Some of the slopes at Sunday River weren't as ready for the season as the boys were. (Ryan Tuck photo)

Many of my college friends have gotten their seasons rolling with post-Christmas college weeks. Some resorts make a big deal of attracting college kids who are still on winter break after New Year’s. Killington Mountain had not one, but two back-to-back college weeks. My college friend Betsy Stanley and I drove up from Boston for a weekend to meet our friends Dan Thornhill and Casey Wittner at Killington to ring in the new season.

Casey and Dan, who also go to Northeastern University, met us at Killington’s Collegiate Snowfest. They came a little sore and in need of a shower having spent the previous week at Sunday River’s College Week in Maine. Casey had this to say about the Sunday River experience:

“Five of my college buddies- Dan Thornhill, Dan Kern, Ryan Tuck, Andy Youngstrom, and Jay Tanch– and I decided to head north after the holidays for Sunday River’s College Week. I had never boarded in Maine and wasn’t sure what to expect. I was wary of the lack of snow so far, but with discounted tickets and the promise of more precipitation up north, who could refuse?

Sunday River set up four nights of events for College Week. The night we arrived, we checked out the first of these: the 80s Comedic Dance Party. The event was taking place at the Foggy Goggle, a large bar on the third floor of the South Ridge Lodge. Having heard good things about said establishment, we willingly forked over a $10 cover. Unfortunately, we ended up being disappointed with that particular piece of the College Week experience.

Dan Kern pauses halfway down Cascades to catch his breath and his balance after a near tumble. (Ryan Tuck photo)

Turnout was poor, and the act was a lone thirty-something doing covers of 80s and 90s songs on guitar and accompanied by a laptop. The drinks weren’t any cheaper than they would be during any other week, and we soon left. We were disillusioned enough by that experience to avoid the rest of the scheduled College Week activities.

Check out the festivities for yourself and form your own opinion, but I would also recommend checking out the local joints. We enjoyed the $5 pizzas from Portland Pie Company and $3 drafts of a delicious microbrew at a lodge near Mount Abram, a deal which happens every Thursday. We also made fools of ourselves at a local bar called the Funky Red Barn that hosted karaoke.

The partying, however, is always secondary to the real attraction: the slopes. I’d just bought a new board and was itching to hit the slopes with it. Most of us bought three-day tickets on Tuesday morning which allowed us to avoid returning to the ticket lines each day and saved us some money besides. The ticket discounts we got for College Week were excellent. Three days of snowboarding on eight peaks for $120 instead of $240? Sign me up!

Casey's ready to ride at the top of Killington Peak. (Caroline McDonald photo)

Admittedly, over the course of the three days, only five to seven peaks of Sunday River’s eight peaks were ready and running, but it was certainly better than anything around New York where I’d spent my winter holiday. Nicely groomed corduroy awaited us when we strapped in on Tuesday morning, and quality, corduroy slopes greeted us each morning thereafter thanks to a bit of fresh snow and a bunch of man made Sunday River pushed out each night. When the rest of the east coast is too warm for snowmaking, you can almost always count on Maine for frigid temperatures.

It was a bit chilly (if you can call lows around -5° F”chilly”), but we bundled up and endured. Waking up early  to make the first chairlift up and indulging in the morning’s groomed trails is so worth it. As is to be expected, more and more snow got pushed down the mountain as the day went on, and trails became icier. Conditions were never terrible though, and those powdery mornings really helped.

Although some  weren’t open the week we went, a few runs stood out. From the Barker Mountain peak, a series of intermediate trails (Ecstasy and Cascades) made for a fun run down to the main Barker quad chairlift. Conditions there stayed good throughout the entire day, even when others became icy. Tempest, a diamond off the White Cap quad, had snow being made on it day and night, leading to some fun rollers and a nice amount of powder.

Killington Mountain, taken from the Ramshead Lodge. (Caroline McDonald photo)

Sadly, only two parks were set up, one consisting solely of a few boxes and rails while the other provided four hard packed jumps. If you visit later this season, more should be ready. The ticket prices made the trip totally worth it, and we’ll be back next year. Short lift lines and relatively empty trails were the perks. Maybe people being wary of the conditions kept them home. Don’t make that mistake!”

Killington’s Collegiate Snowfest doesn’t offer half price lift tickets, but they do have events happening along the Killington Access Road to entice the college crowd as well as the Winter Games which happened the first week of January.

One of the Access Road events was the dance party at the Wobbly Barn that we stopped by on Saturday night. Sort of like the boys’ experience at Sunday River, the Wobbly Barn was no great party. At the suggestion of the bouncer, we ended up at Charity’s Tavern across the street. We liked the vibe and their dart board and would recommend checking it out.

Brewskis aside, the riding at Killington was pretty good, especially considering the above freezing temperatures and minuscule amount of snow they’d gotten at that point. Killington is huge– the second biggest resort on the east coast actually (they were first, but Sugarloaf’s new terrain gives them more skiable acres)–and they had enough runs open to keep us happy. All of the peaks were open, but not all of the trails. Greens and blues dominated the color spectrum of open runs, but blacks and double blacks were also available. More trails will open up as the season marches on.

We stuck to the blues and only a few blacks. Most of the blacks were moguled and icy. When doing outdoor activities with friends, it’s easy to get caught up in competing with one another–trying to be faster or endure longer. At something like College Week, when college kids are everywhere and the nighttime partying gets excessive, you have to be careful on the slopes.

Healthy competition can push you to improve your abilities, but too much competition and someone might end up riding the red toboggan. I wouldn’t call myself a strong snowboarder, and the boys were exhausted after a week in Maine. I’m glad I went with good friends who recognized that it was a weekend to take it easy. It was a choice that made for a fun weekend.  I bet you’ve got friends like mine who know when to push and compete and when to rest. Bring ‘em along.

Our first day out, Saturday, was one of the warm days that have plagued mountains this season. Conditions were patchy, but never underestimate a good attitude. The temperature meant that our fingers and toes were comfortably warm, not numb. And the slopes loosened up in the late morning.

Conditions were noticeably better our second day out when it had been cold enough to make snow and even produce a layer of the real stuff. We had good luck at Bear Mountain, which was less crowded than Killington Peak and Snowdon Mountain.

Through a snowy fog you can see the grooming trucks preparing the superpipe on Bear Mountain as quickly as possible. (Caroline McDonald photo)

The only park open at Killington was the beginner’s Mouse Run Terrain Park. Here, I made a New Season’s Resolution (sort of like a New Year’s Resolution): I’m going to master my fear of parks and being in the air. I’ll keep you updated. What’s your New Season’s Resolution?

Mouse Run wasn’t the best place to get started on my resolution as it was very crowded, probably due to it being the weekend and the only park open. The good news for park devotees is that Killington will be hosting part of the Dew Tour in a couple weeks. Check it out if you want to see some big air and seriously talented athletes. Prepping for the Dew Tour means that their groomers and plows have been working as much as possible to get the superpipe ready on Bear Mountain. It also won’t be long before their wooden park, The Stash, is also open. The park crowd should thin out when these two open and offer bigger challenges for the advanced skiers and riders. I’ll see you there one of these days.

If you’re familiar with Killington, you may also remember the Superstar Pub at the K-1 Lodge. Alas, it is no more after Hurricane Irene roared through. But in its place is now the Roaring Brook Umbrella Bar where we took a quick break. Two, round, yellow-capped buildings stand where the Superstar Pub was once. Killington is justifiable proud  of their quick recovery, and I recommend resting at the new spot  and watching skiers and boarders come down the mountain through the huge, glass walls.

The Roaring Brook Umbrella Bar serves one of the best Bloody Marys I've ever had. (Caroline McDonald photo)

Killington has a fun, energetic vibe that not only attracts droves of college-aged people, but also pros, beginners, the old, and young. I got schooled by some snowboarders half my age at the Mouse Run Terrain Park. Pretty soon they’ll be tearing it up at College Week.

Casey and I both agree that conditions were pretty good at both mountains. We keep hearing that mountains aren’t ready for the season yet; there hasn’t been enough snow. Don’t let the naysayers deter you! Take it from people who have been there: it’s about working with and making the most of the snow on the ground.

The only problem is that after a few days of rich, heavy, wonderful food, we often feel like the Hindenburg before it exploded. And, getting out for a bike ride or a run isn’t usually in the cards; there’s usually ice and snow as far as the eye can see.  How to solve the problem?

The water's boiling, the cocoa will soon be ready, all's right with the world! (David Shedd photo)

The answer is simple. Most of us have some place that we can get away for a quick hike on shoes or snowshoes. Town parks, local mountains, even a nice drive through the winter wonderland to a national forest; any of them can get you to a place where you can get out, shake off the blahs, breathe in some cold, clean air…oh, and eat some more!

In our family, stockings are often stuffed with delicacies…and, just as often, those delicacies sit in our pantry waiting for the “right occasion” to use them. And, sometimes, after a few years we look at them, question our sanity for keeping them around that long, and pitch them before we contemplate seat-of-the-pants testing for botulism. Why not solve the problem by throwing them into a backpack instead of the pantry?

Dogs are allowed at Bradbury, which means that Barley gets the rare treat of begging from a rock shelf ABOVE us; didn't change his success rate, however. (David Shedd photo)

2011 was kind to us; December 26 turned out to be a sunny, relatively warm day with just enough bite in the wind to make hot cocoa on top of a mountain sound really appealing. Even with a slow start, Bradbury Mountain in Pownal, ME, was easily do-able for us, about a 40 minute drive from our house. You have your choice of  there’s a short, relatively steep climb to the summit, or longer trails that wind around the mountain. Either way, the views from the top are lovely, and there’s a nice rocky section to put down camp chairs and spread out your picnic. Plus, dogs are allowed and encouraged; for us, that meant that not only we, but also Barley our mutant Golden, could enjoy the fresh air.

So, up we went. With little snow, ice is a guarantee, so traction aids like Kahtoola Microspikes or YakTrax are a good idea when getting out until the snow is deep; trekking poles are even more important. We equipped ourselves with both…a little more weight carried = more calories burned, right? We ended up only using the poles, but there were times we questioned our wisdom, and were glad we had the Kahtoolas in our packs just in case.

And…it was lovely.  A short hike, and we were at the top right at 1 o’clock, perfect timing for lunch. Even after the gastronomic insanity of the past few days, we were hungry; fresh air will do that for you! Out came the “fun food”: smoked baby clams, black olive tapenade on Triscuits, duck pate, and dried figs for dessert. Our Jetboil Sol produced hot water in minutes, and we had Swiss Miss hot cocoa (the sugar free kind, of course; we wouldn’t want to overdo it!) to wash it all down.Pure decadence!

Some good food, hot cocoa, the enjoyment of a lovely day outdoors...our "blahs" are all gone! (David Shedd photo)

After an hour or so of relaxing, watching a few clouds blow by and a few birds flying around, we packed back up again and headed down, Barley taking the lead. The conversation was lighter, the laughter more regular than on the way up; there’s something about being outside that takes away all of the sludge in our bodies and minds. Thanks to our little picnic, in a matter of hours we’d beaten the physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that so often comes after the holidays!

The moral of the story? When you’ve been overstimulated for days and have zero energy, force yourself to get out into Mother Nature’s back yard; it won’t take long before you regain your perspective, your energy, and your sense of humor. And, perhaps best of all, you won’t end up wasting pantry space on those Christmas goodies!

Where's Waldo? A sea of skiers in colorful parkas waits for the new Skyline lift to turn. When it did, the line cleared out--FAST. (David Shedd photo)

Mother Nature certainly hasn’t been kind to the ‘Loaf (or any other ski area in North America for that matter), in the early season this year. Between very little snow and warm temperatures to quickly melt any that did fall, natural white stuff has been hard to find. And, warm overnight temperatures have kept the snowmakers idle in their shacks, talking about the “good old days”. But, the recent run of cooler nights was enough to allow Sugarloaf to open some real terrain and give us top-to-bottom skiing.

Hopes of  warm sun softening the typical early-season boilerplate were dashed quickly, as a random cloud hung over the mountain and temperatures dropped during the day and the snow stayed “firm.” Oh, well…isn’t that what sharpened steel edges were designed for?  Actually, the snow conditions on Tote Road were relatively mellow, with enough soft stuff  on top to at least allow us to warm our legs up before moving over to steeper Kings Landing and Hayburner. A handful of runs on those reminded us that our early season legs weren’t what we’d hoped they’d be; Hayburner, in particular, became “Thighburner” about halfway down! Luckily, the noon opening of the new Skyline chair meant we’d need to shift over there and take some time off to watch the festivities. That kept us from having to admit that our legs were toast. Priceless!

The crowd resembled nothing more than an invading army ready to pillage the mountain (David Shedd photo)

Arriving at the base of the new lift, we were treated to the sight of hundreds of lunatics who had been waiting in line for hours in the cold to be first up the lift. In particular, the front 100 were a hardy bunch; some had spent 6 hours and more in order to get a free t-shirt. Nobody ever suggested that Sugarloafers were sane! In due time, the lift started, and up they went…FAST. Thanks to a conveyor system that has passengers partly up to speed before the chair hits the back of their knees, the Skyline is the fastest fixed-grip lift out there, clocking up to 500 feet/minute (bizarrely enough, that’s the same speed that the old Spillway double was rated for…uh huh, sure). Within 15 minutes, the entire waiting crowd was on the lift and headed for the top, and the line dropped to…well, nothing. At that point, we headed up, and for the rest of the day never waited in line, period. Sweet.

The view from the top of the new Skyline lift resembles...well, the view from the old Spillway lift. Hmm...might have something to do with them following exact same route! (David Shedd photo)

So, what’s the new lift like?  Well, first, it’s like riding in a sport luxury sedan (think BMW 5-series, only colder). With everything new, it’s a magic carpet ride; you glide up it, no rattling or clanking, just a low hum. Second, it’s noticeably lower than the old lift. On this moderately windy day, that was a welcome change. Third, you’re at the top…well, FAST. About the time we’d have been feeling the cold really hit on the old Spillway chair, we were unloading at the top of the Skyline. That’s a double-edged sword, particularly at this time of year. Less time on the lift means less time for tired, burning legs to recover…. On the positive side, more runs in less time created a great excuse for getting out of there a little early to take advantage of the last daylight and get partway home before sunset on one of the shortest days of the year.

Over the past handful of years, Sugarloaf has made a lot of improvements; among other things, their snowmaking has gone from “pretty flaky” to “lots of flakes!” This latest upgrade, which will give the expert crowd easier, faster access to their favorite pain runs (no, Virginia, Santa Claus didn’t design an easy way down from there), means the mountain now boasts lift capacity that puts them in the thick of the “best of the best”, allowing skiers more time on the slopes/less in lines or on the lifts. The new lift will also likely reduce pressure on some of the more moderate terrain which will allow intermediate skiers to enjoy their experience more. Overall, it’s clearly a significant improvement over the old lift, and we’re looking forward to enjoying it more as the winter progresses!

Cold Country Cadillac. A dog team travels quickly, quietly and comfortably on snowy trails and lets you carry more gear than you ever could on your back. (Tim Jones photo)

When the Inuit (which is what “Eskimos” call themselves) people crossed the frozen Bering Sea from Siberia to Alaska they brought with them an utterly amazing technology which allowed them to successfully colonize the northern coastal fringes of North America and western Greenland. Where other people had barely clung to life, the Inuits thrived. The technology that gave them the edge they needed to survive and thrive was the dog sled and the dogs that pulled them. Using dogs, Inuit hunters and their families could travel many miles over ice and snow with all that they needed to live well in a harsh environment, find food, and even protect themselves from marauding polar bears.

If you are looking for an easy, safe, fun, winter Active Outdoors adventure, and a way to escape from all the pressures created by today’s technology, dogsledding may be just the way to go. Traveling by dogsled, I’ve found, is like taking a trip back in time.

One cold nose! Kjeran in the dog box for transport but eager to be out running. (Tim Jones photo)

In late January 2011, my sweetheart Marilyn and I were cross-country skiing from Little Lyford Pond Camps to Gorman Chairback Camp in the AMC’s Maine Lodge program. A visit to these Maine wilderness lodges is pretty much an annual event for us, something we look forward to every winter.

Sharing the camps with us on this trek were three guides, four clients and six dog teams from Mahoosuc Guide Service. Master Guides Polly Mahoney and Kevin Slater were leading four clients who each got to drive their own teams. They were visiting all four of the lodges in the AMC winter program: Medawisla, West Branch Pond Camps, Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins and Gorman Chairback Lodge and Cabins in five days and four nights. They also had an assistant guide, Joey Shaw, following on a snowmobile towing all their gear and supplies.

Don’t confuse a Mahoosuc adventure with a typical tourist “dogsled ride” where a musher will bundle you into a sled and haul you around like human cargo for an hour or less. Mahoosuc does offer some tourist rides from their base in Newry, Maine, but their real niche is an authentic, active, hands-on experience with the clients learning how to care for the dogs, hitch up the sleds and drive them for many miles each day. Driving a dogsled is actually a pretty darned good workout; the dogs are a handful to hitch up, the sleds require both muscle and finesse to steer and you don’t get to just ride up the hills (though the dogs will help pull you along . . .).

Dogsledding with Mahoosuc is a hands-on adventure . . . (Tim Jones photo_

For anyone who loves dogs, and who wants to get actively involved with them, this would be a wonderful way to visit the remote AMC Maine Lodges. The dog teams move a lot faster than most folks on cross-country skis, which meant the guests traveling by dogsled had time to explore around the camp each day on snowshoes.

While I was talking with Polly and Kevin one evening at the dinner table (good conversation with interesting people is one of the highlights of any AMC stay), they mentioned that they did ski/dogsled trips to traditional tent camps they maintain on Umbagog Lake (pronounced umBAYgog) near Errol, New Hampshire. I immediately signed up for a long weekend adventure in late February when Marilyn was stuck in a work seminar.

The trip begins at Polly and Kevin’s Mahoosuc Lodge in Newry, Maine (near Sunday River), where 9 of us (3 guides, 6 client/adventurers) gathered to meet each other, hear Kevin’s stories of the history of dog teams in North America and Mahoosuc’s line of dogs in particular. We spent the night in a comfortable bunkhouse, ate a hearty breakfast, then went out to meet all the dogs (wonderfully eager, enthusiastic, friendly beasts!) and get them loaded into the truck.

Guide Joey Shaw loading Aiofe into the dog box. (Tim Jones photo)

We had 3 dog teams and sleds. Kevin always drove the lead team. The clients took turns mushing and skiing. Several had never been on cross-country skis before–this really is an ideal entry-level adventure. Mahoosuc provides excellent ski equipment with wide waxless wooden touring skis mounted with Berwin backcountry ski bindings (which can be used with super-warm Pac or “Mouse” boots). No cold feet on these trips! The trek to the camp was between 4 and 5 miles, flat, packed by snowmobiles and dog teams, and perfect for learning the basics of kick-and-glide skiing.

The 4 skiers left immediately while the others hitched up dog teams and packed sleds with food and supplies. We skiers carried light packs (one pulled a small sled) and skied through a heavy snowstorm. Still, the trip took under three hours with a stop for lunch on the trail. Even though the dog teams started much later than we did (it takes time to hook up a dog team), they beat us to camp. Dogs move fast once they are moving.

We skied to camp through a heavy snowstorm, no views but still lovely. (Tim Jones photo)

With the snowstorm, we didn’t really get to see any views until the next morning. Then, the sun came out in skies as blue as only winter skies can be and the view over the empty lake was breathtaking.

Even with no sun and no view, the ski into camp was fun and a snug camp and good food were most welcome.

We got to see more of the view on our “off” day when we skied or mushed out to a predetermined meeting point and ate lunch together before swapping conveyanaces for the trip back to camp.

Cozy Canvas Camp

The camp on Umbagog was very comfortable for 9 humans and 18 dogs. There’s a big “kitchen tent” where Brian (ski guide and camp cook) prepared tasty, filling meals on a two-burner propane stove and a big wood stove. This was where we all gathered in the warmth of the wood stove around a low table for meals. There was always hot water available for tea or coffee and snacks handy if you were hungry. It was a perfect place to talk and tell stories.

The human accommodations included this big canvas kitchen tent with plenty of space for everyone to gather. Each of the tents had a woodstove for warmth. (Tim Jones photo)

The 3 canvas sleeping tents could each hold 3 sleepers in comfort. These roomy tents had a woodstove near the door, a drying pole along the peak, and a thick floor of springy, soft, fragrant balsam fir boughs. It all made a very, very cozy refuge in the winter cold.

Mahoosuc provided double sleeping bags that would have kept us toasty warm to way below zero (had that been necessary it never got colder than the low 20s), and several layers of foam pads on top of the bough floors. I slept warm and very comfortably–not hard to do after an active day. We had extra space in camp because our youngest guide, Joey, and his “client” father slept out in a “Quinzee,” a snow-mound shelter someone had built on the lake.

Snow is a marvelous insulator and their body heat actually kept their shelter  warmer overnight than the canvas tents after the stove had gone out. Of course, we had a woodstove, they didn’t, which gave us an advantage in the morning once the fire warmed the tents up.

Two of our campers chose to sleep in this traditional Quinzee snow shelter (Tim Jones photo)

The necessary “facilities” was an outhouse (minus the house), set away from camp behind a privacy screen of small balsams. It had a comfortable, padded toilet seat and a tarp overhead to keep off the snow. Entirely adequate if not exactly cozy enough to make you want to linger and read the newspaper.

Hands-On Adventure

Mahoosuc encourages its clients to become part of the hands-on adventure in its winter camps. Though the guides will do the bulk of the work, everyone willingly helped keep the tents supplied with firewood and fresh boughs for the floor. And everyone pitched in make sure the dogs were comfortably bedded in mounds of hay with food at water available. These dogs are clearly cherished and clearly love what they do. They were a pleasure to share a camp with.

Part of the fun is actually learning to drive a dog sled. (Tim Jones photo)

If you aren’t an experienced winter traveler, this is an ideal introduction to winter camping. Mahoosuc provides all the outer clothing and gear you need, including super-warm footgear and multi-layer sleeping bags. The guides will start the stove for you (if you don’t want to do it yourself) so you go to bed and get up warm and dry. They provide hearty food, and do the cooking. You get a chance to enjoy good company (human and canine), enough exercise to let you really enjoy your food and a good night’s sleep, and the profound quiet and spectacular scenery of a winter wilderness without having to provide your own gear or plan your own itinerary. Great experience!

On the last day, we reluctantly packed up camp and skied or mushed out. I think everyone would gladly have stayed an extra day or three if we could have. It’s amazing how comfortable you can be in the winter wilds, how soon a lonely spot beside an empty lake can feel like “home” after a day outdoors.

The Call of The Wild

When the running’s done, these hardy huskies bed down comfortably in a little pile of hay on the snow, (Tim Jones photo)

Though there are a few permanent camps (used mainly in the summer) along Umbagog’s shore, much of the land is a National Wildlife Refuge and a New Hampshire State Park. While there’s a snowmobile trail in the middle of the lake, we hardly saw any machines, even on a holiday weekend. We might as well have been in the wilds of northern Canada. With the only visible electric lights miles away in Upton, Maine, the stars shine incredibly brightly here, and the silence of a windless winter evening is profound.It’s something that absolutely everyone should experience.

One night as we ate dinner, something (moose? coyotes? a restless Native spirit?) set the dogs howling. For a moment, we were living in the world that Jack London wrote about in The Call of the Wild, far from cell phones, computers and TVs and, I believe, much closer to reality.

With 14 year old Daniel moping around the house, which we knew would make US cranky, we decided to head for Sunday River. We knew there were only two trails (T2 and Upper Sunday Punch) open for the day since Mother Nature has been totally uncooperative recently. Still, Sunday River’s snowmaking has saved the day before…and at least it would get us out of the house!

One benefit of heading for the mountain is that it gives you an excuse to go out for breakfast. That’s enough to improve anyone’s mood, even if diner coffee reminds you of the last time you changed the oil in your diesel F150. Plus, it fuels you for all that hard work you’re going to do on the steeps, right? Well, it sounds good, anyway, and it’s an excuse to eat all the stuff you usually don’t allow yourself (sausage gravy over a biscuit, anyone?).

Runners in shorts on the slopes, skiers coming DOWN on the lifts...this is supposed to be skiing weather??? (David Shedd photo)

Fueled, we headed for Barker Lodge. Sunday River is one of a limited number of mountains that has a lift with a mid-station, and it’s what makes this early-season skiing work. Get on at the bottom where people in shorts are running along the brown slopes; head up, and suddenly halfway up the mountain there’s SNOW! It’s colder up there, so they can get away with making snow and having it actually last. It makes for shorter runs…there’s no such thing as top-to-bottom…but the fact that there’s snow to play on is pretty special.

Up at the top, it almost looked like normal winter, as long as you only looked down the center of the trail. And T2 was acting like a winter trail. Hard as rock on the top, it softened nicely through the morning through the steep section down to the mid-station. Better still, the trail gnomes had created a rail garden on the left side, a natural magnet for the teens and near-teens. That freed up parents to go ski and pretend they’re normal adults, creating an atmosphere that was light and happy.

Mother Nature owns the woods, but snowguns take control of the trails (David Shedd photo)

That was a good thing, as the one fly in the ointment was the lift lines. The nature of the mid-station routine is that the skiers not only have to come UP on it, and that people who have completed runs have to wait for a free chair from the bottom that they can jump on to head back up, but also that skiers have to go DOWN to the base on it. Since the lift can only carry 10% of the skiers down that it can up, and has to be slowed down each time to pick up the people headed down, you’ve got a recipe for long lines and longer waits. Typical waits to go up were 10-15 minutes during the middle of the day; going down, those times could double. Still, people were remarkably calm about it…Since the only alternative was to NOT be skiing (and to be hanging around with the whiny kids or crabby parents at home), standing around in a lift line on a gorgeous, sunny day wasn’t so bad.

After a few runs on T2, we decided to head over to check out Upper Sunday Punch. We’d heard people on it as we passed it on the lift; scratchy, scratchy, scratchy. But, it wasn’t as loaded with skiers, so it was worth a try.  And…yup, it was scratchy. Hardpack. Boilerplate. Icy patches. Fun? Somewhat, particularly if you had sharp edges and like to ski fast. My watch said 12:30, and my head said “come back in a few hours.”  We headed back to T2…it’s early season, and we didn’t want to push our legs too much. Note, though, that there was nothing about it that said “don’t even think about skiing this”; I wasn’t having any problems with getting an edge in (yes, my skis were recently tuned).

Back on familiar ground, we found that the moguls on skiers’ right were growing, and were soft and cushy. A couple of runs through them, and the burn in our legs started becoming permanent…yup, it really IS early season. And, as 3:00 approached, the snow that made those soft moguls started getting pushed off the side of the trail and into the woods. Time to go over and see if Upper Sunday Punch had softened?  Nah. We could feel that we’d had our runs, and if there’s anything we’ve learned over the years it’s to NOT push the envelope on the first days out…that’s when you get hurt!

Teens give new meaning to "rail jam", and give their parents some quality time in the process (David Shedd photo)

Down we headed, and back home.  Daniel slept in the car…hard to be cranky when you’re asleep! We chatted easily, having enjoyed being out and doing something we love on a gorgeous day. To make it even better, lift tickets are cheap this time of year; the cost per run is probably lower than in midwinter when Mother Nature is paying a lot of the bills. Not a bad deal at all!

How To Make It Work Best For You:

The key to getting the most out of Sunday River’s early season is to game the lift system, particularly until they can get snow to stay in the Barker base area. Use it when other people aren’t. Obviously, you can’t kick them all off the lift, so you have to outsmart them.  Here’s our best advice:

1. Get there EARLY. Be waiting in line for the lift to open, and get up to the skiing area as quickly as you can. Once you’re up there, the lift times aren’t so long, even when the lift lines are long.

2. Do NOT come back down unless you absolutely can’t avoid it. Each trip down and back up costs you an hour of skiing, possibly more. If you can take a pack with your lunch, great.  If not…

3. Go down for lunch BEFORE everyone else does. Head down at 11; it’ll be close enough to lunchtime by the time you get down there, anyway. Make it a short lunch; you had that big diner breakfast not that long ago, anyway. Try to be on the lift back up by noon.

4.  Get back up, and watch everyone stand in the line to go down for lunch while you’re skiing into the short line to head back up for another run!

5.  As the end of the day comes, watch that line for the trip back down. We came down on one run, looked at the LONG line, and decided we had another run in our legs. After that run, the line heading down was half as long. If it had been longer…well, we’d have headed back up for another one and taken our time with it!

6.  Once you’re down, avoid the bars and head for home. You may be more tired than you’d expect; cozy in at home with your favorite beverage and a good movie, and enjoy the evening!

The National Refuce Center on the Magalloway River. Patricia Lyon-Surrey photo

Although the town of Errol, New Hampshire has little in the way of restaurants or indoor activities, it is an outdoor enthusiast’s delight, a great entry way for a visit to Lake Umbagog (pronounced “um BAY gog”), the Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge and the rivers of northern New Hampshire and Maine. Paddlers can enjoy both flat and whitewater experiences here. In fact, the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mile water route that links the waterways of New York, Vermont, Québec, New Hampshire and Maine passes right though town on the Androscoggin River.

Roger and I arrived in Errol with our boats atop our car,  looking forward to some flatwater kayaking on our own. But we had also scheduled a guided pontoon boat ride to look for bald eagles on the lake. All this was part of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail’s Eagles on Umbagog Vacation Package. Birders have been coming to this area for years for the abundance of eagles, ospreys and various water birds, but the pristine woods and waters and the sense of being miles from anywhere make this a perfect place for all outdoor enthusiasts seeking a quiet escape.

Crossing by culvert under the road on our way to Sturtevant Pond. Patricia Lyon-Surrey photo

The NFCT website also incorporates a paddler’s blog, maps and trip planning for self-guided tours, and offers “package vacations” like ours for your pleasure. Our “Eagles on Umbagog” package included 2 nights lodging and the guided pontoon boat tour with Bob Dupuis of TNT Guide Services. I had kayaked a small part of the Refuge with a friend about 5 years ago and knew then that I wanted to return. Lake Umbagog is more than 7 miles long and covers 7,000 acres along the New Hampshire/Maine border. I hoped that being on the lake with a local guide would really give me a feel for both the history and the present day in the area.

We were able to check into the Errol Motel early, thanks to the easy-going attitude of the new owner, Ricky Blais. No one was in the motel office when we arrived, so we followed the instructions on the door and called from a phone just outside the office. Ricky gave us our room number, told us to let ourselves in, and to call if we had any questions or problems. That’s the way things are done in Errol.

This classic, newly-renovated motel is right in the heart of downtown (don’t blink, you’ll miss it) Errol. Our well-kept room had the feel of a cabin with pine board walls and patchwork quilts. The day was hot and sunny so we were happy to see a small refrigerator where we could store lunch makings and drinks. Since our guided trip wasn’t scheduled until the following morning, we headed to the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, about 4 miles from town on Route 16 (also known as Dam Road) for an afternoon kayak paddle. The refuge office was well stocked with information on the flora and fauna of the area, including in-depth information about the bald eagles, loons, and moose so common here. A large map of the lake and a handout suggested trips for exploring by kayak or canoe. We chose a route that would take us out on the lake, then down the Magalloway River to Sturtevant Pond.  By road, the two points are about  3 miles apart; it’s longer on the meandering river. On the way we would cross into Maine.

Leased land along the Magalloway River. Patricia Lyon-Surrey photo

On the Magalloway, we were surprised to see camps along the river within the refuge boundary. We later learned that these are on leased land and will soon revert to the refuge. Later, when, the clouds came up, we could hear thunder in the distance, we were glad for an easy place to take out when we needed to get off the water in a hurry!

The miles added up as we explored the  inlets and coves of the meandering Magalloway. Near Sturtevant Pond, large boulders started appearing both in the river and along its banks, a complete change from the marshy areas we had been paddling. The first “ducks” Roger spotted on the river turned out to be decoys. But on Sturtevant Lake, we saw a real adult loon with a fuzzy chick riding safely on his or her back. Sadly, this had not been a good year for loons nesting in the area. High waters in spring had flooded many nests. While paddling, we discovered a man-made floating loon nest that was built to alleviate this exact problem, but everyone we talked with said young loons were scarce  this year. With threatening afternoon clouds built overhead, we knew we couldn’t linger and paddled quickly back toward our car. When the thunder seemed to be getting too close for comfort, we pulled into shore for a moment, but then decided to paddle on. Luckily, the  storm didn’t arrive in full force until we were safely back in our motel room.

The next morning at 7:45 we met our guide Bob Dupis gassing up his truck and pontoon boat at L.L. Cote Store, which is an Errol landmark. Luc and Louise’s store must be the largest building and business in Errol! Here you can find just about anything you need including fuel, clothing,  hardware, maps, canoes, kayaks, snowmobiles , ATVs, firearms, fishing equipment, toys, rugs and an in-store Subway sandwich shop!

Bob Dupois at the helm of his very comfortable pontoon boat. Roger Lyon-Surrey photo

Bob’s TNT Guide service specializes in hunting, fishing, canoeing and wildlife viewing. Having grown up here and played on these waters all his life, Bob provided a wealth of knowledge about the Umbagog area. He knew the lake and river before they became a National Wildlife Refuge! Hearing him talk about his childhood adventures on the lake, and share his knowledge of the history of logging days in the area, added to the day.

As we rode along the Androscoggin to Lake Umbagog and the Magalloway River, Bob would point out places he and his grandfather had fished in Leonard Marsh or Indian Cove or Sweat Meadows, and described the time he called moose to his boat. He explained that the waters were full of logs that had sunk during the log drives of old and  showed us the “deadheads”— logs that still frequently float to the surface to make boating hazardous. A deadhead could easily take out your prop if you were motoring too fast in these waters! Bob knows where the moose, otter, muskrat, herons, and ducks hide and, although we didn’t see any moose, the highlights of the trip for me were the singular beauty of the marshes and the majestic nests of the bald eagles. Our boat ride lasted about three hours and Bob had snacks available. He can grill hotdogs or have sandwiches and salads for you if you prefer to have lunch along the way. The tours are offered well into fall, so it is not too late to schedule your trip for this year. Whether you go in the fall or wait for next season, it is a tour well worth taking!

A juvenile bald eagle standing next to its nest. Patricia Lyon-Surrey photo

Bald eagles mate for life and build massive stick nests lined with grasses. The first New Hampshire nest was discovered on Leonard Pond in Lake Umbagog in 1989. Between 1989 and 2001 that nest produced 16 fledglings. Since that first nest appeared, two others have been established. Eagles are massive birds: adults measure 29-35 inches long and have a wing span of 7 feet! On our voyage with Bob, we were lucky enough to spot a nest with a juvenile eagle still unable to fly. Nearby, on the bare branches of a dead tree, an adult eagle with its very distinct white head kept a close eye on the youngster.

After our adventure with Bob we decided to scout out the next day’s kayak trip. We bought lunch (hand-made sandwiches) at the Errol General store and headed out of town to the Kennebago River in Maine, about 20 miles from Errol. Bob recommended this  flat water kayak trip. We wouldn’t be kayaking until the next morning, but sitting by the river with the water gently flowing by and listening to birds singing was just what we needed to relax even more.

Adult bald eagle not far from the nest. Patricia Lyon-Surrey photo

There are three lodging options available on the Northern Forest Canoe Eagle Package.  Unfortunately, we were not able to stay at 150 Main Street, a lovely guest House in Errol where Executive Editor Tim Jones stayed on a guided ski adventure this past winter. He recommended it highly.If you are looking for a comfortable B&B experience you might want to request this lodging.

We stayed our second night at the Great Northern Moose Lodge at the south end of the 13 Mile Woods Conservation area on Route 16. Richard Tessier, the owner, has plans to add an extensive camping area in the future. Richard is  a history buff and regaled us with stories of the local people and places which made the experience even more fun.

Marshes of the Umbagog. Patricia Lyon-Surrey photo

The rustic Great Northern Moose Lodge was built in the 1950’s as a hunting and fishing lodge. In the spring, summer and fall, Richard can readily direct you to guided or on-your-own hiking, rafting and kayaking adventures, and, of course, hunting and fishing opportunities. In the winter, the lodge has a resident musher with sled dogs for excursions and for learning the sport. The lodge’s two resident English Setters have been part of a dog team and have actually learned to sing like sled dogs!

I found the common living room a bit dark for my tastes, but our room was bright and clean. A continental breakfast is included, and if you want to use the kitchen at the lodge, that can be arranged. This made the whole experience seem more like the hostels I had stayed in while traveling in New Zealand (where I first met Roger!).

Geese in one of the marshes along the Kennebago River. Patricia Lyon-Surrey photo

After an early breakfast of homemade banana bread, bagels, fruit and cereal, we headed out to kayak on the Kennebago River. At the launch site, a large group of teen-age campers was reluctantly unloading canoes for a trip on the river. Afraid that our serene kayak paddling would be disrupted by this noisy group, we scrambled to be the first in the water. Luckily we never saw them again and enjoyed the river in peace. Our route ran downstream, and for two hours we hardly needed to paddle. Floating along with the current and leisurely exploring, we saw ducks, geese, and water lilies in abundance. A turtle basking in the sun on a log, looked exactly as lazy and completely relaxed as we felt. Eventually, we took out at a bridge, left our kayaks and walked the 2-plus miles back to our car. Bob had assured us that our equipment would be safe, and, sure enough, our kayaks and paddles were there when we got back.

What a great last day! On this “soft adventure” trip to the great north woods of New Hampshire, we enjoyed a little exercise in the outdoors, met some wonderful people, learned the history of new place, and  viewed abundant wildlife in a beautiful natural setting. If you are looking for a place to really “get away from it all” and relax, you can’t ask for any better than Errol, New Hampshire and Umbagog Lake, whatever the season!

The flat surface and gentle gradients of old railroad beds make wonderful bike trails when paved or resurfaced with gravel or stone dust. (Tim Jones photo)

At one time, the social and commercial fabric of the Northeast was stitched together by railroads. Today, of course, the stitching is done by highways and phone and internet connections, but in many places, the remnants of that rail system still exist in the form of the thousands of miles of rail beds that were built to last.

Some of these long-abandoned and often-neglected rail beds are finding a new and lofty purpose: recreational resources getting people outdoors and exercising. In the winter, these rail trails, often packed and maintained by snowmobilers, are enjoyed by cross-country skiers and dog sledders. In the spring, summer and fall, walkers, joggers, and bicyclists take over. Paved trails are used by skaters and skateboarders. Everyone has a good time.

Rail beds make perfect recreation trails. They are normally high and dry and well drained so they don’t usually get muddy in the spring or after a prolonged rain. They also tend to climb any hills on the route in long, slow gradients rather than steep pitches, which makes it easier for both walkers and bikers.

There are quite a number of rail trails scattered throughout the Northeast, and even more in the planning stages. On some, all you have is a short section, usually in or near a city, that has been rescued from oblivion. But quite a few trails offer a longer ride.

My sweetheart Marilyn and I are enthusiastic pedalers of rail trails. It’s one of the reasons why we chose a fat-tire tandem bike instead of a sleeker, faster road-bike model. The fatter tires on our Burley “Samba” (alas, no longer made) roll easily over gravel, stone dust and cinder trail surfaces.

We haven’t ridden every rail trail in the  region. Not even close. But we have ridden some of the more famous ones like the 22-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail,  the granddaddy of all Eastern rail rides, which has been completely refurbished in recent years. This was part of our route as we biked Cape Cod end-to-end in 2010. We’ve also ridden a number of less-well-known trails. Here’s a rail-trail sampler to show you how much fun you can have on these great recreational resources.

Airline Rail Trail 

This exuberant little waterfall along Connecticut’s Air Line Rail Trail sang a soothing melody to anyone who bothered to stop and listen. (Tim Jones photo)

Some time ago, an unavoidable business obligation took Marilyn and me to a crowded, noisy, smokey place that we normally wouldn’t go anywhere near. On the way home, we got in a stress-reducing, sanity-saving hour or two of pedaling on the Air Line Rail Trail in East Hampton, Connecticut, a few minutes southeast of the junction of Interstates 84 and 91 in Hartford. This trail will eventually stretch more than 50 miles to the Massachusetts border where it will join with the Southern New England Trunkline Trail, but, for now, only the southern section, 22.7 miles long, from East Hampton to Windham offers an unbroken ride.

It was a cool and breezy spring afternoon, perfect for leisurely riding. Unfortunately, we’d gotten a much later start than hoped, and we could comfortably explore only the first few miles of the trail. That’s OK; what we saw was beautiful, and left us eager to go back and see more.

Even a crowded state like Connecticut has its quiet, unspoiled corners. This is one of them. The few miles of trail we rode had a whole day’s worth of scenery. In places the trail rose high above the countryside, giving expansive views of woodlands and wetlands. In other places, it cut deep into hillsides where flowing springs tumbled in miniature waterfalls. We rode through quiet woodlands, along streams, and by ponds where people were fishing and photographing the birds.

On our ride, we left behind the stresses of work, had fun, renewed ourselves in a beautiful place. What more could you ask for? All it took was a willingness to get on a bike and pedal.

Aroostook Recreation Trails

The rail trails in Aroostook County are true multi-use recreation paths, used by snowmobilers and cross-country skiers in winter, bikers and ATVs the rest of the year. (Tim Jones photo)

Known sometimes at “The Crown of Maine,” or, more simply as “The County,” Aroostook County, is located in the upper right-hand corner not only of the State of Maine, but also of the entire U. S. of A. Next stop, Canada. It’s the largest county in land area east of the Mississippi, covering 6,829 square miles. Less than 75,000 people live there. That leaves a lot of empty space to play outdoors.

Winter in Aroostook Country is the big tourist season. Snowmobilers come from all over, drawn by deep snow and immaculately groomed trails. But, those trails don’t disappear when the snow melts. About 80 miles of them are the old rail beds of the Bangor and Aroostook and Aroostook Valley Railway lines with easy gradients and hard gravel surfaces, perfect for riding a fat-tire bike.

We based our trip out of Caribou, which has lots of inexpensive motels and a couple of great restaurants (Try the Osso Bucco at Napoli’s which is under new ownership, and the Scallops Frangelico at the Greenhouse in the Caribou Inn).

Our ride started in Caribou, and headed toward Washburn for a few miles before turning sharp right and heading toward New Sweden, which has some of the best biking views ever. These trails apparently get lots of traffic from motorized ATVs on the weekends, but the few four-wheelers we saw were no problem at all. There are no sharp corners so everyone can see what’s coming and everyone shares the trail nicely.

Sections of the trail are re-graded every three or four years, so some are rougher than others. Marilyn and I were riding our fat-tire tandem; on most of the trail we flew along comfortably, but in other places a suspension (or suspension seatpost) to cushion some of the bumps would have made the ride more comfortable. In some places we rode through virtual tunnels of spruce trees, in others we could see for miles across rolling country, and still other places crossed wetlands with active beaver workings on both sides of the trail. All of it was beautiful, especially with the last of Autumn’s colors still flaming.

In the town of New Sweden we stopped to refuel at a great little store a half-mile off the end of the trail, then pedaled a short road section (not a single car passed us!) to pick up another fork of the trail that brought us back toward Caribou to the car. In all we covered about 25 miles—less than a third of what’s available.

If you are ever exploring “The County” when there’s no snow, be sure to bring your mountain bike!

Ashuwillticook Rail Trail 

The Berkshires rise gently over the flat Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. (Tim Jones photo)

While exploring the biking in the beautiful Berkshires, we discovered the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail which runs 11.2 miles from the Lanesborough/Pittsfield town line through Cheshire and into the center of Adams. Though the trail parallels busy Route 8, you see very little of the highway. The views, instead are of Berkshire Pond, Mount Greylock and a dozen other hills, the Cheshire Reservoir and the Hoosic River.

This is one of the nicest bike paths we have ever had the pleasure to ride. The only thing it lacked was other riders. Marilyn and I were staying at nearby Jiminy Peak and got up early two mornings to ride the entire trail as a warm-up for a long day of biking. Flat, fast and scenic (especially early in the morning), and with very few road crossings, this is the perfect before-breakfast bike ride on a summer morning.

While chatting with local bikers, we heard rumors that the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail may eventually be extended from Pittsfield all the way to Williamstown, which would let it rival the Cape Cod Rail Trail as one of the truly great recreation paths in all of New England.

As it is now, it’s still well worth the ride. If you’re ever in the area, be sure to check it out.

Cape Cod Rail Trail

This handsome Eastern Box Turtle (a threatened species) shared the Cape Cod Rail Trail with us on a rainy June morning. (Tim Jones photo)

The first Rail Trail I ever encountered  and the one I’ve ridden most is the fully paved, 22-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail that stretches from Dennis to Wellfleet, Mass. It got me hooked the first time I rode it and I’ve ridden it dozens of times since. Every chance I get, as a matter of fact. . . .

The western end of the trail is the most enjoyable for a casual, leisurely ride, maybe combined with a swim on a warm day. This section runs from Route 134 in Dennis (there’s a large parking area just south of exit 9 off the Mid-Cape Highway) into Brewster. Here, the trail winds over easy hills, through shaded woodlands, past cranberry bogs, ponds with beaches and to the Pleasant Lake General Store in Harwich.

The central third (from the Pleasant Lake General Store to Salt Pond Road) used to have a fair amount of roadside riding but much of that has vanished with the addition of a new bridge over Route 6 in Orleans (which reduced the trail’s length from 26 to 22 miles, but improved the quality of the experience). Nickerson State Park, the half-way point of the Rail Trail, boasts both beaches and campsites. Orleans is a convenient turn-around point from either end of the trail with shops, galleries, restaurants and harbor view–the perfect place to take a break.  Carry a bike lock and a backpack so you can fully enjoy it!

The eastern third, from Salt Pond Road in Eastham to Le Count Hollow Road in Wellfleet, is straight, flat, and fast, but not particularly scenic. It’s a good place to work up your heart rate. Side trips, to the Visitors Center at the Cape Cod National Seashore and Coast Guard Beach, to Nauset Light or to Marconi Wireless Station, where instantaneous global radio communications began on January 18, 1903, make this section more interesting.

The Cape Cod Rail Trail is free. You can get a trail map or rent a bike from Idle Times Bike Shop , with rental outlets in Eastham, Orleans and Wellfleet.

Island Line Rail Trail

You can ride your bike across Lake Champlain on the Island Line Trail. (Tim Jones photo)

Up in northwestern Vermont, the spectacular 12-mile Island Line Trail actually crosses a portion of Lake Champlain between Burlington and South Hero. You’ve never ridden anything quite like it. We’ve now ridden on this amazing trail three times, once on solo bikes and twice on our tandem. We can’t wait for a fourth time! Sadly, the trail was badly damaged by floods in the spring of 2011, and, as this was written in the summer of 2011, fund raising and volunteer efforts were underway to get the trail repaired. Check with Local Motion for updates on the trail’s recovery

The first time we rode the trail,  Marilyn and I were in Burlington researching a travel story and, as usual, we were looking to take advantage of all the wonderful outdoor opportunities that city has to offer. But, according to the weather prognosticators, we were in for the hottest two days in several years with increasing humidity each day.

Fortunately, we were based at the Burlington Hilton, just a short stroll from Burlington’s busy waterfront. So stroll we did—very slowly—down to Local Motion, a non-profit group which promotes bike trails in the area and rents top-quality hybrid cruiser bikes. We rented our bikes there and then walked them (slowly) back through the blazing inferno to the hotel and put them in storage. (Local Motion doesn’t open until ten o’clock in the morning, so you have to plan ahead for an early morning ride in the summer heat.)

The next morning we were up before the sun, snacked lightly, drank lots of water, and headed out. In the gray early light filtered by the rising mists, the temperature was in the 60s, and a breeze was blowing from the cooler waters of the lake. It felt like Heaven compared to the Hell of the previous afternoon.

There are lots of bike paths around Burlington and in the Champlain Valley. But the jewel in the crown is the Island Line Trail, a rails to trails project that spans 12.5 miles of mostly-level riding along the lake. With the rising sun slowly burning off the morning clouds, and the air still cool, the Island Line Trail was just magical. For the first hour, we had the path completely to ourselves as we pedaled north, out of Burlington toward the Champlain Islands, a great place for pedaling and paddling.

At just under the 10-mile marker, (we started at Mile Two), the trail suddenly bursts from the woods and follows the old rail line out on a man-made causeway dividing Malletts Bay from the main body of Lake Champlain. The rail line was built on a bed of huge blocks of marble dumped onto the lake bed and filled in with gravel. Flat and gently curving, it makes a perfect bike trail for a hybrid or mountain bike.

We rode out onto this incredibly beautiful stretch of path just as the sun finally began burning through the last of the morning haze, but the breeze off the water kept things comfortably cool. We rode on to the 12.5-mile mark, where a drawbridge has been removed, preventing you from continuing on to South Hero. In the summer, at least on weekends, there’s  a ferry to take bicycles across this gap, but it doesn’t run at 6:30 in the morning.

As we rode back toward Burlington, the sun began to increase in strength, and the trail became busier with walkers, joggers and other cyclists. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was a hot summer day. We showered, strolled out for breakfast at Penny Cluse Café, and got on with the day’s “work”.

Since then, we’ve been back twice and enjoyed every mile of the trail on our tandem. This is one of the great rail trail experiences.

Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail

Farming is still a part of everyday life along the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. (Tim Jones photo)

Historic St. Albans, Vermont (believe it or not, the site of a Civil War Confederate raid!) is the start of the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail . From there it winds its way 26.4 miles northeast to the town of Richford, Vermont, right on the Canadian border.

Marilyn’s favorite outdoor pastime spring, summer and fall is riding our fat-tire tandem bike, and there’s no place she’d rather ride than on a rail trail. The Missisquoi Rail Trail is a beauty with a smooth, packed gravel surface and easy grades. It runs mostly through stunningly bucolic Vermont countryside with farm fields and pastures, occasionally small towns. Enosburg Falls at mile 16.5 is a perfect spot to stop for lunch. If your pedaling partner doesn’t happen to be a nutrition counselor who is concerned about your cholesterol numbers, there’s a wonderful spot for soft-serve ice cream cones (they call them “creemies” in Vermont) a few miles beyond Enosburg Falls. Unfortunately we had other stops to make. Sigh.

That last third of the trip has Jay Peak looming in your sights as you pedal beside the Missisquoi River. You can watch it get closer with each turn of the pedals.

Eventually, the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail will be extended to the nearby Canadian Border, where it will connect with Quebec’s Route Verte—an extensive network of bicycle paths and bike lanes that crisscrosses the entire Province. There are also plans in the works to build the connecting Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, which will run 92 miles from Swanton to St. Johnsbury. The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST), a statewide snowmobile club is spearheading this effort. Hooray for them!

Even without those additional enticements, the Missisquoi Rail Trail is worth visiting. If 53 miles is too much for you to ride in a day, take a couple of days, stay somewhere on Lake Champlain—there are quiet B&B’s, inexpensive motels and campgrounds all around here. Make an active vacation of it!

Northern Rail Trail 

This covered bridge is just a tiny part of the scenery that surprises you at every turn along the Northern Rail Trail. (Marilyn Donnelly photo)

The Northern Rail Trail (NRT) in Grafton and Merrimack Counties of New Hampshire is shaping up to be one of the best rail trail rides in all of New England. The stone-dust or gravel surface is firm, easy to pedal on (especially with a fat tire or cyclocross bike), and the scenery is beautiful. And, maybe someday, the two organizations which created this marvelous trail will be able to cooperate on a single website devoted to it . . .

This trail is particularly convenient to reach. If you are traveling on Interstate 91 in Vermont, or 93 in New Hampshire, you are only 15 minutes from a trail terminus, and access from I-89 is even faster. If your bike is on the car anyway, why not stop and ride for an hour or two?

I should note that Marilyn and I don’t particularly enjoy riding with a lot of road traffic. Though the NRT essentially parallels either Route 4 or Route 11 for its entire length, you don’t often see or even hear motor vehicles. Much of the time you are riding through quiet woods and fields, alongside beautiful flowing streams and placid ponds.

The northern end of the trail in Grafton County, was finished first. It runs 23 miles from downtown Lebanon through Enfield, Canaan, Orange and Grafton. Another 23 miles in Merrimack County have now been completed. This section runs through Danbury, Wilmot, and Andover to end (for the moment at least) in Franklin. Eventually, the trail will grow to 65 miles in length, continuing on to Boscawen and Concord; though in these days of tight money and endless budget fights, who knows when that will happen?

Marilyn and I have been riding short sections of the NRT when we were in the neighborhood on other business. I believe we’ve done most of it . . .

On one recent summer morning, we pulled into the parking area at Potter Place, right off the junction of Routes 4 and 11, and started pedaling east toward Franklin. We only had about an hour to ride and hoped we could get in 10 or 12 miles or so. Not a “big” ride, but fun nonetheless.

This section of trail is almost flat (most rail lines avoided hills as much as possible) and has a nicely packed gravel/stone dust surface. It runs along the Blackwater River, through pine and hardwood forests, skirting the edges of some beautiful wetlands. Gorgeous scenery for a summer morning.

We’d pedaled only about two miles before we came upon a lovely covered bridge we’d never seen before. At about the 6-mile mark we ran out of time and turned around at the Higland Lake Inn in East Andover which looks like it would make a perfect overnight stop for a weekend getaway along the trail.

On another memorable occasion we started on Riverside Drive in Lebanon in the shadow of I-89, pedaled out for an hour or so (12-13 miles at our normal pace) turned around and pedaled back. This section of the trail is flat—no hills at all–and the surface is mostly packed stone dust or gravel. It had been very rainy in the days before, but we only found a couple of wet spots.

Our ride took us past Mascoma Lake (wonderful views), through the tiny village of Enfield (potential lunch spot at the deli/market in the center of town), and out through the wilds of Canaan. The trail crosses lots of streams and rivers on nicely surfaced bridges (many heartfelt thanks to the snowmobile clubs that maintain them!). It’s just a perfect ride.

Someday soon, we’ll take two cars, make a real adventure of it and ride the whole NRT end-to-end in one day. But for now, these section rides out and back are a perfect break on a busy summer morning. For us, 46 miles of pedaling would make a good long day and this is one trail we are looking forward to doing end-to-end-to-end. Maybe we’ll see you there . . .

Finding Other Rail Trails

The Island Line Trail which starts on Burlington's waterfront is easy to find, others require more searching. (Tim Jones photo)

New England and New York are blessed with an abundance of old railroad beds, many of which are rideable on fat-tire bikes. The Rails to Trails Conservancy is the driving force behind much of this trail development, and they maintain the most complete free list I’ve found of Rail Trails in the Northeast and in most states across the country. Just go under “Find A Trail” and click on either a state or a region to find listings. There are 392 open trails in the northeast totaling over 3200 miles.

If you ride in New Hampshire, be sure to get a copy of Charles F. Martin’s book, New Hampshire Rail Trails, which gives the history of the rail lines along with useful info for today’s bikers. The website itself also has some useful links to other trail organizations.

In addition to the two trails profiled above, Massachusetts has  the 11-mile Nashua River Rail Trail, which  is completed and ready to ride. The 11-mile Norwottuck Rail Trail, in Northampton, Hadley, and Amherst is complete and will eventually anchor one end of the 104-mile Mass. Central Rail Trail leading all the way to Boston. There’s also one called the Southern New England Trunkline Trail a 20-mile trail runs between the Franklin and Douglas State Forests along the Rhode Island and Connecticut borders. Apparently, however, this trail can’t be ridden end to end as most bridges along the route are out or unsafe.

Up in Maine, there’s a whole slew of rail trails in the area just north and west of Bangor. The Lagrange to Medford trail is 11 miles long, the Newport to Dover-Foxcroft is 26 miles. This looks perfect for a multi-day getaway.  The Downeast Sunrise Trail runs from Washington Junction in Ellsworth to Ayers Junction just south of Calais.  And, Aroostook County has a number of rail trails.

If you know any good rail trails I’ve missed, email me and I’ll add them. The more people who ride these trails, the more trails we’ll have to enjoy in the future.

Since new trails are always in development, the list is never complete. If you really want to explore, check out these historic topographical maps—which lists then-active railroads. Some of these old roadbeds are just waiting for the crunch of your boot soles or bike treads.

Trail Etiquette

Everyone's welcome on rail trails. Bikers and joggers must safely share the trails which means everyone must be aware of where they are and what's ahead and behind. (Tim Jones photo)

On the more popular rail trails, people are moving at different speeds as they walk, skate or bike, so people are always passing each other. Since there typically isn’t any motorized traffic, you can sometimes be lulled into a false sense of security and get careless. When people get careless, accidents happen.

Here are some thoughts for safety.

1) Be aware of your surroundings and alert for anyone moving faster than you are.

2) Pedestrians and cyclists alike should follow the rules of the road, with cyclists riding on the right and pedestrians walking facing on-coming traffic. The center of the trail should be treated as a “passing lane” not a travel lane.

3) Cyclists passing pedestrians should communicate their intentions well ahead of time (especially if the pedestrians are walking with their backs to you) and slow down until they are sure the walkers know they are there.  Get one of those little handlebar bells; it’s a friendly way to let people know that you’re behind them and about to pass.  Having a mirror on your bike is a good idea, too, so YOU know if someone is about to pass you.

4) Don’t wear headphones, especially when walking or running or cycling. Listening to music, you’re cutting yourself off from voice communication. Not only are you missing bird calls and the natural sounds of wind and water, you are also putting yourself and the people around you at greater risk. Think about it.

Some popular rail trails can get very crowded on weekends in good weather, with everyone from tiny tots in backpacks to active seniors all out enjoying a little fresh air and exercise. If everyone is courteous and aware of others using the path, and keeps to their own side of the trail, the mix of uses works just fine.

Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, N.H. recently raised the bar with what they are calling “New England’s Largest Aerial Obstacle course, which opened Memorial Day Weekend. (Gunstock Mountain Resort photo)

It used to be that ski areas were virtual ghost towns in the summer: weed-covered slopes, empty condos, locked base lodges and forlorn lifts waiting sadly for snow.

No more! Now, many areas are offering summer activities and events for the Active Outdoors crowd. In fact, many ski areas are almost as much fun in the summer as they are in the winter. Sorry, that’s an exaggeration . . . we all know that nothing is as much fun as playing on snow, but there’s still a lot of good outdoor fun to be had at ski resorts until the world turns white again.

Some resorts become summer camps for kids and, sometimes, whole  families. Smugglers Notch in Jeffersonville, Vermont was one of the pioneers and they are still going strong with a new canopy tour and loads of guided hikes, canoe and kayak paddles, a climbing wall, etc. Whaleback in Enfield, NH, offers its “Zero Gravity” kids camps for skateboarders and regular summer terrain park ski and snowboarding events on SNOW (well, on ice chips from the local ice arena) at “The Beach.” This is a great way to keep kids active all summer. And King Pine Ski Area at Purity Springs Resort has a host of summer family programs, plus the long established Camp Tohkomeupog summer camp program for boys. Woodbury Ski Area in Connecticut has summer tubing and big “Zorb” balls to roll down the hill in.

Some ski resorts like Attitash in Bartlett, N.H., Bromley Mountain in Peru Vermont, Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway, N.H., Jiminy Peak in Hancock, MA, and Pico Mountain in become exciting amusement parks in summer with Alpine Slides, Mountain Coasters, trampolines, climbing walls and other goodies to play on. Gunstock Mountain has new Segway Tours and ziplines, Loon Mountain has Segway tours, ziplines, bungee trampolines, a climbing wall and many other activities. Whiteface has the ORDA Olympic Bobsled facility with summer rides near Lake Placid, New York. Many of these amusements aren’t any kind of physical challenge or really even exercise (let’s face it, the whole goal of the Segway is to NOT exercise), but they sure are fun.

Even ski hills that don’t offer any formal activities are wonderful places to hike in summer. The slopes and trails provide open views as you climb and invite cool summer breezes. You can make a hike at a ski area (comparatively) easy by walking up the service road that reaches the summit lift terminals, or more difficult by scrambling up the black diamond trails. You won’t believe how steep some of the stuff you ski down in the winter really is until you climb it in the summer . . . just ask publisher David Shedd what it was like to try to run up the green trails at Wildcat during the Wildman Biathlon.  Many areas offer summer chairlift or gondola rides so you can enjoy the views then walk down the mountain without having to climb up first, which is a great option for people just getting into mountain hiking (take trekking poles, though…they’re a huge help when you’re navigating down steep terrain).

Lift-serviced downhill mountain biking can be easy or challenging. (Tim Jones photo)

Mountain Biking Opportunities Galore

Ski hills and mountain biking are a natural fit and some hills make a huge deal of mountain biking. Some even offer lift-serviced downhill mountain biking, which is a real adrenaline rush, a lot like skiing and snowboarding except it hurts a lot more if you fall.

Attitash Mountain has lift-serviced downhill mountain biking and easier trail mountain biking, with rental bikes and protective equipment available.

The Balsams Resort has over 90 kilometers of marked mountain bike trails on their fabulous cross-country trails.

Berkshire East (413-339-6617) in Charlemont, Mass. taps into a community-wide system of mountain biking trails.

Bretton Woods in Bretton Woods, N.H has both lift-serviced mountain biking on their cross-country trail network and downhill biking on their slopes.

Burke Mountain in East Burke, Vermont has joined forces with Kingdom Trails to offer both lift-serviced downhill mountain biking and cross-country.  Any mountain biker who hasn’t made a pilgrimage to the Kingdom Trails absolutely MUST; we’re talking some of the best mountain biking on the planet.  No, that’s not hyperbole.

Cannon Mountain in Franconia, N.H now rents bikes for riding on the recreation path through beautiful Franconia Notch.

Great Glen Trails rents bikes and offers gentle “carriage road” type mountain biking that is a perfect introduction for the family.

Gunstock has miles of mountain biking opportunities on their cross-country ski trails.

Jiminy Peak has  really gnarly lift-serviced downhill mountain biking that attracts riders from all over.

Loon Mountain offers summer mountain bike rentals and trails, plus shuttles which allow you to ride the Franconia Notch Recreation Path at your own pace, downhill all the way.

Mont-Sainte-Anne has been home to the mountain bike world championships, so it’s no surprise that they’ve got a LOT of trails. 28k of downhill trails, over 130k of XC trails, a pump track, freestyle areas, you name it; they take MTB seriously.

Mount Snow in Dover, Vermont has  a vibrant  lift-serviced downhill biking and a number of big competitions/events.

Ski Bromont has a wide range of trails from world-class downhill to gentle XC trails, and everything in between (plus, it’s in the food-and-everything-else-friendly Eastern Townships).  For those who don’t want to abuse themselves that way, or want to cool down afterwards, they have a full water park as well.

Sugarbush has lift-serviced mountain biking, rentals, skills clinics, and an 18-mile long gentle downhill trail to explore.

Sunday River in Newry, Maine has  a  “Bike Park”, lift-serviced downhill biking and miles of new cross-country biking trails ranging from beginner trails like Easy Tiger, to more challenging single tracks like the new Rock Star, plus jumps, log rides, bridges, and berms sprinkled throughout 20 miles of lift-serviced terrain.

Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, has created miles and miles of wonderful mountain bike trails and is offering mountain bike rentals and mountain biking lessons for riders of all ability levels. Great program for learning, including specific programs aimed at teaching women (more to come on this, as we get a chance to give it a try!).

Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, New York  rents bikes and has a lift-serviced Bike Park with 27 diverse trails that range from hardcore expert only downhillers, to cruisers, plus 30 km of winding cross-country bike paths for every ability and riding style.

More challenging than ziplines, an Aerial Adventure is pure summer fun. (Tim Jones photo)

Aerial Adventures, Canopy Tours, and Ziplines

Canopy Tours, Aerial Adventures and ziplines are suddenly all the rage at ski resorts here in the northeast.  Ziplines are mostly a passive activity (you get a ride to the top of a slopes, sit in a chair or harness and slide down a cable). Fun, but not really active (though the adrenaline can get your heart pumping . . .) A canopy tour or aerial adventure requires you to climb, walk, balance, swing and slide through the trees.

The first canopy adventure tours around here were in Quebec and they are a thrilling and enjoyable experience. Tenney Mountain in Plymouth, N.H, had, I believe, the first in New England, but it may be closed now. Here’s what’s available this summer.

Berkshire East (413-339-6617; ) in Charlemont, Mass. has two of the longest ziplines in the east (one almost half a mile long over a valley . . .feeling like Indiana Jones?)

Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield, Mass, is opening a brand new Aerial Adventure Park this summer .

Bretton Woods has a big Aerial Adventure Tour which runs year ’round.

Catamount has the Catamount Aerial Adventure Park, a primarily Self-Guided challenge park with 11 courses and 148 platforms in the trees. Two  2,000-foot  zip lines run parallel to each other and take riders from the main park area back to the base.

Cranmore Mountain Resort has a new Aerial Adventure park this summer to add to all their other fun offerings. Their indoor climbing wall is THE place to be on a rainy day in the Mount Washington Valley.

Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, N.H. recently raised the bar with what they are calling “New England’s Largest Aerial Obstacle Course”, which opened Memorial Day weekend. They’ll be adding a big zipline facility by July 4th weekend. This whole setup is patterned after the big aerial adventures in Canada, where you are taught what you need to do to keep yourself safe, then are turned loose to do it. Most others take you through in a group with a guide shadowing your every move. As far as we’re concerned this is the way all outdoor recreation should be handled. There’s always risk, but you should be able to negotiate it on your own without having to have your hand held. Of course starving lawyers might see it differently . . .

Loon Mountain has a zipline across the Pemigewasset River . . .but, last we knew, no piranhas had been caught there, so you’re probably safe.

Mont Sutton in Sutton, Quebec (just across the Vermont border)  partners with nearby Arbre Sutton, one of the original aerial adventures courses in the east..

Smugglers Notch has a big new canopy tour which includes 8 zip lines, 2 suspension bridges and 2 rappels to add to all their other summer adventure opportunities (kayaking, climbing, hiking, etc.).

Sugarbush has an 800-foot zipline at the Lincoln Peak base area.

Sunday River has an elaborate zipline adventure that’s long enough and diverse enough to really get the adrenaline pumping, as one of our acrophobic writers found out, to her pleasure!

Wildcat has a double zipline so you can race . . .

Just enough challenge to make it fun! If you've never tried disc golf. put it on your summer "to do" list. (Tim Jones photo)

Disc Golf

Yup, it’s golf with Frisbees™ (and other flying plastic discs), and it’s as much fun as it sounds. Challenge without stress, no lessons needed. Lots of walking, running and laughing . . .

Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield, Mass, is opening a brand new 9-hole disc golf course .

Cranmore Mountain Resort has an 18-hole disc golf course.

Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont has a The Maples, a 9-hole disc golf course which taps into (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun) the region’s maple-sugaring history.

Pico Mountain‘s  Adventure Center has an all-new Disc Golf Course which starts atop Little Pico Peak and winds it way down through the woods and ski runs of Pico Resort with beautiful views along the way including a waterfall at the 18th basket.

Sugarbush has TWO 18-hole disc golf courses, one which plays down from the Super Bravo quad, the other around the base area.

Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, New York boasts a nine-hole course that utilizes the lower portion of Whiteface.

Wildcat has a lift-serviced 9-hole course that is decribed as “more active than you might think!”  Hmm.

Many ski areas offer summer equestrian programs including trail rides and lessons. (Tim Jones photo)

Horseback Riding

For riders not used to doing it regularly, horseback trail riding is fun, challenging and an incredible workout for the whole family (and particularly for your adductor muscles). Here are some resorts with equestrian opportunities:

Black Mountain

Bretton Woods

Loon Mountain

Mountain Top Inn (For a glimpse of an Active Seniors adventure at Mountain Top, go here).

Pico Mountain

MORE Opportunities

We haven’t even begun to list all of the competitions and events happening at ski areas this summer and fall(check out last year’s “Crazy Style Racing” stories for some ideas). Stay tuned . . In the meantime, if you are looking for something fun to do this summer, just don’t forget to check out the ski areas you enjoy in winter…you won’t be disappointed!

Expect to get wet if you go whitewater rafting. But don’t worry, if the water’s cold, a wetsuit will keep you warm (N.E.O.C. photo)

Whitewater rafting is something every Active Outdoors enthusiast should try at some point, and Spring is the perfect time.  So is summer, or, for that matter, fall. As long as the water is flowing, it’s a good time for rafting. As Caroline McDonald  discovered when she went Rafting on the Concord River. Don’t let the cold water scare you. You’ll be wearing a wetsuit and a paddling jacket if it’s cold.

Whitewater rafting is pure sensory overload, a wild rollercoaster ride with smiles guaranteed. I’ve gone rafting twice on the Kennebec River in Maine, once in the spring and once in the fall. I also did an early-summer raft trip on the Hudson River in New York. My sweetheart Marilyn floated the Deerfield in Massachusetts in May while I took a whitewater kayak lesson. All of those experiences have been memorable.

Even if you’ve been rafting before, the experience on every river is slightly different. On Maine’s Kennebec, for example, you start fast. The second you push away from the bank, the current grabs you and you go plunging into Class II and IV rapids (the higher the number, the higher the waves, the more exciting the ride.) On my first rafting trip, within seconds, everyone in our raft was laughing and shrieking for the sheer joy of it—and the ride hadn’t really started yet. The first five miles were pure rollercoaster; the last seven miles, pure relaxation. I floated that first time with New England Outdoor Center, but they have since sold their Kennebec River operation to another successful guide service, Magic Falls Rafting Company. NEOC still runs trips on the Penobscot.

Inside a small raft in "Big Water," you get up really close and personal with a lot of that water. (Tim Jones photos)

A “big-water release” and a small raft drew me to the Kennebec River the second time with Windfall Outdoor Center. Big water rafting in a small raft is rafting taken to it’s logical conclusion—bigger waves, faster water, and a smaller boat that bounces around more. Fun! Because you need one guide for each raft and the smaller raft has fewer people, you pay a little extra to be in the small raft, and a little more for coveted “Big Water” release days (when the dams are opened fully to test the turbines). But if you’ve already tried rafting, are ready for a bigger thrill, but not yet ready to do it on your own in a kayak, this is the way to go.

On the Deerfield in western Massachusetts, you start and finish slowly and get your wild ride in the middle on a number of Class II-III rapids, with one very exciting Class IV moment at Zoar Gap. This is an excellent trip for first-timers, scary-fun but not overwhelming. My sweetheart Marilyn floated with Zoar Outdoor while I took a whitewater kayaking clinic with them.

On the Hudson, you start out paddling into the maelstrom. (Tim Jones photo)

The Hudson River, which I floated with the Hudson River Rafting Company starts quickly with a trip down the Indian River to join the Hudson. Then it’s in and out of Class III and IV rapids most of the way, with quiet pockets between to relax and re-group (and maybe take a swim alongside the floating raft!). Great ride!

Because of liability insurance concerns, there are typically age and size restrictions on who can go rafting. Check ahead of time if you want to bring very small children – your options may be limited. Other than that, rafting is an adventure that a whole family from kids to healthy, mobile great-grandparents can share and enjoy together.

Even non-swimmers are welcome on most rafting expeditions. For safety’s sake, you’re wearing a helmet and a heavy-duty PFD (Personal Flotation Device) at all times while you’re in or on the river.

So don’t be timid. Relax and go with the flow.

It's the best rollercoaster ride you'll ever find. (Tim Jones photos)

A Raft of Options:

Here’s a (probably incomplete) list of rafting options. If you know of others, please drop me an email and let me know. While I’ve taken trips with four of these companies, it seems to me that any who have stayed in business any length of time know what they are doing. There’s too much competition for the weak to survive. My advice: Look over the websites, call and ask lots and lots of questions about what’s included in the price, and then book with the one that seems best for you.

Maine (Dead, Kennebec, and Penobscot Rivers)

Crab Apple Whitewater

Magic Falls Rafting Company

Maine Whitewater

Moxie Outdoor Adventures

New England Outdoor Center

Northeast Guide Service

Northern Outdoors

North Country Rivers

Professional River Runners

Three Rivers Whitewater

Wilderness Expeditions

Windfall Outdoor Center

New Hampshire and Maine (Androscoggin, Magalloway, Rapid Rivers)

ELC Rafting

North Woods Rafting

Raft NH

Massachusetts and Vermont (Concord, Deerfield and West Rivers)

Crab Apple Whitewater

Moxie Outdoor Adventures

Zoar Outdoor

New York (Hudson River)

Adirondac Rafting Company

Adirondack Adventures

Adirondack River Outfitters

Adventure Sports Rafting Company

Beaverbrook Outfitters

Hudson River Rafting Company

North Creek Rafting Company

Sacandaga Outdoor Center

Whitewater Challengers

Whitewater World

Wild Waters Outdoor Center

Hang on for the ride! Class IV rapids on the Deerfield. (Tim Jones photo)

What To Bring

Proper dress for whitewater rafting includes a bathing suit or river shorts that will stay on. That’s all you need in warm weather. If the water’s cold, you’ll wear these under a wetsuit they’ll provide. If you have your own wetsuit or dry suit, by all means bring it.

Footwear: Sneakers you don’t mind getting wet are OK, but river sandals are better. They’ll provide neoprene booties in cold weather. Wool or polypro socks will help keep your feet warm.

On the water, you’ll want cheap sunglasses (in case you lose them) with a retainer. Waterproof sunblock and a brimmed hat are nice if the sun is shining. You spend a lot of time out in the sun at mid-day while rafting.

In Spring and early summer, blackflies and mosquitoes can be a problem—waterproof insect repellent is a good idea.

By all means bring a waterproof camera. If you don’t have one, buy a one-time-use waterproof camera at any good camera shop.

On this warm April morning a white kayak floats like a cloud on the brown tidal waters of the Kennebunk River above Gristmill Pond. (Tim Jones photo)

Sometimes you need an excuse to get yourself out the door. If you can’t get away for a whole day, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, especially early in the season when your muscles might not be as accustomed to the activity as they were at the end of last season. Sometimes, a short getaway is just what you need.

A few days ago (one of those rare, beautiful, sunny, warm, days that actually give spring in New England a good name), I had to be in southern Maine on business (yes, I do work . . ) and left home early so I could grab a couple of free hours to play before the work started. The ponds near my home were still ice-covered and I had a bad case of paddle fever. I get it every spring. In early April had I visited the New England Paddlesports Show put on by Kittery Trading Post in the UNH Fieldhouse in Durham, NH. This show is pure “kid in a candy store” for paddle fanatics, almost a guaranteed case of paddle fever.

Paddle Fever happens for all ages at the New England Paddlesports Show. (Tim Jones photo)

Safety is always a consideration on any outdoor adventure and, with the wind blowing and the water cold, I didn’t want to paddle alone. So I called Theresa Willette of Coastal Maine Kayak in Kennebunk. Theresa was opening her shop for the season and seemed eager to get out in the sunshine in a kayak. I guess she had paddle fever, too.

Theresa is a bona fide kayak fanatic, a registered Maine Guide who teaches paddling skills, rolling and rescue clinics, and leads guided paddles. And, every Sunday morning from June on, she gathers a group of friends new and old for a free and informal group paddle.

We launched from the docks directly behind Theresa’s shop for a paddle up the Kennebunk River. I rarely launch my kayak from a dock  (it’s usually beaches or rocks for me) and Theresa took a moment to show me a good technique for getting into a tight cockpit safely. Then, we were off and paddling. Just being on the water felt good, a first taste of one of my favorite parts of summer.

Theresa Willette of Coastal Maine Kayak paddles up the Kennebunk River past a whalewatch boat waiting for summer tourists. (Tim Jones photo)

The tide was coming in. We paddled up the river with the building current pushing us along and a warm southerly breeze at our backs. Below the Route 9 bridge, we paddled past whalewatch and cruise boats, and a few large pleasure boats moored in the harbor awaiting warmer weather.

Passing under the bridge at the edge of town, paddling upriver through Gristmill Pond took us into another world where handsome houses fronted the quiet river, and the Cape Arundel golf course sprawled empty but waiting. The woods still had patches of snow, especially once we were up in the river.

Birds were everywhere, mostly ducks: mallards, teal, mergansers in singles, pairs and one large mixed flock rafted in the quiet river. We also saw a variety of seagulls, some geese, several blue herons and the occasional cormorant, plus a kingfisher who chattered from his (her?) fishing perch over the water and flew along ahead of us, annoyed that we were interrupting the serious business of fishing. (I know many human anglers who feel the same). With a kayak, you can get closer to the birds than you can on foot or in a power boat. I wished I’d remembered binoculars . . .

Though the sun was warm there were still patches of snow in the woods along the Kennebunk River in Maine (Tim Jones photo)

The tide was still flooding in when we turned around, which meant we had to fight both current and wind paddling back. No problem. The rigid composite kayaks we were paddling cut easily through the water, and you sit low enough in a kayak that the wind can’t really catch you. Besides, this is Theresa’s home water and she knew exactly how to use every eddy and side current to make paddling easier. I won’t say it was effortless, but even the swift current flow under the bridge wasn’t hard to navigate, and at the end, while we knew we’d been paddling, we weren’t worn out.

A few minutes after getting off the water, I was sitting in a business lunch, able to give it my full attention. No, I didn’t have a whole day to play, but I did have time to get out for a couple of hours for a little fresh air and exercise. Sometimes, that’s just what you need. A kayak paddle on a warm spring day was my excuse. What’s yours?

Gear Notes

Every “first” of the year is always a shakedown for essential equipment, especially for the most essential piece of equipment of all—your own body.

On our Kennebunk River excursion, Theresa and I both wore dry suits and PFDs from Kokatat for safety. To me, a dry suit is more comfortable than a wetsuit. If you are going to do a lot of cold water paddling, it’s a good investment. I’ve had mine for years.

Coastal Maine Kayaks sells and rents beautiful Valley kayaks, made in England. Theresa was paddling an elegant 16-foot composite Valley “Avocet” that floated like a serene white cloud on the brown water. She propelled it with a slender, hand made, Greenland-style wooden paddle and carried a big-bladed Werner carbon paddle for fighting the current.

I could have rented a boat from Theresa, but I’d arranged to borrow a 17-foot fiberglass/Kevlar composite  “Eggemoggin”  from Lincoln Kayaks that a friend was trying to sell. Nice boat, much lighter and noticeably more responsive than the rotomolded boats I usually paddle! I was also trying a new “Tortuga” carbon paddle from Harmony which is 12 ounces lighter than my old-favorite wood paddle. Sweet!

That Eggemoggin has since come to live in my kayak rack (my friend made me a deal I couldn’t refuse). So I’ve gotten an even worse case of paddle fever, and I’m looking forward to many months of cooling that fever with fun days on the water.