness somebody is paying attention.

Here's the latest:

Apparently a measure was up for consideration that would bar any Registered Maine Guides from guiding for a period of 3 years if they were convicted of a criminal misdemeanor. Further, convicted felons would be banned from the guiding profession for 10 years.

The proposal was heavily opposed by the Maine Professional Guides Association, so the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife caved, and the matter was dropped for now.

Good people make mistakes in life, so I guess I'd hate to see them lose their livelihood over a misdemeanor.

But a convicted felon? I'd draw the line there and support revocation of guiding privileges for offenses of a felony nature.

The DIFW plans to go back to the drawing board on this. And I suspect we'll hear more on the issue at some point down the road.

In the meantime, I guess us guides need to keep our noses clean. A tough thing for a rafting guide to do I can attest....

There were many idle, under-caffeinated thoughts whistling through my head this morning.

And one of them actually stuck...

I wonder what is the most frequently climbed (on foot) mountain in all of Maine?

With coffee starting to do it's job and synapses heating up and beginning to fire, I threw out a few reasonably intelligent guesses:

Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park.

Bradbury Mountain in Pownal.

Pleasant Mountain in Bridgton.

The Beehive in Acadia National Park?

Munjoy Hill in Portland? (okay, maybe that's stretching it a little).

Mount Agamenticus in York?

Dunno, really.

Could be one of these or not. Goodness knows there's plenty of popular Maine mountains out there.

You? Any idea?

What is your candidate for the most hiked mountain in Maine, and why do you think so? I won't mind at all if it's your sentimental favorite.

So get yourself some java, get in synch with today's program, and write back to me.

Please?!

What do you think is the most frequently hiked mountain in Maine?

For my birthday last week a friend got me a copy of Where Less the Path is Worn, the hefty trail journal of M.J. Eberhart ("Nimblewill Nomad") and his incredible trek the entire length of the Eastern Continental Trail.

Huh?

The Eastern Continental Trail is a contrived long distance hiking route that connects Key West, Florida to the tip of Newfoundland.

You're kidding, right?

Nope. 5,000 miles and some change.

And Eberhart made the super-human trek over the course of 347 days in 2000-2001.

Wow!

He began on the International Appalachian Trail (IAT) at Cap Gaspe in Quebec. Hiked south to Maine and picked up the Appalachian Trail. Thru-hiked the entire 2,150-mile AT to Georgia. Then proceeded to follow the Benton McKaye Trail and Georgia-Pinhoti Trail into Alabama. Onto the Alabama Trail to connect up with the 1,000 mile long Florida Trail. And then completed this montrous hike by walking the length of the Florida Keys to Key West. He returned north to Newfoundland the following year to complete the Appalachian Mountain range through Newfoundland.

Unbelievable. I'm out of breath simply typing it all out!

Amazing.

Not only is Eberhart is an extraordinary hiker (this is his second such hike, this time including Newfoundland and the Florida Keys, too), he's quite a character and tells a pretty damn good story too.

I've only gone a short distance (and a few pages) down the trail with him, but I just know it's going to be a fun and pleasant journey.

But this is not my first exposure to M.J. "Eb" Eberhart.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Eb face-to-face twice now. First, by arrangement, here in Portland in 1998. And a couple of years later, in 2001, a chance meeting to the great surprise of both of us, at remote Gooch Gap shelter along the AT in northern Georgia.

I just love the guy, and very much admire and respect him not only for what he's accomplished, but for the style in which he's done it. He is a gracious and modest man.

I can't wait to get on with the book and follow his trail travels the length of the Eastern Seaboard.

Hope you'll pick up a copy and join me!
__________

Just for yucks, I dug up my impressions of that first meeting with Eb in Portland in late October 1998, immediately after he completed his first big hike. I thought you might enjoy it:

I got a call the other day from Dick Anderson, former Maine Conservation Commissioner and now President of the Maine Chapter of the International Appalachian Trail.

"We're having a get together downtown after work on Friday," he says. "Going to have a little celebration for a guy who just finished thru-hiking the IAT."

Sounds great, I think to myself.

"And we're going to have an international selection of beers from Maine, New Brunswick, and Quebec."

Even better.

"I'll be there!"

While we wait in Dick's office for our guest of honor to arrive, a small crowd begins to gather. Dick regales us with news of the International Appalachian Trail—a big picture of the IAT is projected onto the wall—and of the accomplishments of one M. J. Eberhart, the second person ever to have hiked the entire IAT. I learn that not only did Eberhart hike the IAT, but all of the Appalachian Trail, and the Florida Trail to boot.

Yes, that's right.

"Eb" started on January 1, 1998 in the Florida Everglades and hiked north through the Appalachian Mountains to Mount Katahdin, then on to Land's End at the tip of the Gaspe Peninsula on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. He finished the third week of October—after 287 days and more than 4,200 miles of hiking.

Whew!

The story got even better when I learned that Eb is 60 years old!

Amazing.

Still awaiting our guest, and trying to comprehend this grand human feat, I feel compelled to sample ales from both sides of the border. Can't offend our Canadian neighbors, after all.

Finally, Eb appears through the door, fully clad in hiking garb, pack on his back, hiking sticks in hand. He has that lean and mean thru-hiker build, earned through months of sweat and toil up and over hundreds of mountains. His hair is gray and shoulder length, his beard long and shaggy. A broad smile beams across his face. He looks every bit a man who has seen and experienced things that only a long distance hiker can.

At once he is right there among us, talking with us, reciting woodsy poetry, and preaching the glories of journeying along the IAT, the AT, the Appalachians—hands waving, fingers pointing and feet stomping.

I notice a familiar look in Eb's eyes. I know that look. I have seen it in the faces of other thru-hikers, have seen it in my own mirror. It is a look of distance—of far away summits, lonely trails, deep forests. He is back from the trail, yes, but he will never fully return. Changed forever by an experience that is almost unfathomable to most of us, he cannot return entirely. It is the direct result of great adventure, and both a curse and a blessing.

My hat is off to you Nimblewill Nomad (his trail name). Thank you for sharing your incredible odyssey with us. Thank you for your inspiration. You are living proof that life is, indeed, the greatest adventure.
__________

The Spirits of Sagamook
by Nimblewill Nomad

The summit of ol' Sagamook,
Isn't all that high,
But, as I climb, I pass right through the sky.

And as I part this sanctity,
A bit of me will stay. To rest in God's eternal peace,
That's present here today.

Eb, you rock!

Monday morning.

I give it a 'half-ugh' for today.

And the mildly dreaded return to the alternate reality after a weekend of playing outside and whatever else suited my heart's content.

I knew things were off to a rough start as I was headed out to work, though.

I couldn't find my cell phone anywhere.

I'd had it one of my gear duffles yesterday when I was off hiking. But this morning it was nowhere to be found.

So, after wasting more time searching than I should have, I used my land line for quite possibly one of the few remaining reasons to even have a home phone anymore: I called my cell number.

Upstairs? No ring.

Pile of stuff in the hallway? Nothing.

Then I heard it. Down in the kitchen.

It was, of course, buried deep under piles of fleece and dirty socks and zip-lock bags and other assorted paraphernalia from yesterday's hike. (Just for reference I did NOT carry it with me on my hike!).

So, that's how I started my week.

You?

But with the snow outside (and I hope in the mountains too) hopefully things can only get better...

... But is there something in the water in the Capitol Building in Augusta, that when consumed, makes otherwise relatively intelligent people say and do stupid things?

Must be.

Case in point: One of our bad-water drinking legislators has proposed raising the Gov's salary. Not by a little mind you. I'd be all for allowing the Gov an extra measure of smoked salmon and brie at the Blaine House.

No, Rep. Moore, likely an otherwise nice guy and Republican from Standish, has offered up a bill to boost the Gov's pay from the current just-sneaking-by $70,000 to somewhere upwards of 221,000. For reference, that would make it then the highest governors pay in the US.

Now Rep. Moore, aren't you part of the same legislature that in recent times has tried to close the huge state budget deficit (in fairness, the same deficit dumped into the lap of Gov. Baldacci by Angus "Maine is on the Move" King) by such scams and gimmicks as the canoe and kayak tax, as well as God only knows how many other "fee" increases (for us outdoorsy-types we've seen it in our hunting, fishing and snowmobile licenses and registrations, guides licenses too, and we know it doesn't stop there) and "revenue" enhancements and whatever other tricky names you try to hide what is most honestly known as a TAX from the common people (those would be the ones who actually have to PAY the taxes, er, fees et al).

Where do you expect this extra money to come from? A hiker tax? A shoelace tax? A donut tax? A tax on our tax??

Rep. Moore, aren't we already the highest overall taxed state in the entire nation?

Let's see now: Highest taxes, lowest Gov's salary.

Works for me!

How about a merit increase instead?

Bring state spending under control (without raising taxes) and then we can talk about a pay increase for Maine's chief executive. And maybe even you nice folks in the legislature.

In the meantime, get somebody from the Maine DEP over to the State House quick-like to test the water. Lest other legislators imbibe and start proposing other salary increases.

Except, of course, if it's mine...

OK, so I finally got outside this afternoon. And quickly shed the fleece jacket.

Yep. It was T-shirt only (and pants and shoes, of course) as I walked in the woods out back of my house.

What gives?

I mean, I'm not complaining that much. But what the heck happened to February and March?

We just gonna skip them and get right on with spring?

Say it ain't so.

My skis are right here by the door. Waiting patiently. And they don't look happy. Hopefully, they don't go Stephen King-weird-like on me and attack me in the middle of the night.

So, thanks for the breather and all Mother Nature. But could you please throw a little snow our way soon?!

Uh oh. I think my skis just made a move toward me... Hurry, please. Snow!!

Warm sun, blue skies, red pines and afternoon shadows in Baxter Woods.

Feathered friends enjoying a nice afternoon at the duck pond, Evergreen Cemetery.

Just back from a week of traveling out west and, with a group ski weekend at the Loaf down the toilet, I figured a day at home would do just fine-- to kick back, unpack and revel in some unplanned activities.

Like reading the new issue of Backpacker magazine that my postman kindly just left for me.

Not just any issue of Backpacker, mind you.

This is the annual Gear Guide.

Whoa. Make way. Clear the decks!

152 glorious pages of tents, sleeping bags, packs, stoves, boots and oh so much more.

Right here in my trembling finger tips.

And seeing as how it's past noon I think I'll crack a cold one and settle in.

Care to join me?

Yep. It's read and dream and scheme today. Hike tomorrow... Promise.

Whoa.

No more stretching a string between two tomato cans to communicate and place an order with the venerable Kittery Trading Post.

No way mistah-man.

The Kittery Trading Post, the ever-reliable purveyor of outdoor hard goods for a good half century, is going high-tech.

Ayuh.

Soon enough, probably by next fall by the sounds of it, you'll be able to order your favorite hunting, fishing and camping goods (and a whole lot else) on that newfangled World Wide Web thingy.

Yep.

You won't have to fire up the old Chevy and take Ma and the kids down the road apiece to damn near into that foreign country of New Hamshah no more.

Nope.

Provided you've upgraded some from your Commodore 64 or IBM XT, you'll be able to order up right there at your own computer desktop.

Next thing ya know the UPS guy will be right there at your door with your duck calls and ammo and camo clothing and backpack and canoe paddle and fishing rod and reel.

Ain't that sumpthin'?

Good luck on the new WWW adventure guys. We love you down there. And, at least for me, I may order from you online, but I'm still gonna come down every now and then like usual to poke around the store and feel the goods, if you will.

See you soon...

One of my favorite places to hike is up the coast aways in the Georges Highlands, a very scenic area of low hills and mountains and pretty lakes and farms and fields.

But shhhh! Don't tell anyone, okay?

I visited the area on a lazy Saturday last month before the snow hit in earnest. It was just the ticket. A pleasant drive up the coast on Route 1 sans the summer traffic, followed by a short, but rewarding hike with big views.

My trail of choice was the Georges Highland Path on Bald Mountain, part of the 9 1/2 mile Ragged Mountain section. Access to the trailhead is via Barnestown Road.

The trail quickly crosses a brook before rising gradually through a hardwood forest. Bright sun poured through the trees, but the brisk wind swept away any chance of warmth. Clad in layers of fleece, however, I was comfortable.

Countouring and switchbacking up the mountain, the trail leads to frequent open ledges where you can look out over pastoral fields and farmhouses. Higher still, pass through dense thickets of gnarly scrub oak sprinkled with white pines.

The trail swings left uphill beneath the summit of Bald to a pretty outlook toward Hosmer Pond, Ragged Mountain and the ocean. From there follow rock cairns across slabs and along ledges (had to use some fancy footwork here to avoid icy patches that threatened to send me flying off the edge to a certain unglorious demise... be careful here at any time of year!).

More scrambling over rocks and ledges and slabs leads to sweeping views of Mount Megunticook and Mount Battie in Camden Hills State Park, as well as Camden village and the bay beyond. Sweet!

It was cold and windy at the big cairn on the peak, so I paused only for a moment to chat with a couple of other hikers before starting the descent.

Less than a minute off the top, gawking at the fine scenery around me, I took a digger on an icy patch, going ass over tea kettle, and driving my left thigh hard into the rock.

Ouch!

Nicely bruised and feeling more than a little foolish, I limped down the mountain and back to the car, arriving just as the sun dipped behind Ragged Mtn. and cast the valley in shadow.

For pain relief I drove immediately to Cappy's Canned Chowder House in Camden for a pop, some football on the tube and some mixing with the locals.

No trip to this part of the coast is ever complete without a stop at Maine Sport Outfitters in Rockport. I browsed the aisles and fingered a lot of gear, but amazingly, walked away without abusing my credit card. See, occasionally I really can exhibit some financial self-control!

There was one more stop to make on the drive home.

Moody's Diner in Waldoboro. Ayuh. It being Saturday night and all, you'd think I would've settled for the traditional beans and hot dog plate. But seeing as how I'd eaten beans in one form or another for three days running, and was battling the internal gurgles even still, I decided to pass and have a cheeseburger instead. With a pumpkin pie and whipped cream chaser.

All good. A super day. And one I highly recommend. Especially right now given our low-to-no snow conditions and mild weather.

Have fun!

Bald Mountain trailhead on Barnestown Road, Camden.

Hikers on the Georges Highland Trail up Bald Mountain.

Trail corridor through a grove of gnarled oaks.

View of Hosmer Pond.

Alpine-like trail high on Bald Mountain.

View across to Ragged Mountain.

Icy trail underfoot.

Camden village and the ocean off in the distance.

Late afternoon sun through the oaks on the way down.

The conservation work is never done...

No visit to the Camden area is complete without a visit to the outdoor gear paradise of Maine Sport.

Nothin' finah' than pie at Moody's Dinah. Ayuh.

Bob Mentzinger, in his outdoors column today, bemoans the current spell of unseasonably warm weather and the resulting dismal ski season to date.

I'm with you Bob. On that anyway. It's been grim.

Mentzinger goes on a bit about global warming, and while he doesn't directly link our January warm spell and lousy shussing to it, you can infer a connection.

I appreciate the sentiments, but I think that may be a stretch.

Our global climate has been always been subject to natural cyclical fluctuations in temperature. And while human activity does contribute to the problem, I question its impact and whether it is truly significant. In the rather myopic view over the short span of a human lifetime--our normal frame of reference--yes.

But in the grand scheme of things, over the course of many millenia, I wonder. And therefore, I put more stock in the notion that nature and the naturally occurring forces and events in and on the earth account for the lion's share of climate change over the long term.

But I don't figure that to mean we should sit on our hands.

I agree with Mentzinger that we should and must develop alternative energy sources, as well as conserve more energy. Scientists continue to debate just how much oil is left and when supplies will finally be exhausted or become economically unfeasible to obtain. But it really is a question of "when" not "if".

On that point I suspect there can hardly be a doubt. Whether it will happen in our lifetime or the next, it will happen. So pursuing the advance of alternative energy sources today is a clearly good idea.

Like, as Mentzinger suggests, wind energy.

Clean, renewable wind.

But, if we are to do so in Maine, wind energy will come at a hefty cost: Huge wind generating towers, some thirty of them, atop the now relatively wild Redington range of mountains near Sugarloaf and the Appalachian Trail. The visual impact will be enormous. Never mind the power lines and access roads that will accompany the project.

Can we abide by such a cost? Can we make peace with ourselves with such an environmental swap, the wild and rugged mountain tops for some kilowatts of clean energy?

I wonder.

You?

I've just returned from a trip to the Mojave Desert in southern California. Just outside of Palm Springs, where I flew in and out of, is the world's largest wind farm, the Mojave Desert Wind Project.

Spanning the head of the Coachella Valley from Banning Pass to Palm Springs and from Whitewater Creek to the base of Mt. San Jacinto, are hundreds (maybe more) of wind towers. It's quite an amazing sight, really. Almost alien. At first I thought it was ugly. But it grew on me. As did the logic of it.

In this part of the desert, situated as it is between two high mountain ranges, the winds blow hard nearly all the time. Why not take advantage of it and harness this natural power? And so California did. Today, wind produces an estimated 30% of the state's power. Impressive.

But the woods and mountains of Maine are not the deserts of California. Can we do the same here? Will we do it? Do we want to do it?

Hard tellin'.

As an outdoor lover, do you feel the squeeze on this issue? What do you think of the prospects and viability of wind energy production in Maine?

Since it appears that the weekend is likely to be a wash for skiing, I was just wondering...

A little golf anyone?

Other ideas?

The desert.

Its plants and trees--the yucca, prickly pear, cholla, the acacia, blackbrush--adorned with thorns and spines, hooks and needles, all seem to want to grab you or stick you or cut your skin with each passing footstep.

Its winds blow incessantly, gust ferociously, down canyons and across ridgetops and basins, wanting (maybe hoping) to knock you off your feet even on flat ground, and push you over precipitous cliff edges.

Its soil, that fine sandy grit, swirls in the air and invades your eyes and ears and mouth, irritating and choking you.

The sun, on most days unimpeded by atmospheric moisture and thus any sheltering clouds, burns your eyes and bakes your skin and quickly dehydrates your underprepared urban-oriented body.

But that's the desert. Wind and sun. Light and shadow. Rock and sky. Cactus and juniper. Space and distance. Color and contrasts. Simple yet complex. Harsh but beautiful.

And ever defending itself without impunity against all comers, man or beast, friend or foe. As it has for millenia.

A hard place to visit. A harder place to leave.

Note: As you might have guessed, I've just returned from another trip to Joshua Tree National Park in southern California, 825,000 acres (that's four times the size of our own Baxter State Park) of magnificent desert landscape, 2/3 of it designated as wilderness and spanning 2 major ecological zones, the Mojave and Colorado deserts.

A number of weeks ago, before we were locked into the winter white, I took a Sunday stroll through the nearby Falmouth Nature Preserve, a sweet hundred acres of nature just off Route 88 in Falmouth.

FNP is one of my favorite places to walk, but it had been some time since I'd been out there, so a visit was in order.

Over several hours I walked nearly every foot of the five trails that criss-cross the preserve, and lead through lovely mixed wood forests, down into dark hollows and along the placid tidal Mill Creek.

I never fail to emerge from these woods without a smile and a good feeling inside. This trip was no different. It's just a real soothing place.

Sorry I didn't share these photos with you sooner, but, well, it's been a busy time.

The next time you have a few hours to spare and want to get a pleasant walk in and don't want to drive too far from the city, try the Falmouth Nature Preserve. Whether you're on foot, snowshoes or skis, I know you'll enjoy it!

Trail map of the Falmouth Nature Preserve.

Amid the conifers on the Red Trail.


Creeklet deep in the forest.

Under a dark canopy of hemlocks on the White Trail.

Along the banks of Mill Creek.

At a bend in Mill Creek on the Yellow Trail.

Placid Mill Creek.

The Orange Trail passes over a soft carpet of pine needles.

Remnants of another time in the life of this land.

A plaything only mountain bikers could love.

The sweet scent of apples decaying on the forest floor.

Nearing the car and the end of a fine walk.

Care to share your favorite local walk?

This chilly Maine boy is headed west, my friends. To sunny southern California. The Mojave Desert. Yucca Valley. Joshua Tree National Park. For an extra long weekend of outdoor fun in the sun with my age old buddy and climbing and hiking pal Tim.

The climbing gear has been rummaged up and packed. A dozen golf balls, tees, glove and shoes. Pack and camping gear too. Shorts, cotton Ts, Tevas, the whole nine yards.

Tim's hilltop hovel is an awesome spot and lends itself well to relaxation and recreation and contemplation. And winter warmth.

To the west, you can look out to Mts. San Gorgonio and San Jacinto, both 10,000 desert peaks traversed by the Pacific Crest Trail. Looking east, you can see far down the valley and over into Joshua Tree.

Can't wait.

So don't look for me for the next few days... as I'll be off scaring myself half-silly on some rock climb, or sweating it up on a trans-desert mountain hike, or whacking the little white ball around the links, or hanging out on the hill with an Ed Abbey book in hand catching some rays.

Somebody's gotta do it.

Sunset in the high desert of Joshua Tree National Park, California.

Crap!

Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the two young snowmobilers.

I'm so sorry.

The rest of you please take note. And please ride safe.

It's inevitable each year it seems.

Snowmobile deaths.

And now we've had the first deadly accident of the winter season. And there are, unfortunately, going to be more. But maybe, hopefully, fewer this year.

You just hate to see it.

Reckless riding. High speeds. Alcohol. Thin ice. Poor planning.

All factors that can and do add up to tragedy.

If you're a snowmobile rider make sure you know the rules of the trail so you and your partners can ride safely and have fun. Like riding to the right, riding sober, riding at a prudent speed, using hand signals, staying alert and riding defensively.

Get all the safety information you need from the good folks at the Maine Snowmobile Association. Like the interactive snowmobile safety CD produced by the MSA and the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. It's free. Get it. Play it. Know it.

Or download the Ride Right, Ride Smart safety booklet.

And consider a snowmobile safety education course.

All good stuff to help keep you and others safe on the trail.

Attitash/Bear Peak across the border in tax-free New Hampshire was on this past Sunday's ski docket.

A fine, fine choice.

For once (in my experience anyway) Attitash had better trail conditions than Bear Peak and we spent most of our time there. Wilfred's Gawm provided the best the best run of the day (Thanks Wilfred, whoever you are. And by the way, what's a "gawm"?), with Tightrope a close second, and Ptarmigan third.

Conditions overall were excellent with grippy snow that allowed for plenty of high speed fun well into the afternoon when the ice won out and the knees wore out (and the Red Parka began calling our names).

FYI: Parking at Bear Peak is easy and I find the lodge there to be much less of a crowded nightmare than back down the road at Attitash, so it's my usual choice.

A fun day of terrific skiing behind us, we packed up and headed down the way a piece to Glen and the world famous Red Parka Pub for popcorn, peanuts and a cold Long Trail Ale (in a mason jar no less). Ahhh.

Further on, the car automatically veered into the parking lot of Ragged Mountain Equipment in Intervale. I was powerless to stop it. Clearly I must have trained the Honda well.

Once inside, what a surprise it was to meet the new official Walmart, er, I mean Ragged Mountain greeters, John and Bob, MOACers from Maine!

The poor boys apparently had broken down (bad alternator) that morning (around 9am) right there in the parking lot of Ragged and had been unable to catch up with their climbing partners, despite borrowing a car from Bob at the store. The day was a wash, so the pair washed away some of their climbing woes at the pub across the driveway and then headed back to harass, er greet, customers entering the store, while passing the time waiting for their climbing partners to show back up (they'd rented gear at Ragged).

Are you following all this?

Me neither.

Suffice it to say that John and Bob were still hanging out inside Ragged when we left a few minutes before closing time (about 5:45pm). I offered them a ride home to Maine, but they declined, confident their friends would arrive soon.

As we pulled away, we waved a sad goodbye. And I noticed their big packs leaning up aganist the building. Sure hope they didn't have to camp out. But at least they'd be prepared.

Isn't climbing fun guys???

Hope your ski-hike-whatever weekend was fun too? Where did you go?

Attitash/Bear Peak, New Hampshire, an ASC resort.

Lots and lots of great skiing just 1 1/2 hours from Portland.

Bear Peak from the base lodge.

Taking off down the Kachina Falls trail.

Views of the Whites, snowmaking on Avenger.

Majestic Mount Washington from the top of Attitash.

Beer in a mason jar, only at the Red Parka.

Gearheads beware... Ragged rocks!!

Unofficial Ragged Mountain greeters: John and Bob from Maine (and Ragged's own Bob in the middle)

Climbers John and Bob getting their only vertical of the day!

The coffee pot is set, and the ski gear is packed and at the door, ready for an early morning departure to the slopes at Attitash.

And now, on this rather frigid evening, I've settled in with a good book and a glass of red (with one eye on the Pats game, of course).

The book is Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered, by E.F. Shumacher. It's an enlightening read that presents an interesting, if not a convincingly common sense approach to the wise use of the Earth's natural and human resources.

It's certainly got me scratching my beard a lot and muttering "Hmmm."

Anyway, on page 86 I came across a quote by Ortega y Gassett that completely stopped me in my tracks:

Living is nothing more or less than doing one thing instead of another.

Well, that kind of boils things down to a pretty simple level now, doesn't it?!

And it sure could explain a lot.

A mid-afternoon beer with your burger at Bullwinkle's is one thing, but skiing drunk?

Clearly not a smart idea.

Unless, apparently, you're star downhill skier Bode Miller.

"Bode Miller knows he puts his life at risk when he skis drunk, but the outspoken Olympic favorite admits he may try the dangerous activity again."

Jeez.

Bode, my good man, did you really tell the CBS 60 Minutes correspondent, "Talk about a hard challenge right there. ... If you ever tried to ski when you´re wasted, it´s not easy."

Yeah, I'll bet.

Maybe that wasn't such a good idea bud.

I mean, you being an Olympic athlete and all. And just about to gear up again for a shot at more medals in Torino next month.

I wish you well at the Games, but please don't attack the gates with a snooter on.

And when you get home, please let me know when you're in your car on the road. Because I don't think I want to be.

Happy New Year!

OK, so I'm a few days late in saying so. Please forgive.

But you know how it goes. It takes some time to shake off the long holiday weekend and all the fun and friends and chips-and-dip and football games and skiing...

Skiing?

Yes! Skiing. At the Loaf.

I mean, where else would one spend New Years?

Conditions on the mountain were pretty grim on Saturday after the heavy rain and then freezing temps, so our group skipped out and got right down to the New Years Eve party-type festivities, which amounted to watching the NY Giants beat up nicely on the Oakland Raiders, while filling our faces with everything within arm's reach.

Then it was on to the big gala at the Stratton Plaza Hotel in beautiful downtown Stratton for a rather interesting cultural affair of DJ music, mirror balls, champagne, egg salad sandwiches, beer and hearty midnight smooches from a number of unknown local women. Now that's the holiday spirit!

That said, it was a fun, if somewhat low-key NYE. Bring on '06.

And we did, on the slopes.

Sunday at the Loaf was cold and windy, but conditions were pretty good. And despite a late start we managed to make our rounds on the hill hitting most of the good stuff that was open. Popcorn and Pick Poles at the Bag followed (duh!).

Monday was even better after a night's snowfall and some added snowmaking. The sun was out and the temps were milder. And we got in some really good turns on Narrow Gauge (best of the day in my book), Skidder, Hayburner, Haulback and many others. All good.

The Honda Civic was tired (so was I) so we were on the road even though the sun was still up over the mountain. We nodded and smiled as we passed Oh My Gosh Corner. Be seeing you again real soon, we will...

Looking over to Bigelow from Timberline Trail.

Rest stop on Hayburner.

MaineToday.com's own Dan, and Kevin on the Super Quad.

Skis on the Beach as we head for the Bag.

Burnt Mountain from Haulback at King Pine Bowl.

Riding up the Spillway Chair.

Upper Gondy Line in the shadow of the big mountain. To open soon I hope!

Snow guns roaring on Upper Spillway.

True happiness is a season pass.

The mountain.

Da loaf iz good...

What did you do for the big New Years weekend???

I was up at Sugarloaf over New Years weekend visiting with friends, getting in some good skiing and generally having a heckuva a good time.

While visiting, one of my dear, dear old friends who knows me quite well, surprised with with a very thoughtful belated Christmas gift. Another one of those perfect gifts for the active outdoorsperson.

Especially one like me who likes to make black bean burritos on the trail, and who very often doesn't filter his drinking water.

Quite possibly the perfect holiday gift!

And now for a few moments of shameless self-promotion...

Not doing anything tomorrow night, Thursday January 5th?

Good.

C'mon over to the Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth for this month's Traveler's Club program from 7-8:30 PM.

Yours truly will be showing images of my September '05 15 day, 188-mile hike through the scenic border country of Wales and England along Offa's Dyke Path.

Traveler's Club programs are free and open to the public. And it's always a whole lotta fun with a well-traveled crowd of friendly folks.

Please join us!

The Offa's Dyke Path: 188 miles from the River Severn in the south of Wales to the Irish Sea on the north coast.

Descending into the hamlet of Redbrook on banks of the River Wye.

Curious friends along the path.

Day after day of solitary walking with wide open views.

Much of the Welsh countryside was like walking through the Lord of the Rings.

Happening upon a mid-afternoon beer festival was, of course, a pleasant and thirst-quenching surprise.

Heather and sheep high on Hatterall Ridge, a brilliant 17-mile mountain traverse.

The Black Lion in Hay-on-Wye, one of many cozy pubs along the route.

Pleasant walking under perfect blue skies and warm temperatures.

Morning in the bustling village of Kington.

One of more than 700 stiles I had to climb over en route.

Passing majestic Chirk Castle on the way to Oswestry.

A long boat navigating the Llangollen Canal.

A cold can of refreshment tossed to me from a "trail angel" on a passing long boat.

An evening walk along the Llangollen Canal.

My daily breakfast fare: fried egg, fried sausage, rasher of bacon, fried tomato, fried mushrooms, black pudding (blood sausage), toast, coffee, juice. An artery-bursting affair for certain!

High on the Panorama Walk on the way to World's End.

Enjoying the camaraderie of fellow walkers in a pub in tiny Llandegla.

Magnificent walking in the high moorlands of the Clwydian Hills.

More fine, lonely walking...

Descending a misty track toward Prestatyn.

End of the trail: the Irish Sea at Prestatyn, North Wales.

It's official!