Stand Up Paddle Boarding

Last year I traveled to Las Vegas, NV in April to visit some friends, and while I was there I tried something called Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP for short).  I know - not your typical Vegas activity, but I'm more of an outdoorsy person than a gambler. :)  I had never even heard of SUP before, but a friend I was visiting had tried it and thought I would enjoy it.  So off we headed to Lake Las Vegas for a day on the water.  We spent several hours on SUPs around the lake - by the time we came back to shore I was hooked and determined to give it a try back in Maine.

If this is the first you've heard of SUP, you're probably wondering what exactly it is.  SUP originated in Hawaii, but it has rapidly spread in popularity in recent years.  A SUP is very similar to a surf board, and can be geared towards racing or recreation, oceans or lakes - just like kayaks, there are a wide range of boards to choose from depending on how you plan on using them.  They make boards that are built to carry gear (usually with bungee cords at the front of the board), and others have room for you to have a child sit on the board with you on your tour around the lake.  Or if you're like me - maybe you will try taking your dog out on the water with you.  I'm not sure how well Jack will take to sitting still, but we're going to give it a try!

After spending much of my summer last year playing ball, I was determined to pick up a SUP in the off season and get out on the lakes and ocean this coming season.  If you are interested in trying SUP, I recommend finding a place locally that does tours and lessons before investing in a board.  Buying a board and paddle new can be quite expensive - costing you well over $1,000.00.  Two places locally that provide SUP tours are Acadia Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Bar Harbor, ME and Thorfinn Expeditions in Lincolnville, ME.  They both offer a wide range of SUP tours, and in Bar Harbor they even offer Yoga sessions on the SUPs.

Personally I have tried neither of these companies, but I did purchase my SUP used from the owner of Acadia SUP.  Chris was very helpful when it came to answering questions that I had about the fit of a board, what size board I would need, etc - and information on when they would begin lessons should I want to get out on the ocean early.  If you are a beginner, I highly recommend purchasing your board from someone that knows a lot about the sport - and purchasing it used.  The board I ended up buying was used for only one season on the ocean in Acadia, and it still cost me over $800 for both paddle and board.  So if you decide to invest in your own board/paddle - you want to make sure you talk to an expert.

I have no experience with Thorfinn Expeditions to speak of.  But I will say this - Chris had great things to say about Thorfinn Expeditions should you find yourself in the Lincolnville area rather than Bar Harbor.

While SUP is a great way to explore in Maine, it is also a great workout.  If your paddling technique is correct, you will be using mostly your core muscles.  This was also something that made SUP have a lot more appeal for me because really - does anyone actually like their ab workout?  I'd rather paddle around the lake than do crunches any day!  In looking at the photos on Acadia SUP's website, the yoga sessions look like a lot of fun, as well.  I would go into it expecting to end up in the water, though.  I'm not great at yoga on dry land, and I cannot imagine how poorly I'd perform with the board moving underneath me.

Hopefully this post has piqued your interest enough to make you consider SUP this summer should you find yourself on the coast of Maine.  Who knows - maybe Jack and I will run into you on the lake!

Bangor City Forest

A lot of us don't have much free time to devote to enjoying the great outdoors when you factor in work and personal commitments - but there are a few gems out there that don't require you to spend an entire afternoon getting off the beaten path.  Bangor City Forest is one of those.  If you live in the Bangor area or are just visiting and want to get into the woods but do not have a lot of time, this is a great place to go.

The city forest has 680 acres of wildlife habitat and working forest.  All together, there are 9 miles of trails throughout the forest - these are accessible year-round.  Many people use these trails for running during the warmer months, and during winter you can find people skiing and snowshoeing.  The area is dog-friendly, but they require your dogs be leashed at all times (as always, please clean up after your pets).  The park is open from sunrise to sunset.

More information on Bangor City Forest including hours and trail maps can be found here.

Camden Hills State Park

I know it's been quite a while since I've posted in this blog - I haven't been hiking as much the last couple years, but that is something that will be changing this summer :)  Or sooner....

Camden Hills State Park

Friday afternoon was in the mid-upper 30s, so I logged off work a little early and headed for Camden.  Initially I thought I would need my snowshoes for this hike, but when I got there the snow was already packed so well that I ended up hiking it without them.  The park is dog-friendly, so I took my chocolate lab, Jack, along for the hike.  Surprisingly it was just the two of us in the woods that day.  There is a feeling of calm in the woods during winter that isn't there on the same level during other seasons.  It was just what I needed.

Park Info - There are several park entrances that you can take, but I typically use the entrance on Rte 1 just before getting into the town of Camden.  The day use fee for the park is $3.00.  You can find more information about the park at the State of Maine's website here, and you can find a brochure with information published by the park here.

We ended up taking the trail up to Ocean Lookout (elev. 1300ft) to take in the views of the coast.  Usually I take my Olympus with me, but I ended up with only my phone to take pictures with.  They just don't do the view justice, but here are some photos from that day.  If you live anywhere near Camden Hills State Park, be sure to check it out sometime.  Any time of the year, I'm sure it is breath-taking.  I can't wait to hike it in the fall when the leaves are in full color.

Jack on the trail in the woods.

There was a fair amount of snow, but it was easy going without snowshoes.

View from the trail - wish I had my camera not just a phone! :)

View towards Camden.

Jack checking out the woods.

Another view of the ocean.

Taking a break.

Yes...I bribed him with a treat for this photo lol

Stopped to make some snow angels.  Couldn't help it - I'm a big kid.

Jack - tired after the hike.

South Branch and Howe Brook

So now that my best friend is back in Maine where she belongs, we took a few days off to do some things we hadn't done in a while. This was her first trip back to South Branch Pond in about 8 years, so we took a hike up Howe Brook to the falls. I think we missed peak foliage time by about a week, but that's always the case for me. lol The leaves were still bright in color, though, and we got some nice pictures. The hike is about 6 miles round trip - 2.5 miles to the lower pools and falls, and 6 miles round trip to the upper falls. If you have kids with you, then I recommend only going to the lower falls because when you get above them the terrain gets a bit more rugged. Hope you guys like the pictures!

South Branch Pond

North Traveler from the shore of South Branch

Falls at Howe Brook

Trail around the pond

Trail sign at the mouth of Howe Brook Trail.

Fish River Falls

Last weekend was my boyfriend's birthday, and so we spent it camping at Fish River Falls in Fort Kent, ME. While it's a very easy place to get to with a short hike to the camp-sites, we had the whole place to ourselves. It's not a campground like you would find in one of the parks here in Maine - this one has no facilities. You just go, pitch your tent, and enjoy nature as it was meant to be enjoyed :)

The first night there was spent hanging out around the campfire and walking down along the rocks at the edge of the river to watch the falls. The next day, though, was spent swimming, jumping off mini-cliffs into the river, and enjoying the 80+ degree weather. Fish River Falls is a great pick if you are looking for a campground that is not busy and offers some privacy.

If you do choose to visit this place and camp out, bring ONLY what you need. While the hike is not really that long, it is downhill the whole way to the river and not a very even path. While you may not mind carrying anything heavy down to the river, you probably won't want to carry it back up hill! This is also a carry in/carry out camp-site. Please be considerate and keep the area clear of trash.

Haystack Mountain

I hiked up Haystack Mountain in Mapleton, Maine yesterday. It's not a very long climb, but it is a steep one! It was such a nice day that rather than hitting the gym and doing some cardio, I decided that a hike would be just as good. :)

The weather was nice, but that also meant the black-flies were out in full force. They didn't get bad until I got to the top of the mountain, but still - having any black-flies around at all is not a treat. It's that time of year, folks, so be smarter than me and bring some OFF! with you. It will make for a much more enjoyable hike. :)

For those of you that do not know where the mountain is, it is in Mapleton, Maine. You can get there via Rte 11 though Ashland or you can get there via Rte 1 through Presque Isle. It's a very short hike, and while I would not travel a great distance just for this hike - it is a great one to do if you are in the area. It is even possible to take children with you on this hike, as you can hike the mountain in only a half hour or so. I have been with friends who have children as young as 3 that have hiked the mountain with us - and only had to be carried up the final portion as it was a bit trickier to maneuver.

The photo at the top of my blog was taken from Haystack last fall. Since it is such a short hike, it is a great spot to go to take aerial type photos of the County. You can see many peaks from the top of Haystack, and if you look to the distance on a clear day, you can even see Katahdin.

So in short - it's a great hike if you're looking for a bit of exercise on a sunny afternoon, and it's a great hike if you are in the area and have kids with you :) Happy Hiking!

Fiddleheading in Baxter State Park

I haven't had much chance to do any hiking or camping yet this year, as the weather is still all over the place and hardly ever warm and sunny on a day I can go. I did, however, have the chance to go fiddleheading last weekend. For those of you that do not know what a "fiddlehead" is, see the picture below:

Anyone who is not from or has never been to Maine is going to probably look at that and go "Ewwww - you eat THAT?!" But if you are ever in Maine in the spring, you should definitely give these a try. You can only get them first thing in the spring because as it gets warmer, they turn into ferns (which are most definitely not good eats).

Fiddleheads can be found near brooks, streams, and rivers where the ground wet. Typically they start to come up just as true Spring weather hits, but anyone who has seen a Maine spring knows that you cannot pin-point that with a date. Typically it could be anywhere from mid-April to late May depending on the weather. This year, the fiddlehead season is almost over, and it is only mid-May. If you are ambitious enough to venture out and pick your own batch of fiddleheads, pay close attention to the photo above. There are many different kinds of ferns, but only these dark green ones are actually what Mainiacs affectionately refer to as "fiddleheads."

My only venture with fiddleheading this year was last weekend. I asked my mother what she wanted to do for Mother's Day, and she said "Let's go fiddleheading in Baxter State Park." So last Saturday we put some 5-gallon pails in the back of her truck and headed for the North Entrance. This time of year when the weather is not yet warm enough for camping and swimming, the park is used mainly by fishermen and people looking for fiddleheads. The park season doesn't get into full swing until late June most years, so it was nice to not have much traffic or many other people in the Park with us. We stopped by Trout Brook, and did our fiddleheading there. There was no panoramic mountain view, no trickling waterfall to take photos of - but it was nice just to be in the North Maine Woods.

I think that is something that is lost on many people that find themselves in Maine. Sure the coast is beautiful, but there is an entirely different side to Maine that many miss out on. Maine is so rich in history, but typically people focus on the lobstermen, lighthouses, and islands of the coast. There is a whole other spectrum of experiences in Maine if only you go north of Bangor. The North Maine Woods is rich in logging history, the County has it's farming history, and if you go further to the extreme north of the County - you will find that Fort Kent and surrounding towns have a rich Acadian history. All you have to do is make the drive!

Anyways - back to task - We were in the park for just a couple of hours, but when we left - we had 3 pails of fiddleheads. I literally had to give the away when I got home because I could not eat that many all by myself! I must have given 6- 1 gallon bags away to my friends because I could not cook and eat them all. I found myself posting on FaceBook - "Picked a ton of fiddleheads - let me know if anyone wants any!" To which my friends from Mass, Texas, Florida, etc responded - "What the heck is a fiddlehead?" I guess that's what prompted me to write this blog and share a piece of true Maine with you all.

So in closing - if you find yourself in Maine for a visit this summer, be sure to look beyond Bah Hahbah and take a drive up I-95. Even if it's just to head to Patten (exit 264 or 276) to check out the Lumberman's Museum. Tell them I sent you ;)