I've just got to wonder.

There's breaking news out today about an undiscovered tribe photographed deep in the Amazon jungles of Brazil.

An undiscovered tribe in Brazil? Or a MOAC trip that never returned home to Maine? Hmmm...
AP photo

I looked closely at the photos, I did.

And it makes me think, you know, just when did I last see that intrepid MOAC trip leader Dan Kidd of Limington and that crew of Maine adventurers that went to the Amazon, built a raft and floated down river?

Could be them in the pics, I tells you. Could be.

Maybe not so undiscovered after all.

Easy way to find out: Air drop a few cases of cold beer and couple extra large pepperoni pizzas into 'em. If they take to it like flies on, well, you know, then we know they're MOACers.

If you haven't yet treated yourself to a hike and a night's stay in one of the AMC White Mountain huts, you've been missing out on a world-class experience.

Having trekked on the other side of the Atlantic quite a bit, I find the AMC hut thing very European, except that it's right here close to home! And I do believe it's time for another go-round at the huts!

AMC operates eight high mountain huts along a 70-mile stretch of the AT, from Lonesome Lake sandwiched between the Kinmans and Cannon Mountain all the way across the Franconias and Presidentials to Carter Notch tucked into the woods beneath Wildcat and Carter Dome.

The Lakes of the Clouds sits at 5,000 feet between Mounts Washington and Monroe in the Presidential Range.
Photo courtesy www.hikethewhites.com

Trail Head near Mt. Eisenhower on the path between Mizpah and Lakes huts last summer.
Carey Kish photo

The huts allow you to enjoy a few days on the trail (or a week or more) encumbered by only a light rucksuck, no heavy overnight gear required. Yep, that''s right. The huts provide warm bunks with blankets and pillows. You need bring only a sheet-sack and pillowcase.

As for meals, well, come hungry. Yeah, you'll need snack foods for the trail and a water bottle. But once at the hut, you'll sit down with the other guests - fellow hikers just like you - gathered from near and far, and enjoy a huge family-style meal for dinner and breakfast. All prepared by the friendly hut crew. You will not walk away hungry!

Relaxing is a big part of the hut experience. Hang out at the tables and read, write, look out the windows, chat with folks from all over the globe, play games. Forget about the busy world below for awhile.

Take in an after-dinner walk to a nearby peak, follow the hut naturalist for a walk and talk on alpine plants. Pull up a rock and watch the sunset. Sleep a deep, restful sleep listening the mountains winds.

Ahhh...

Carter Notch Hut lies in a deep defile between Wildcat Mountain and Carter Dome. It is open all year.
Photo courtesy www.hikethewhites.com

WHAT: Hike the White Mountains and stay overnight in one of the AMC high mountain huts. Better yet, make it a multi-day trip and experience some fine walking and several different huts.

WHEN: The AMC huts open for business on June 4th and remain open until mid-September (a couple are open year-round). Weekends can be busy so do plan ahead. Mid-week is a good bet if you can get away. Either way, reservations are a must! FYI: June is a great time to see the alpine flowers.

WHERE: The huts are located along a 70-mile stretch of the AT in the White Mountains of NH.

WHY: Great mountain hiking with a light pack. Unique and comfy overnight accommodations in spectacular locations.

HOW: Check out the AMC huts online. Plan your trip, get a gear list, check event schedules, and make reservations.

BONUS: Go for a three or five night stay and save 12% on your entire stay (excluding Saturday nights). Hey, why not?! Life is short, hike the huts! By the way, for the multi-day trip, use the AMC hiker shuttle to make it easy to get back to your car (and save on the gas for car shuttling... better used for post-hike chow and beers!).

You ever stayed in the AMC huts? What was your experience like?

Galehead Hut is the most remote in the AMC system. It sits at 3,800 feet between Mount Garfield and the Twins.
Photo courtesy www.hikethewhites.com

Now, I can't say for sure that that's what caused the ruckus on the highway this fine Memorial Day, but there was some kind camper fire going on in Scarborough that caused holiday traffic to get snarled up for a couple hours.

Sounds mighty suspicious I tells you. Good chance the guy was trying to cook while driving.

Jeez, how many times do I have to warn you not to do that! It just ain't safe. Just ask the guy in Germany who tried to grill sausages and drive. (A potential Darwin Award winner!). Not good.

Of course, having a belly full o' alcohol, three times over the legal limit in fact, probably didn't help matters. Small point, I realize, yes, but still. I mean, c'mon, that's expecting a lot, man.

To hold the steering wheel, hold a can of beer, and cook the meat. With all that going on, there's an awful good chance you're gonna burn the damn sausages!

So please, my camper friends, be safe on the road this summer... Don't grill and drive!

The Bold Coast Trail might be the most spectacular coastal hiking venue, outside of Acadia, in the eastern United States. Yep, it be true. Been there, done that. And I'll go back again and again.

Hike a mile in to reach the ocean, then walk southward for four stunning miles, wending your way past precipitous cliff edges, through open grasslands, across wetlands on log bridges and up craggy outlooks, the wide expanse of the Grand Manan Channel ever over your left shoulder.

Make camp at one of 3 cozy sites tucked just into the woods above the rocky shore. There's room for two small tents, logs to sit on for relaxing and cooking dinner, and a crude open-air privy that makes relieving yourself quite an experience.

Take a seat out on the rocks and enjoy a grand campsite view like no other. In clear weather you can look across the Bay of Fundy to the Canadian island of Grand Manan, and down the coast to the lighthouse at the mouth of the Little River and the entrance to Cutler Harbor.

You might eye a tanker plying the deep waters offshore or a lobster boat bobbing closer in, hauling in its catch. Shorebirds will be busy playing on the waves, as will the occasional seal and porpoise. And in late summer, at least three species of whales may be spied offshore.

At nightfall the towers of the old Cutler Naval Station to the west are unmistakable, but strangely, seem not to intrude. The rhythmic clanging of an offshore buoy and the lighthouse foghorn will likely lull you into a restful sleep.

How's it sound so far? Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say. Better get to packing up then. Head for the Sunrise County. Get in some wild and wonderful walking, Bold Coast Trail style...

Backpacking the spectacular Bold Coast Trail.
Carey Kish photo

Typical Bold Coast view. Ho hum.
Carey Kish photo

Nice oceanfront real estate, eh?!
Carey Kish photo

WHAT: Backpack the magnificent trails of the Cutler Coast Unit of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.

WHEN: The long Memorial Day holiday weekend is a good time to go, but any weekend will do nicely. Two days and one night on the trail is great; two nights are always better!

WHERE: Travel Down East on Route 1 to Machias. East of Machias pick up Route 191 and continue to the picturesque lobstering village of Cutler. The trailhead is a couple miles out of town on your right.

WHY: Three oceanfront campsites and four miles of spectacular walking along the Grand Manan Channel! Take the Coastal Trail to and along the water. Camp nestled in the spruce and fir, with a big window view of rugged cliffs and pounding surf. Revel and enjoy! Then follow the Inland Trail back out to the car. It's 10 miles of walking total.

HOW: Get a trail map booklet from the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, if there's time. Not time? Go anyway. It's a loop route, well marked, no problem to follow. You'll want your trusty Maine Atlas & Gazetteer, however, for road navigating.

BONUS: Stop at Helen's Restaurant in Machias on your way back for a slice of world famous blueberry pie. With a scoop of vanila ice cream, thank you very much!

Note: There's no good, reliable water sources near the campsites, so you'll need to pack it all in with you. And do bring a camera along. For natural beauty this place is out of this world. Binoculars are also worth their weight for wildlife viewing offshore, like whales, porpoises and seals.

More great oceanfront trail walking.
Carey Kish photo

The trail snakes through a Bold Coast bog.
Carey Kish photo

If you make a visit to the Bold Coast, gimme a holler back here. I'd like to get a trip report, see how things went. Enjoy!

The most satisfying weekend on the calendar for this hiker is undoubtedly the mid-May Appalachian Trail maintenance trip. It's hard work, lugging the chainsaw and tools along through the woods, clearing out blowdowns, swamping, clipping brush, building bog bridges. It's usually buggy, too, and oftentimes it rains.

No matter.

It's so, so satisfying to open the trail for the season, to make a clear foot path for the many hikers that will walk through from now until autumn.

My good pal and fellow MATCer Dana maintains a 3.3 mile section of the A.T. at West Carry Pond, and has since 1995. I've been maintaining the adjacent 1.8 mile section to the north at East Carry Pond since 2004.

Last weekend we assembled a rag-tag group of folks and headed on up to do some good work, have some good fun and camp for a couple nights in the luxurious comfort of our favorite gravel pit.

Ahhh...

Gravel pit camping, a fine Maine tradition.
Carey Kish photo

Trail maintenance ain't all work... Happy hour in camp after a day on the trail.
Carey Kish photo

A fine time was had by all, clearing about 60 blowdowns, bucking up several dozen sleeper logs for future bog bridge construction, and clipping back much of the encroaching trailside growth.

Moving those blowdowns on out.
Carey Kish photo

Trail crew hiking along the inlet to East Carry Pond.
Carey Kish photo

Stan, MATC section maintainers Gordon and Craig, Fran.
Carey Kish photo

All of this amid the spendid backcountry scenery of the A.T. as it winds through this remote area east of the Bigelows.

All good.

Wilderness views down East Carry Pond.
Carey Kish photo

West Carry Pond from Arnold Point.
Carey Kish photo

If you haven't tried your hand at trail maintenance, well, you really are missing out. With National Trails Day coming right up on Saturday, June 7th, you've got a perfect opportunity to get in on the fun and give a little something back to the trails we use and love.

Go for it and enjoy!

You a trail maintainance groupie? Gonna get out there on National Trails Day, and maybe beyond?

Trail maintenance: Good for trail, good for you! You try?!
Carey Kish photo

The Grand Canyon. One the world's greatest natural wonders. An open storybook of geologic time that boggles the mind. A scenic gem of mind-blowing proportions.

River, rock, space, silence. Precious desert life clinging tenuously to the edge. Wild beyond your wildest imagination.

Photo courtesy O.A.R.S. Grand Canyon, Inc.

To raft the Grand Canyon from one end to the other is truly an adventure of a lifetime. So it was for Maine AMCer Fran Leyman of Bowdoin. She and a group of Mainahs took an 18-day raft trip down the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park in the autumn of 2006.

Photo courtesy O.A.R.S. Grand Canyon, Inc.

On Monday night, May 19th, Fran, an experienced raft guide in her own right, will share her other-worldy Grand Canyon river experience through video and photographs. Plan on being wowed x 10 with some of the finest natural scenery on the planet, from a trip that changes a person forever.

Fran's storytelling will also include bonus tales of rafting trips to the lower Rio Grande canyons on the Texas-Mexico border, and the Bio-Bio River in Chile.

It's going to be a wet and wild evening of education and good fun!

Photo courtesy O.A.R.S. Grand Canyon, Inc.

The Maine AMC Grand Canyon rafting event is open and free to the public. The location is the Morrell Room, Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant Street, Brunswick. Parking is available on Middle Street and off Union Street.

There's a potluck dinner at 6 PM (optional). The program starts at 7 PM. Potluckers are encouraged to bring a potluck item and their own dinnerware (plate, utensils etc.). Drinks will be provided and plastic-ware will be available.

Photo courtesy O.A.R.S. Grand Canyon, Inc.

Seeing as how it's National Bike to Work Week, and today is the final day of Commute Another Way Week (it's Bike to Work Day!), I've got bikes on the brain. And why not? It's summer-like outside and time to put the pedal to the, um, er, dirt or gravel, and get a move on.

A great place to do just that this weekend, or anytime, is along the Eastern Trail, a 60-mile on- and off-road multi-use trail route from South Portland to Kittery. A biker's paradise. It's all been made possible by the continuing hard work and dogged determintaion of the folks at the Eastern Trail Alliance. Kudos to you my friends!

So, get the bikes out of the basement, garage, or wherever. Clean 'em up. Put a little oil on that chain. Then glove up, helmet up, put a Camelback on your back and go... to the Eastern Trail!

The Eastern Trail is a 60-mile multi-use route for adventures of many kinds, from the NH-Maine border north to Casco Bay.
Photo courtesy Eastern Trail Alliance

WHO: You and your bicycling buddies...

WHAT: The Eastern Trail is a magnificent work-in-progress 60-mile on- and off-road multi-use recreation route that extends from Kittery to South Portland following the old Eastern Railroad corridor.

WHEN: This weekend, or anytime really. The Eastern Trail is perfect for bike excursions long and short; whatever fits your schedule, desire and energy. Join up with the friendly ETA folks for one of their many outings this summer.

WHERE: You can pick up the Eastern Trail in a host of spots along the route. The ET crosses 12 towns and cities in southern Maine. From Kittery, the trail continues north through Eliot, South Berwick, North Berwick, Wells, Kennebunk, Arundel, Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Scarborough. It ends in South Portland.

According to the ETA: "The route which starts (or ends) at Bug Light Park on Casco Bay crosses South Portland on already complete sections of South Portland's Greenway. The Eastern Trail crosses Scarborough Marsh just east of the Maine Audubon nature center. It crosses the Cascade Road a few hundred feet from Cascade Falls. The route continues through Saco, Biddeford, and Arundel. In Kennebunk the Eastern Trail is cut by the Maine Turnpike just east of the Kennebunk rest area. The Eastern Trail Alliance is working with the Turnpike Authority to seek a solution perhaps one similar to the Appalachian Trail overpass on the Massachusetts Turnpike, or perhaps a bike path to reach the Route 35 overpass. The ET continues across the western edge of Wells into North Berwick and South Berwick, then into Eliot and on paved roads through Kittery before it crosses into Portsmouth."

HOW: Bicycles of all shapes, sizes and colors can and do navigate the beautiful old rail corridor that is the Eastern Trail. Be prepared for both on and off-road riding. Obey the rules of the road and be safe. And by all means, wear a helmet.

For extra credit, go a little crazy and try one of the 50-mile loop rides:
* The Amtrak Downeaster-Eastern Trail loop trip from Portland to Wells by Amtrak. Bike back 50 miles on Eastern Trail. Yes, The Downeaster takes bicycles on board!
* Bike Wells to Saco River on ET. Bike back to Wells along the shore.

WHY: It's spring, the weather is beautiful, and it's time to get outside on that bicycle of yours and pedal. And if you haven't visited the Eastern Trail, now's a good a time as any!

Get a copy of the Eastern Trail Guide for $10 from the ETA folks to help you plan your next ride(s). And once you fall in love with the ET think about becoming a member and/or volunteer. Trails need people like you... lots of 'em.

Do let me know what section of the ET you rode and how you liked it, what you saw and whatnot. You know me, I live for adventurous tales...

Enjoying the scenery from the seat of a bicycle on the Eastern Trail.
Photo courtesy Eastern Trail Alliance

Maine's newest addition to the outdoor merchant scene is here, ready and waiting to open it's doors. Ching, ching!

Cabela's, the Nebraska-based retail giant, is celebrating the Grand Opening of its new store in Scarborough, just off Maine Turnpike Exit 42 on Thursday, May 15th starting at 5 PM.

You want quality hunting, fishing and outdoor gear? Cabela's has it. And plenty of it.

I wandered down that way this afternoon to get a good look-see around and maybe snap a few photos just for yucks. I was impressed with the only other Cabela's I'd visited, the behemoth of a store in Fort Worth, Texas, and was pretty curious to see what I could see. I never expected the doors to be open, however.

So naturally I sauntered in like I belonged there and milled around. (The store was open today by invite only, but hey, what the heck).

Cabela's new store in Scarborough officially opens Thursday, May 15th.
Carey Kish photo

Figuring I'd better go official before somebody tossed me out, I tracked down Peter Marshall, Cabela's Public Relations Manager, who was kind enough to give me a tour of the place.

It's a cavernous 125,000 square-foot superstore with an almost theme park feel to it. I mean c'mon, there's a diorama, an aquarium, a 2-story tall "Conservation Mountain," a fly shop, laser shooting gallery, world-class gun library and more.

Oh yeah, and the endless aisles and shelves chock full of outdoor stuff...

Cabela's is 125,000 square feet of outdoor shopping paradise.
Carey Kish photo

Marshall was busy as you might imagine, and admitted to being a little tired (he'd been up since 3 AM), but he was charged up and firing on all cylinders as the store crew worked tenaciously to ready things for the big celebration and the hoards of outdoor shoppers that would follow.

Peter Marshall, Cabela's Public Relations Manager, kindly gave me a tour of the huge new store.
Carey Kish photo

If you're planning to come Thursday at 5 PM, be prepared for big crowds, Marshall told me. But no matter, Cabela's has arranged for plenty of off-site parking just down the road a piece across from Beech Ridge Raceway. Shuttles will be running continuously to move store visitors conveniently back and forth from the store.

I had to check out the camping department, of course...
Carey Kish photo

Red Sox announcer Joe Castiglione and Governor Baldacci will kick things off. There will be giveaways and special prices on clothing and merchandise, plus drawings to win a multi-sport adventure, a $3,000 camping package, a lifetime fishing permit and a Cabela's Ultimate Outdoor Adventure package.

... and pick up a new hat!
Carey Kish photo

So, there you go folks. Dust off them credit cards. Carpool on down. And come and get it. Cabela's has come to town...

You going to be making a visit to the new Cabela's and dropping down some of your hard-earned cabbage on new outdoor goods??

The sign says it all...
Carey Kish photo

What's with this work week thing. All these years and I can't seem to get used to it. You, too, you say? Yeah, let's work on that, eh?! Every day should be the weekend.

Speaking of, spring is here and it's time to get on the river. Any river will do, yes. But when it's big spring water, you want to be on the Dead River in a big honking raft.

The Dead is sixteen, count 'em, sixteen wild and woolly miles of rapids and waves and hootin's and hollerin'. That is, of course, provided you stay in the raft and aren't out there bobbing along amid the chaos of the rapids, screaming for your life. Get over it.

Paddle hard, stay in raft, have fun. Trust me. Been there, done that.

Paddling big springtime water on Maine's Dead River.
Photo courtesy Magic Falls Rafting Co.

WHO: You and your crazy paddling and party pals!

WHAT: Going for a wet and wild 16-mile raft trip on the Dead River up they-uh in The Forks.

WHEN: This Saturday, May 17 get ready for a 7,000 CFS dam release on the Dead River. With all the rain we've had plus the snowpack melting big up that way, translate those numbers to mean BIG WATER! Paddle hard or swim, I tells ya!

WHERE: From Portland, head north on I-295 to Augusta. Continue on I-95 to Exit 133 at Fairfield. Follow scenic Route 201 through Skowhegan, Solon, Bingham to The Forks. You be there then. Check in at your choice of lodging. Find a pub and have a beer. Try not to think of going overboard the next day.

HOW: You're gonna need an experienced outfitter to get you safely down the Dead with a maximum of fun. Choose one here.

WHY: Because there's no river in Maine like the Dead River when the water is big. It's 16-miles of near continuous whitewater. From Spencer Rips to Hayden's to Elephant Rock to Little and Big Poplar Falls. You're gonna get wet, but you ain't gonna have time to be scared. Well, maybe a little.

Have mondo fun, and be sure to let me know how your big river trip went! Provided you make it back in one piece, of course...

Raft the Dead this weekend and have a blast!
Photo courtesy The Forks Area Chamber of Commerce

May 5th. Cinco de Mayo and all. A cause for celebration, for sure, but then again, what isn't?

Excuse me for a moment while I hike over to the fridge for another Corona and a wedge of lime...

Ahhh. Much better now. Where was I?

Oh yes, May 5th. Oh ho, the memories of this day!

One year ago today...

... I was in Key West with my bro going a little nutty. How can you not in Key West? I mean, c'mon. It's the land of Jimmy Buffett. Margaritaville. Party Central. Hot sun. Beaches. Palm trees. Lazy days.

For four glorious days and three nights we reveled in the sights and sounds of this island paradise. By day, exploring on foot and by old bicycle. Duval Street. The Truman Annex. Hemingway's House. Mallory Square. Caroline Street. Captain Tony's. Sloppy Joe's. The Chart Room.

By afternoon (there was no missing the free happy hour by the pool each afternoon at 4 PM) and night, holed up at the most excellent and comfy and hospitable Eden House. If there is a heaven on Earth it may well be the Eden House. Mike, you guys rock!

Key West is an adventure unto itself. Nirvana, pure and simple. A mis-adventure perhaps. You go and you never want to come back. Or work. Or do anything much useful ever again. You just want to have fun 24/7/365. Become an official citizen of the Conch Republic and tell the rest of the world to go... well, you know.

I like that. A lot. Too much, dammit.

A contingent of Maine and NH crazies were supposed to go back again this year, be there right now, in fact, but we couldn't pull it off. Next year, for damn certain. You can count on it Parrot Heads.

"I went down to Captain Tony's to get out of the heat..." Duval Street, Key West.
Carey Kish photo

Hanging out with a Key West icon: Captain Tony Taracino.
Carey Kish photo

The Eden House. Heaven on Earth!
Carey Kish photo

The pool and palms at happy hour. Oh!
Carey Kish photo

Hail to the Conch Republic!
Carey Kish photo

Toughing out the day at the beach.
Carey Kish photo

Getting around the Keys is easy when you have an old bike and lots of time.
Carey Kish photo

Hmmm...
Carey Kish photo

The other end of Route 1. Is that cool or what?
Carey Kish photo

Sunset from Mallory Square.
Carey Kish photo

"...strolling down the avenue that's known as A1A..."
Carey Kish photo

Only 90 miles to Havana.
Carey Kish photo

Parrot Head Central! Jimmy, we love you man! That's my bro and me, and Tim (middle), our Jimmy Buffett tour guide.
Carey Kish photo

You been to Key West? Stories to tell??

Thirty-one years ago today...

A scared and lonely boy from Bangor, Maine hiked from Amicalola Falls to Springer Mountain, and made his first camp 0.2 miles further on. It was the first day and night on a 5 1/2 month journey along the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail to Mount Katahdin. My, oh, my!

Btw, what song was popular at this very time? "Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett! Ironic, eh?

You-know-who at the start of the AT atop Springer Mountain, Georgia, May 5, 1977.
Carey Kish photo

All these many years and trail miles later...