Just in case you missed it, there's more details out today about the conservation portion of the Plum Creek plan.

Read about it here.

Do note this fact: "The conservation easement would be the second-largest in Maine and one of the largest in the nation."

That's impressive. Good work folks.

I'd enjoy hearing your comments, if you've got the energy for it on this Friday afternoon.

More news is due on the development plan next week. Stay tuned.

Have a terrific weekend all.

I'm headed out for some backpacking up the coast aways.

You?

This just might do it, folks.

There's breaking news that a win-win deal has been reached between Plum Creek, The Nature Conservancy, the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Forest Society of Maine.

After all the back and forth. The heated debates. And some nasty exchanges.

Doesn't that just make your day? It sure does mine.

Thanks to all parties for their hard work, their patient but diligent approach. You've done it!

Thank you.

Here's a few brief highlights of the revised Plum Creek plan, the "Conservation Framework" as it has been called, for the Moosehead Region lands:

* Permanent protection for ecologically significant lands
* Continued public access
* Maintenance of working forests
* A more responsible development plan

There's certainly more details to come, but the preliminaries looks good at this point.

Alan Hutchinson, Executive Director of the Forest Society of Maine, says it best in my view:

“This agreement embraces the traditions and values of Maine. Hunting, fishing, camping and other traditional recreational activities will be assured, valuable fish and wildlife habitats will be protected, and communities will benefit as these lands are sustainably managed for recreational activities and forest products.”

I think that's the end result that most reasonable people were looking for. And it appears we got it.

I am just plain tickled.

OK, I'm going outside now and jump up and down with joy. And maybe get some lunch, too.

Spring is certainly here (it's blue and sunny and 62F out right now... why am I inside??). Prime time for hiking and paddling and all sorts of outdoor fun.

And that includes downhill skiing.

Don't let the non-winter get you down. Our New England mountains still have snow, albeit mostly man-made. But the skiing is good. Quite good actually. So don't pack away the boards just yet.

I was over at Cannon Mountain last Saturday for the first time in years. Even though the mountain was a little less than 2/3 open, what was available was great. A few of the upper steeps that we came to ski were closed, but we still enjoyed some good terrain.

Upper Ravine was loads of fun with its wide, sweeping turns. Vista Way (which may or may not have been open--can't remember) had some beautiful snow on it (or so I'm told). And the front five trails--those that face Franconia Notch--such as Avalanche, Zoomer and Rocket, were a complete blast.

Post apres-ski, we stopped in at the New England Ski Museum and poked around the Hannes Schneider exhibit and came away chock full of NE ski trivia. If you haven't been, it's definitely worth a visit.

Saturday evening, sixteen of us (most of the others had been out hiking in the area) packed into the Shapleigh Bunkhouse at the AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch.

The bunkhouse is inexpensive and includes a killer all-you-can-eat (that's AYCE for you ravenous AT thru-hikers out there) breakfast (at the lodge). There's hot showers, a kitchenette, living room and best yet--the bunks come complete with cozy flannel sheets, blankets and pillows. Now that's some kind of camping out now, isn't it?!

The main lodge is beautfully appointed with high ceilings and exposed beams and a comfy sitting area with a big fireplace. It was a nice place to hang out and relax, read and chat.

Sunday's mission was to sleep in, take in the big breakfast (yum!) and head for Wildcat Mountain at Pinkham Notch and the $20 noon-to-4 ski special (every Sunday afternoon--what a deal!).

And so we did.

With the Wildcat Express chair shooting us up the mountain from base to summit in 6 minutes, it wasn't long before we had gotten in many thousands od vertical feet of excellent skiing (each run nets you 2,100 feet).

Whew!

To slow things down a bit, and to add some spice to the day, we slid off piste into the woods along Pole Cat and found some excellent out-of-bounds skiing through the trees and down narrow chutes. Totally legit, by the way. You just need to be careful.

I took a number of good diggers, including a yard-saler down an icy wall, but it was fun nonetheless.

A long traverse led us back to civilized skiing where we grabbed a few more runs and called it good. What a day! And all within sight (off and on) of Mount Washington. Love it.

Cannon was 63% open, according to "Bill" in the parking lot, which still made for plenty of good skiing.

The Tram was closed for the season, but the Peabody Express made quick work of getting us up the mountain.

The upper mountain was shrouded in fog most of the morning.

On Vista Way, peering through the clouds towrds the Franconia Range.

Skiing the "front five" trails as they are known. Echo Lake below.

The New England Ski Museum, located at the base of Cannon, was awesome!

The new AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch was beautiful, if not a little high brow.

Us poor ski bums stayed in the comfy AMC Shapleigh Bunkhouse across from the center.

On the way to Wildcat, I was bummed that Story Land was closed.

There's nothing like Wildcat Sunday afternoons... noon to 4 for $20.

The Wildcat Express zips you to the top in six minutes! You can get lots of vertical in in a day at that rate!

The bulk of Mount Washington was in and out of view all day from the slopes of Wildcat.

Skiing out of bounds (legit) on the north slope of Wildcat was very exciting.

Everybody needs a few giggles to get over the hump each week. Don'tcha think?

I sure do. Laughter cures all.

Take for example, the Argentine woman who lives in a nest up in a tree. Now that's really getting back to nature.

Or the Australian man who couldn't find the biggest rock on Earth. The man was driving through the outback looking for Ayer's Rock, a huge monolith and one of the world's most recognizable natural features. Less than a 100 yards from the rock, the man hailed down authorities to ask where it was. He was soon enough arrested for drunken driving.

And my favorite...

A family brewery in the Czech Republic has opened the world's first beer spa.

Note to my dear travel agent: Sign me up and get me plane tickets!

According to owner Jiri Plevka: "I have heard of some places in other countries where people can swim in beer but it's just a gimmick. We believe in the healing properties of beer and we offer the full range of treatments. We are a fully-fledged beer spa."

The healing properties of beer. Who woulda thunk it.

And swim in beer? Where the hell are my trunks?!

It's another beautiful day outside. Don't waste it. Get out and laugh a little.

I wasn't about to let this beautifully blue and sunny spring day pass by without a walk in the woods.

So after work I tossed a few things into my day pack and crawled along through thick rush hour traffic on Forest Avenue to Riverton Park.

I'd never visited the Westbrook River Trail and figured, why not today?

I parked in the parking lot just opposite Riverton Park, as I had for previous trips there. But this time I noticed several "No Parking" and "No Trepassing" signs along one edge of the lot.

Hmmm, I thought. A bit concerned, I checked my Portland Trails map, and there it was, a big "P" for parking right there where it should be.

So be it. Tow me.

And I headed off down the path.

It was an interesting start, as the trail led downhill to the Presumpscot River and underneath the bridge where it promptly ended.

Hmmm, again.

I scrambled up the rip-rap onto the road, hustled along with the cars, and dashed back across near Dunkin' Donuts.

Along East Bridge St. I passed the PWD pumping station, but found no trail.

A bit further on, I ducked down into the woods and came across a two-wheel track that led along the river. This had to be it.

And so it went. I never did find any trail markings, but the map clearly showed I was in the right place. So I kept on plodding along.

It turned out to be a pleasant walk along the placid river. Just me and the ducks. And an adventurous mountain biker plugging through the mud on the opposite side of the river, who passed with a big wave.

The scenic Westbrook River Trail hugs the banks of the Presumpscot River.

I continued on the soft and often muddy path through piney woods and fields and thick brush. With the stacks of the SAPPI mill in sight, and my way blocked by a high fence, I decided to call it good.

Under an evening sky fast turning to pastel shades of pink and blue, I turned off the track onto a powerline and out into the streets of Westbrook. And in darkness navigated my way back to East Bridge St., lit up by the headlights of passing cars.

I was tickled to find my car still there in the parking lot when I returned. Given that I now didn't have to shell out a $100 to the City of Portland for a tow job, I headed to nearby Tortilla Flats to spend some of my bonus cash.

A terrific combo plate of beans, rice and tacos and a couple of Dos Equis pints later, my hike was officially complete.

Last weekend I struggled up the steep and icy trails of Mt. Kearsarge. But we made it to the top and it was good fun.

This weekend there was again some ice in the picture, albeit a different kind of ice. My boys, the University of Maine Black Bears, two-time NCAA National Hockey Champions, were also out there striving for the top. And they skated and checked and scored their way to another berth in the Frozen Four.

Oh, do they make this Maine alum proud. So much so that I'm sitting here humming the Maine Stein Song on this particularly beautiful blue and sunny Monday morning.

To the Frozen Four we go again, next Thursday, April 6th at 8PM at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee (site of Maine's first championship in April 1993). Maine against the Wisconsin Badgers.

I had a great weekend outdoors skiing at Cannon and Wildcat and comfortably holing up at the fine AMC Highland Center. Hope yours was a fun one outdoors, too.

But more on all that later.

For now all I can say is:

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

Early this morning, coffee and book in hand, I walked with Nimblewill Nomad over the last few miles of the Florida National Scenic Trail and thence across Key West to the southernmost point in the U.S.

It's been a long and fun journey with Nomad over these 300 days, 4,800 miles and 314 pages. He never fails to energize and entertain and inspire.

What I've particularly enjoyed are the quotes (most from other writers and adventurers, but many he's written himself) that Nomad has assembled and sprinkled into his new book after each day's journal entry. I've more than doubled my stock now of precious quotes.

Like this one, just a couple of days from Key West:

If I've made it, it's half because I was game to take on a wicked amount of punishment along the way, and half because there were an awful lot of people who cared enough to help me.
--Althea Gibson

That's long distance hiking in a nutshell.

Perserverance. One plodding foot after another. Through all the sweat and stink and sunburn and rain and bugs and bad bowels. And through the beauty and solitude and quiet and woods and mountains and vistas and winds and stars.

And trail magic. The unexpected gifts of kindness that appear out of nowhere when you least expect it and need it most from people you don't even know and will never see again. Those sterling moments that serve to bolster your faith in humankind. That shatter the nasty visions that are beamed into our brains on the evening news.

Nomad's walk is not over, though.

He and I have another 550 miles and 75 pages to trek through, over the mountains of Newfoundland, the true end of the Appalachian Mountains.

It is this Newfoundland section of trail that my friend Dick Anderson, founder of the International Appalachian Trail, will be speaking about at the upcoming MOAC meeting on April 5th in Portland. Dick may also have some news by then on the possible extension of the trail into Nova Scotia.

So don't miss out. Be there.

I'm outta here this weekend and headed once again for the White Mountains.

This time to the cozy confines of the Shapleigh bunkhouse at the new AMC Highland Center atop Crawford Notch.

I've not yet visited the new facility, much less stay there (although I've certainly enjoyed the AMC huts over the years), so this should be a real treat.

A comfy bunk, heat, showers, a common room and a hearty beeakfast to boot. And a big main lodge to relax in. All for a darn reasonable price.

That's the indoor adventure.

Outdoors, the plan for some of us (there's going to be sixteen MOACers total--thanks Andi for making the arrangements!) is to ski Cannon Mountain at the head of Franconia Notch on Saturday, then ski Wildcat at Pinkham Notch on Sunday. Others will be off hiking and exploring about the Crawford Notch area.

Should be loads of good fun.

What are you up to this weekend?

The legislature will vote on the Katahdin Lake land deal today.

How it will pan out among the three options: hunting, no hunting, or a combination of the two is anybody's guess.

But it was heartening to learn that Buzz Caverly, former Baxter State Park director and a man with unquestionable credentials, had formally come out on the side of compromise.

I hope our lawmakers heed his advice. And see to it that each side gets a share of the pie.

The real winners will be us, Joe and Jane public, who will benefit from 6,000-something acres to play on. Protected forever. Nice.

Get it done folks.

It isn’t very often that you get to spend the night out on top of a mountain. But that’s exactly what a small group of us did last weekend.

Mount Kearsarge is a strikingly conical peak in the White Mountain National Forest just north of North Conway, NH. And it just happens to have a fire tower on its 3,260 foot summit that is open to day hikers and backpackers alike.

The lower section of the 3.1 mile trail was clear with only the occasional patch of ice. But halfway up that changed as the trail became increasingly steep and icy.

Now, given the non-winter we’ve had, you can understand why some of us decided to leave our heavy duty crampons behind and take only Stabilicers for the bottom of our boots.

That idea worked fine until we unexpectedly (duh!) encountered the big sheets of ice across the trail. We slipped, slid and fell, and quickly determined that bushwhacking through the woods next to the trail was the only way up.

The bushwhack had its moments of struggle through thick brush, but soon enough we emerged onto the final summit slabs, and scampered up to the top and the tower.

Home sweet home for the night! What a treat!

The inside of the tower was quickly transformed with colorful gear as we settled in. The stove was fired up for soup and snacks, and a spot of red wine was enjoyed, as we took in the wonderful 360 degree views: Mount Washington, the deep V of Carter Notch, Pleasant Mountain, the Pemi Wilderness, and the valley of North Conway below.

The rest of our overnight group of five arrived along with a handful of day hikers and we enjoyed a fun social hour.

Throughout the evening strong north winds buffeted the tower, bringing a few light snowflakes. Inside, however, we were warm and dry and generally ecstatic to be camping out in such a cool place.

Sometime in the night the winds quit and the night became eerily silent, actually waking several of us. The temperature plunged to the single digits. But a brilliant sky full of stars appeared, which we enjoyed with a bit of shivering during bathroom runs.

It was tough to pack up and leave in the morning. We lingered over hot cocoa and shuffled about from window to window drinking in the scenery, before setting out.

We quickly picked up our bushwhack trail and crashed down through the brush to avoid the ice. It was a good plan that helped us again avoid the worst of it.

Early afternoon found us enjoying the warmth of Bray’s Brew Pub in Naples and a killer pulled pork sandwich washed down with a fine Old Church Pale Ale. Life is good.

Note: The Kearsarge fire tower is open and available for day and overnight use. To be sure, we checked in with officials of the WMNF prior to our trip. The tower is the last remaining fire tower in the entire WMNF and is a historic landmark. It is in immaculate condition. Treat it with care! We did. You should too. Pack out all your trash, sweep the floor (broom provided) and close the door when you leave. We want this wonderful place to stay in good shape for the enjoyment of many for many years to come. Thanks!

The trail to Kearsarge North just outside of North Conway NH.

The lower mountain was snow free and easy cruising...

... but the trail on the upper mountain was a treacherous sheet of ice!

Approaching the summit firetower after a healthy 2,600' ascent.

The views were awesome in all directions, especially north to rugged Carter Notch. Doublehead Mtn. is in the foreground.

Trip leader Andi fixes up our afternoon cocktails.

Andi and Jeff comfortably ensconced in the tower.

Brewing up the evening cocoa.

Just too damn comfortable to wanna get up.

We bushwhacked a good part of the descent to avoid the killer ice.

I happened upon another cool new item for you gear hounds out there: the RotoGlo flashlight.

Just crank the handle for 60 seconds and voila! You've got an hours worth of bright light.

There's no batteries or bulb to the thing, so it can't go dead on you. Well it can, but then you just give it a crank and the LEDs will light right up.

The RotoGlo is hand-sized and looks like a very packable item for the backpack. I was disappointed, though, that the product website didn't mention its weight.

Whatever. The idea is good and the price even better: 2 for $19.99. A heckuva deal.

Ching, ching...

Another attempt at yet another tax on outdoors users--to double the registration fee for ATV users--has been delayed for now.

Not good enough. It should fail to go any further.

Why must "Augusta" be synonymous with "tax"?

What makes them think (and I use that word cautiously) that us ordinary folks can pony up any given increase in fees (read: taxes) that they decide upon.

We don't have unlimited funds. We live on real budgets.

Why can't you folks in Augusta?

Now, I don't own or use an ATV (although I support their prudent use). I could very well say I don't give a rat's behind about a fee increase on ATVs.

But that wouldn't be right.

We've all been whacked enough with fee (tax) increases over the past few years. And that requires a line in the sand.

No ATV fee hikes, no more canoe and kayak taxes, no hiker tax.

You folks up there getting where I'm going?

Nod your heads up and down. Easy though. Don't want you hurting yourselves.

OK, back to my happy place now...

The good folks at Backpacker, our favorite magazine for hiking adventure, are coming to Portland!

The Backpacker Get Out More Road Tour will be at Eastern Mountain Sports on Marginal Way in Portland on April 15th at 1PM.

The tour puts on an inspirational and motivational program with hiking and backpacking tips and techniques (e.g. trip planning, cooking, fitness, and of course, GEAR!). Plus there will be great door prizes (read: GEAR!).

The hour long program is free and open to the public.

Local outdoor organizations are invited to set up an information table, too. To do so in Portland, contact Josh at EMS at 541-1919.

Hiking inspiration, fun people, gear, prizes... can't beat that! Bring it on (and spring, too!)

You can do just that, if you're a mountain biker, by showing up at Back Country Excursions mountain biking cross country center in Parsonsfield on April 25th at 1:30PM.

That's when Bill Green will be there to film Cliff Krolick's terrific mountain biking operation for his Bill Green's Maine television program.

Interested riders can just show up and be part of the fun and just maybe get themselves a little face time on the tube as well as get a chance to ride the fun trails at Backcountry.

Cliff has been running his mountain biking center since 1991 (his is the first and longest running mountain bike touring operation in the eastern U.S.). There's 18 miles of trails, much of it singletrack, plus a technical terrain park for those warped (albeit talented and daring) few. Cliff also puts on a variety of tours and events throughout the spring summer and fall.

So mark your calendar, get your gear together and tune up your mountain bike. And join Cliff and Bill Green for some great trail riding later next month.

Yes, the clock is ticking on the Katahdin Lake land deal.

But we've got plenty of good people on the case. Legislators, conservationists, outdoorspeople, you name it.

And that makes me very confident that this deal to protect the Katahdin Lake property is going to be worked out.

Sure, there are questions now on how to restructure the deal to make the best accommodations for the people of Maine. And that is apparently holding up fundraising and making some folks nervous.

That's understandable. But it's a temporary hold-up while the process gets worked through.

Look, there's no way that we're going to let this precious parcel of land NOT be preserved.

No way.

I believe that. And have faith that it will work out. That good people will do the right things to make it happen.

And in the end, our conservation community, those many factions that care deeply about the Maine woods, will be a stronger lot because of it.

Yep, this is it.

Trail Head blog entry #500.

It's been an awfully fun and interesting run in a relatively short period of time. And I'm incredibly thankful for this most wonderful opportunity to blog about that which is most dear to my heart: the Maine outdoors.

Many thanks to my great friends at MaineToday.com for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime chance, and for encouraging and supporting me along the way. You all rock!

Thanks to all of you, my Trail Head reader friends, some of whom I know, but most I don't. You're all good friends in my eyes. Many, many thanks for reading. Thanks for your thoughtful comments and opinions and snippets and wisecracks.

That's just what this cyber-spot is all about: a place to exchange news and commentary and opinions and advice about something we love so much--our outdoors.

Here we've run the gamut from hiking and canoeing in Baxter State Park to backpacking the Grafton Loop Trail, from mountain biking around the Portland area to crashing down the rapids of the Kennebec River in a raft. Day hikes all over the place, ski trips to Sugarloaf and Sunday River. And a hundred other outdoor adventures around Maine and sometimes beyond.

We've kicked around the tough and controversial issues of Plum Creek and Moosehead Lake, wind power near the Appalachian Trail, Katahdin Lake, and even a canoe and kayak tax. Issues of importance to us will continue to make news as development pressures increase on Maine's woods and waters.

And we've learned that, yes, you really can get your car caught in an avalanche, drink the case of beer that you had stashed in the back seat, and pee your way to safety. As well as determining that Bleacher's in Portland might well be the center of the universe for many outdoor enthusiasts seeking critical post-activity sustenance. Or is it Bray's? And, of course, there was the infamous pooper-peeker.

In any case, this has been a whale of a good time for me. And I hope for you, too. Again, my thanks to you all. I hope you'll continue following along for the next 500 Trail Head blog adventures, and continue to add your two cents and then some.

See you along the cyber-trail...

The Trail Head says, "Be happy, go outdoors, have fun. Play now, work later."

Trail Head reader Ken has launched a new website on the Katahdin Lake land deal that's worth visiting.

The Katahdin Lake proposal is yet another hot and unfortunately divisive issue that bears much serious consideration and conversation.

Take a look see and add your comments.

By the way, I understand there's a compromise proposal on the table to make the area in and around Katahdin Lake part of Baxter State Park, while the northern section would remain open to traditional uses under state ownership.

That could work.

You may or may not have heard that there's a new leader of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the federal agency charged with managing our national parks and lands and much of the nation's natural resources.

Dirk Kempthorne was appointed by President Bush this week to succeed retiring Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton.

Kempthorne is currently Idaho Governor, and seems a decent enough fellow with a good record of environmental stewardship.

It's an important job that requires a considerable balancing of priorities. Not an easy task, for sure, but one that matters a lot for all of us who care deeply about our parks and lands.

Maine Conservation Commissioner Pat McGowan was on the radio this AM talking about the Katahdin Lake land deal.

Listen in and hear his take on the proposal.

You can take it from there.

As for me, I'm not a hunter. I don't even play one on TV.

I'm a hiker.

That said, I simply can't understand why the two factions can't get along. Has it always been this way and I just haven't paid attention?

I hike in the 750,000 acre White Mountain National Forest, the 500,000 acres of the Maine Public Reserve lands, countless trails on private property. And share these places with those who hunt.

By October and November each year, when the vast majority of hunters are outside and active, the vast majority of hikers are not. For me and others who enjoy extending the hiking season into the cold fall weather, we don some blaze orange and hike on.

What is the big deal? Really?

With Katahdin Lake we're not talking about mixing motorized recreation with non-motorized recreation. And that makes sense to me. It's hikers and hunters. No machines.

Sorry, but I'm just not the exclusionary type. That's what I see going on here. And it's the only reason why I have trouble with this proposal that would preserve a fine chunk of the Maine woods for all of us.

What I am missing?

... Happy St. Patty's Day!

And just for you rabid gear fanatics who also happen to feel the same way about Guinness, here's a new gadget for you.

Have fun! Safely, of course.

If I can't be outside, I'm okay being inside with Outside.

You follow me?

Good.

Sitting down with the April issue last night, I came across a host of interesting (to me anyway) bits and pieces of news and marginally useful info...

* A guy named Jamie Pierre clicked into his alpine skis and leaped off a 255-foot cliff at Grand Targhee, Wyoming. Why, oh, why? The jump broke the standing record of 225 feet. Sure makes my hop off a boulder at Spruce Cliffs at Sunday River look pretty timid.

* The Last Season by Eric Blehm looks like a fascinating read. It's about a backcountry ranger at Kings Canyon National Park in California who went missing in late July 1996 and hasn't been seen since. That wigs me out some as I was through that way on the John Muir Trail just weeks later. Huh. The book reviewer gives it an Into the Wild kind of feel. Excellent!

* Speaking of Into the Wild, the movie is due to hit theaters sometime soon (no release date as yet). Can't wait for that. Make sure you read the book first (like always). It's a thrilling read.

* Mountain Hardwear has an ad for their new Exodus backpack system. It appears to be a hybrid internal and external frame pack. I'd like to give it go as I'll bet it carries a heavy load comfortably. Just what I need though, another pack.

* Aron Ralston, the Colorado adventurer who got stuck in a Utah slot canyon and had to extricate himself after six days by cutting off his right arm, has become the first person to complete all 59 Colorado 14,000 foot peaks solo, and in winter. Cool. Very cool.

* Jackson Hole Ski Resort in Wyoming will be celebrating Tram Days from March 18-April 2 with their Jackson Hole Mountain Festival. Should be loads of fun but with a measure of sadness: On April 2 the tram will cease operation after some 40 years of carrying skiers up over 4,000 vertical feet of mountain. That's a good long run, on both accounts.

Dat's all I got. Then I fell asleep. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

The Katahdin Lake land deal and the proposed ban on hunting was the topic of conversation earlier today on the WGAN Morning News.

Kicking the matter around for awhile, Ken and Mike, the show's co-hosts, as well as a number of callers all seemed to be asking the same thing: What's the big deal? Don't hunters have enough land to hunt on already?

George Smith, Executive Director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, came on the program shortly after and laid it out quite well just exactly why it was a big deal that hunters and hunting not be excluded from Katahdin Lake.

Listen to the interview with Smith and the interesting argument he makes.

Here's my synopsis with a few comments of my own:

1. Hunters are the primary users of the Katahdin Lake property now.

2. Hunters were excluded from the process from the start, from a deal that seeks to acquire land for "public" use. Exclusion is never a good tactic.

3. When the Togue Pond parcel was acquired and ceded to Baxter State Park a few years ago, it was done so to allow hunting. So why not now, with this deal? This one really baffles me. OK then, but not now. Why?

4. The land seller (Gardner) is pro-hunting.

5. Attorney General Steve Rowe, who is one of three members of the Baxter State Park Authority, has apparently said he won't accept the land into Baxter if hunting is allowed.

6. Seems the AG is losing sight of the goal: to purchase and protect a beautiful piece of the Maine woods. Big time myopia here!

7. Why not restructure the deal and get the state to buy the land, adding it to the thousands of acres of Maine public lands that allow traditional uses? Exactly. Make it a part of the Maine Public Lands system.

8. Hunters are active only in October and November, after Baxter State Park is closed for camping and use drops to a fraction. Interesting fact.

9. Governor Baxter, while not a fan of hunting, respected the local people and their traditions, and thus was not opposed to hunting. Baxter was respectful and inclusive. A good model to follow.

You make some valid points, George. Worth consideration.

What do you all think? Can we recreationa enthusiasts co-exist? Can we get the deal done with hunting, or no?

Tell me, cuz I wanna know... (please, of course).

Got my tax refund back from the State of Maine yesterday.

$5.

Big whoop.

Thanks Gov.

You might just as well have kept it and put it toward that big salary increase our beneficent legislature wants you to have.

But now that it's in my hands, guess I'll have to go help boost the economy and spend it.

L.L. Bean, Eastern Mountain Sports watch out! I've got an extra $5 and I'm headed your way...

A few more inspiring words from my friend Nimblewill Nomad, as he nears completion of the AT, the 3,000 mile mark of his journey from Newfoundland to Key West:

The evening has turned cold, so I linger by the fire till after dark, alone, as usual. As I stare into the dying embers, I'm set to pondering the interesting and utter difference between what, at times, we might embrace as near reverie, that oft sought after thing called solitude, and what, at other times, we might look upon as no more than the hopelessly despairing pangs of loneliness. I've seen no thru-hikers since Erwin [Tennessee], and only two day hikers today. As expressed in my ditty "Land of the Free," wanderlust can, indeed, deal us a "...cold, lonesome track."

As one who has spent his share of time "out there" alone, I can attest that's it's often a very fine line between the two. Solitude in the wilderness can bring incredible ecstasy. Other times being alone on the trail can bring you to tears.

Guess that's part of why we go. To feel. To see. To be alive and dancing along on that razor's edge of emotions.

All For One Pass. Ski More. Pay Less.

So says the mail I got from ASC yesterday.

Uh, not by my calculations, folks.

Looks like my Bronze pass will be going up for the third season in a row. From $299 to $349 and now to $365.

And I'm not sure I appreciate the cutely tagged "Time sensitive renewal information for current passholders" on the envelope. "Pass quantities reduced. Act by May 2."

Buy by May 2 or face a $100 increase or the possibility of not getting one at all.

Sounds a bit threatening.

An interesting marketing tack after a winter that never really happened.

Yes, the skiing's being pretty good considering what the mountains have had to work with.

But I'd have thought next season's deal might be sweetened some.

Instead, I get "buy now or else."

Funny thing is they know I'm gonna buy. And you too.

So, in another five years is it going to creep up to $500 or $750 for a pass?

Note to ASC: We love you guys, you run a good shop, but please give us a break and hold the line on the pass prices for awhile. And we'll reward you with plenty of sold passes and skier days and dollars spent at the mountains. Deal?

Maybe it's the nice almost-spring weather. Could be the winter that never quite was.

Whatever the case, I'm ready for hiking season.

I know, I know, hiking season never really ends (especially this year).

But I'm itching for hiking season.

You know, shorts and T-shirt, light hikers on the feet, sun and blue skies and 70 degrees.

That hiking season.

There's still a few more ski runs to be taken. And there's Reggae Weekend and all that good stuff. Good fun, no doubt.

But it's the hiking I want now. Bad. And I'm ready to jump into it like I can't remember.

How about you? You ready to hit the trail?

It probably hasn't helped one damn bit that I've been reading about the 5,000-plus mile hiking odyssey of Nimblewill Nomad on the Eastern Continental Trail, a contrived route that takes in the International Appalachian Trail, the Appalachian Trail, the Florida Trail and a few other shorter trails on its way from Newfoundland to Key West.

Can't imagine that's had any effect at all. You think?

Old Nomad is quite the storyteller for sure, and not a bad poet either. Here's just one of his inspirational poems from Where Less the Path is Worn that's really got me going:

Here's to all hearts of that cold, lonesome track,
To the life of the wanderlust, free.
To all who have gone and have never come back,
Here's a tribute to you and me.

With our feet in the dirt, we're the grit of earth,
Heads a-ridin' the heavens o'erhead.
And they won't find a nickel of value or worth,
When our fortunes are tallied and read.

But no richer has there ever been known,
Since the times of all ruin and wrack,
Than those of us lost to the dust outward blown,
Who have gone and have never come back.

--Nimblewill Nomad

Your words are beautiful and true, Nomad. Like others, I've gone too, and have never fully returned. The trail does that.

Carry on, my good man. Carry on.

That pretty much sums up last weekend's adventure to the Green Mountains of Vermont.

Our group of six questionably sane individuals with a serious fun addiction skied Killington on Saturday. The mountain was crowded with New York-speaking peoples, but had excellent snow conditions underfoot, made even better by the steady snowfall of light, fluffy flakes throughout the day. My favorite runs: Ovation, Skyeburst and Superstar.

On Sunday we made for the fun trails of Pico and its old lifts and woodsy trails. Pico is a trip back in time and provided a wonderful day of skiing under perfect blue skies. Winding through the trees with great views, Upper KA and Forty-Niner rocked. But Birch Glades and its soft, ungroomed powder was the run of the weekend! And, of course, required multiple runs. Upper Giant Killer was closed, but we may (or may not) have slid through the trees and poached a couple of quiet, glorious runs down it.

We based our skiing fun out of the most excellent and cozy Inn at the Long Trail, perched right at the crest of Sherburne Pass on US Route 4 and smack between the two mountains.

We enjoyed the full meal package of hearty breakfasts and gourmet dinners (the special tuna steak in Jack Daniels sauce may have been one of the best meals of my life). Great entertainment by Revel's Glen was had in the all-Irish-all-the-time McGrath's Pub, where the Guinness, Harp, and Long Trail Ale was pouring well throughout our stay. We did our best to help diminish the stocks. Relaxing often by the fireplace and in the hot tub was also a big part of the drill.

Life is tough sometimes, ain't it.

Thanks Murray and Patti for the fine accomodations! You rock!

And thanks to our skee groupies: Nancy, Janice, Sandie, Scott and Gerard.

Thanks, of course, to Killington and Pico for the great skiing. It's worth a visit for sure, especially if you've got an ASC pass.

Da skee group atop Killington last Saturday.

Riding Killington's North Ridge Triple to fine skiing.

Heading down the Skyeburst trail.

Outside the Inn at Long Trail in a snowstorm.

Scott enjoys a pint of Long Trail in McGrath's Pub at ILT.

Owner Murray McGrath pours a fine pint of Guinness.

The fireplace at the Inn is a fine place to relax with a good book and a cocktail.

Pico is like real old time skiing.

Skiing the Upper KA trail on Pico.

Unidentified skiers looking back up Giant Killer at Pico.

There's still good skiing out there in our New England mountains. Better get out there, though, as it may not last...

They're coming. One by one. Checking us out.

Stealthily making their way south from Quebec into the Maine woods.

Wolves!

Dozens of reliable sightings confirm it as fact.

One day, say wildlife biologists, Maine may have its very own wolf pack.

Now wouldn't that be cool?!

I've only seen one wolf and that was in the wild and incredibly remote Escalante Canyon country of southern Utah.

Have you ever seen a wolf in Maine? Where and when?

Yes, it's the classic Rodney King line.

But with regard to the unexpectedly heated battle over the Katahdin Lake parcel, it's a question worth asking.

Baxter acquisition supporters feel "bullied" by the hunting lobby.

Millinocket area locals feel demeaned and put-upon by "outside" interests.

So we're fighting a fight to save a beautiful chunk of the Maine woods. An unnecessary fight in my view. Against each other.

Both sides want the same outcome: the preservation of the 6,000 acre Katahdin Lake property.

With all due respect to the sports who enjoy motorized recreation like snowmobiling and ATVs, they're going to be left out of the deal. I can understand that part. Motorized recreation has its place, but I don't think it's here.

The sticking point comes down to this:

One side wants wilderness only. The other wants hunting to remain.

How close can you get?

We hikers enjoy the White Mountain National Forest, and hunting is allowed there. We enjoy the diverse lands of the Maine Public Reserve Land system, and hunting is allowed there. We enjoy ten of thousands of acres of private property where hunting is allowed.

Why is it that suddenly (or maybe not so suddenly) hikers and hunters can't co-exist?

Why the animosity?

I don't get it.

Where did we get off onto this unproductive track? A track that's leading nowhere. And one that may ultimately cost us a fine parcel of woods and waters.

We're all outdoorspeople and sportspeople (that sounds a bit odd but it's my rare shot at PC here). Aren't we a stronger force against the tide of development when we work together?

Toss that one around and let me know what you think.

The duffle's loaded and the skis are on top of the car.

Must be Friday, eh?

Off to Vermont later today for a weekend of mad skiing at Killington and Pico.

The summit gondola at Killington.

One of nearly two hundred trails at monstrous Killington.

Unless, of course, that Killington has by now seceded from tax-heavy Vermont and joined up with neighboring Live Free of Die New Hampshire.

In which case, I'll then be in New Hampshire in the middle of Vermont. Or something like that. Whatever.

Regardless, our group will be making the most of this annual foray west to the Green Mountains. Killington has several hundred tremendous trails to explore, including some intense double blacks. Pico is an old-time skiers dream with a quaint base lodge and miles of woodsy twisting and turning trails.

Our group will base camp at the Inn at the Long Trail, tough duty for sure. No doubt owner Murray McGrath will ply us with a few delicious pints of of Harp and Guinness. And the place will rock with fine Irish music.

A fine resting spot and watering hole in Killington VT, or maybe it's NH?.

McGrath's Irish Pub at ILT. 'Nuff said.

Hope you all have a good weekend on the slopes and trails!

In the heat of the discussion the other day on the battle over preservation of the Katahdin Lake parcel, and if that would or would not exclude hunting, I missed an interesting proposal.

Rep. Stan Moody (D-Manchester) proposed to the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee the possibility that the state could take over the land rather than having it become part of Baxter State Park.

Good plan, Stan.

That's my solution, too. And I think it's a very reasonable one.

Under state control Katahdin Lake would become part of the Maine Public Reserve Lands system, which already protects and manages nearly 500,000 acres for multiple uses, i.e. a wide variety of traditional uses are allowed.

Now there's a heckuva compromise.

The important thing is the conservation of this parcel, isn't it? To protect these 6,000 acres now, before the June deadline set for the deal by the landowner.

Does it really matter who controls it?

Not really.

Get it done, folks.

And then we'll all have another beautiful piece of wild Maine backcountry to enjoy forever.

I dropped in at home for some lunch today and found the March issue of AMC Outdoors in my mailbox. Always a good thing.

Between bites I learned that the "fee demonstration program" (that's governmental-speak for "paying to park at the trailheads") has been extended for another 10 years in the White Mountain National Forest (and other federal lands).

Whoopee.

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) took effect on January 1, 2006.

Care is needed here. Allow me to assist with translation: "Enhancement" = tax = you & me pay.

So be it.

After ten years, I'm pretty resigned to the parking fee thing.

And I'll save any further complaining energy for the trail.

Fees remain $3 a day or a season pass for $25.

The funds collected are promised to stay local and help with trail maintenance and other trails-related work that needs doin'.

And that seems like a reasonable deal.

As far as the wind power project proposed for the mountaintops in Maine's Redington Range, Bob Cummings pretty much nails it in his guest column today.

Cummings says "yes" to wind power as part of our future energy mix. But "no" to locating a wind farm on some of our high peaks in direct view of the Appalachian Trail corridor.

I agree.

Now that may, understandably, sound NIMBYish.

As Bob says, wind can and should be part of our new energy plan. But if the visual and physical impact is going to be so severe, as it will be in the Redington case, can we justify it?

No.

It hurts to say so, but no.

I take issue with terming the wind project developer in this case an "intruder", and then villifying the company with facts and figures on the size and scope of the project.

That doesn't help the matter.

Any wind project is going to be big and intrusive and have environmental impacts. Not just the Redington proposal. And not just Endless Energy.

Let's be fair.

So...

What now?

Where are we going to hide the wind elephant, this thing that most everybody agrees is good, but that nobody wants near them and their viewshed?

When I tell you I think a better location might be along Maine's coastline, what will you say?

No way?

Nah, uh. Never!

Then what?

I found some good information that can serve as a starting point for consideration of wind power projects in a coastal environment. Check out the 'Who Says What' page for sure. That'll give you reading material on the topic for awhile.

Give it a look see, sort through it, and let me know your thoughts.