As a novice gardener, I have a tough time identifying plants and remembering what the heck I planted where. So each spring, as I clean out my flower beds and tiny herb and vegetable garden, I hem and haw over what I need to plant and where. To help out, my husband often holds onto […]
The more I’ve gotten to know spring in Maine, the more interesting it becomes. Aside from the mud and freak snow storms, it’s a time of truly strange occurrences, and most of those odd happenings have to do with the state’s diverse family of wildlife. If you’ve lived in the state long enough, I’m sure […]
As snow melts and the ground thaws throughout April and May, gravel roads and trails throughout Maine turn into a sloppy mess, a combination of mud, slush, potholes and puddles. Welcome to Maine’s infamous mud season, those few weeks each spring that tries our patience and tests our waterproof footwear. My family lives on a […]
This weekend is one that many people in my neck of the woods look forward to — the weekend of the Eastern Maine Sportsmen’s Show! And this year, I’ll be giving a presentation, followed by a book signing, as a part of the show’s jam-packed program. So here’s the rundown: The 80th (yes, 80th!) Eastern […]
Ever since I started solo hiking in college, my family and friends have expressed their worries that something terrible will befall me while out in the woods. I’ve been asked about the danger of wild animals and the risk of breaking a leg, but the most common cause for concern is the possibility that I […]
Good news, readers! We heard you and are bringing back something you loved. I’m happy to announce that I will be reviving my “1-minute” outdoor adventure column, with a twist, starting next week. That means more “1-minute” place profiles of outdoor destinations throughout the state of Maine, including driving directions and detailed descriptions, plenty of […]
All of Maine’s state parks are open to the public year round, but some parks see more action in the winter than others simply because they have more to offer in the way of groomed ski trails, ice skating spots and ice fishing locations. Each winter, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands highlights some […]
Today, I sent the following email to my colleagues Abigail Curtis and Kimberly Merrifield, as well as my husband, Derek Runnells, regarding our upcoming participation in the US National Toboggan Championships scheduled for Friday-Sunday, Feb. 9-11, at the Camden Snow Bowl. The four of us have registered as a four-person team called “The Bangor Daily […]
The Camden Winterfest is underway, with events running Feb. 3 through 11, and the U.S. National Toboggan Championships will be held this weekend, Feb. 9-10, at the Camden Snow Bowl. So it seems like the perfect time to round-up some midcoast Maine snowshoeing spots, places that people can take a walk and get away from […]
I ditched the snowshoes while hiking up Blue Hill Mountain last week. There just wasn’t enough snow for them to be useful. The trail had been packed by previous hikers, and in some spots, the stone steps leading up the slope were completely bare. So I stuck them in the shallow layer of snow beside […]
