I thought I would share a peek
into my new book, Outdoor Play, “Fun 4 4 Seasons”.
The first section,
How to be an Outdoor Enthusiast, is for beginners and those who hesitate because of age, limited time, family
commitments, or seek “How to” for an activity.
It describes a process to be an outdoor enthusiast. The middle sections are divided into the
seasons of the year, Spring,
Summer, Fall and Winter with
glimpses of my own outdoor treks taken from the last four years of this Outdoor Enthusiast blog.
The next section, Places to Play in
Northern New England, provides web references to local activities and clubs
as incentives to learn and participate in the outdoors.
Two sections, The Outdoors as a Daily Component of Life, and Eclectic Sharing, deal with outdoor book reviews and tips such as smart phone Apps for the Outdoors and Cooking an Egg in an Onion Over an Open Campfire.
The last section, The Beginning, is my personal story of how I became a committed daily outdoor enthusiast.
Two sections, The Outdoors as a Daily Component of Life, and Eclectic Sharing, deal with outdoor book reviews and tips such as smart phone Apps for the Outdoors and Cooking an Egg in an Onion Over an Open Campfire.
The last section, The Beginning, is my personal story of how I became a committed daily outdoor enthusiast.
Below is a look into the section titled, Places to Play in Northern New England. The Maine Island Trail, Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Appalachian Trail, Androscoggin River, and Great North Woods will each be highlighted.
------------
Inter-State Opportunities for Outdoor Play
Northern New England has some scenic,
relaxing, simply exciting inter-state outdoor opportunities for all
seasons. Certainly waterways, forest
trails and mountains have no sense of state boundaries. Here are five non-profit organizations offering
unique places to play in northern New England.The Maine Island Trail
The Maine Island Trail begins at Maine's border with New Hampshire and ends in Machias, Maine, with an additional collection of two islands in the Passamaquoddy/New Brunswick region of Canada.
The Maine Island Trail is a 375-mile-long waterway along the coast of Maine that connects approximately 200 islands and mainland sites available for day visits or overnight camping. The trail is operated by the Maine Island Trail Association(MITA). Through partnerships with the State of Maine, as well as land trusts, non-profit organizations, and generous private property owners, MITA ensures access to these sites for visitors in kayaks, sailboats, motorboats, and other watercraft. In exchange for access, MITA members agree to visitation guidelines set by the island owners and provide a wide range of stewardship services including island monitoring and management by trained volunteers and 10 organized regional island cleanups each year.
This is the Maine Island Trail Association’s 25th Season, so they have a lot of fun activities in store to celebrate that, including a photo contest. MITA wants to get photos from all 200 sites that they will geo-coded on the web for all to view. Send your photos!
See Outdoor Steve’s Blog post on his Maine Island Trail trek:
FAQ on MIT Site Reservations
The only sites (public or private) on the Maine Island Trail that take reservations are Warren Island, Swan Island (Kennebec), Cobscook Bay State Park, and Butter and Burnt Islands. All others are first-come first-served (FCFS). Details are in the member Trail Guide. The MITA advises people to have a backup in mind and arrive with time to spare. However, the fact is that except for peak weekends on smaller most favored islands, people typically do not report difficulties. There are a lot of islands to go around!
See Outdoor Steve’s Blog post on his Maine Island Trail trek:
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) links the waterways of New York, Vermont, Québec, New Hampshire and Maine.
A visit to
the NFCT can be a day-trip, an overnight, weeks, or months. As hikers do
sections of the Appalachian Trail, so do paddlers do the NFCT. You can put-in and take-out at any appropriate
location. The NFCT organization is a
great resource for your trip plan, web links, and contacts.
Scheduled
regional presentations by NFCT staff can be viewed on the NFCT web site. See the Planning link at the site for guidebooksand maps.
NFCT Raffle for a 7-day paddling
trip on the Allagash!
NFCT dues paying members in 2013 are
going to be automatically entered into a raffle for a 7-day paddling trip on
the Allagash! I am a 2013 member, and returning
to the Allagash for a 4th time would be “frosting on the cake” for
this jewel of Maine.
Three of my NFCT blog posts are below:
- Four Days in Northern New Hampshire with Family and Friends Hiking, Paddling, Tenting and Moose Sighting.
- Exploring Lake Umbagog – a Gem in the Great North Woods
- Paddling the Allagash Wilderness Waterway
Appalachian Trail
The AT in northern New England
passes through Vermont, New Hampshire with its northern terminus at the peak
of Mt Katahdin, Maine.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy preserves
and manages the Appalachian Trail – ensuring that its vast natural beauty and
priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for
centuries to come.
The AMC staff offers outdoor
experiences and programs focused on their Maine and New Hampshire huts and
lodges. Four of my Blog posts on the AT:
- Dreaming the Appalachian Trail
- Springer Mountain, Georgia - Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail
- A Mid-week Trek to Tuckerman Ravine
- Hiking Mount Chocorua - White Mountain National Forest
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a major
river in northern New England. The Androscoggin begins in Errol, New Hampshire,
where the Magalloway River joins the outlet of Umbagog Lake. It is 178 miles long and joins the Kennebec
River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of
Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is 3,530 square miles (9,100
km2) in area. 
The Androscoggin River WaterShed Council offers protection, history and paddling
of the Androscoggin River. The ARWC
sponsors and Source to the Sea Trek . Outdoor Steve has paddled twelve sections of
this Trek and you can find numerous descriptions of his fabulous paddle at
for articles and other stories such as Androscoggin
River Source to the Sea Canoe and Kayak Trek Interestingly, 19 miles of the Androscoggin River headwaters are also part of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT)!
Great North Woods
Northern New Hampshire, also known as the Great
North Woods Region, is the official state tourist region located in Coos
County. This area includes Northern New Hampshire, bordering Northeast Kingdom
Vermont, and unincorporated townships in the northern and northwestern part of
Maine.
"Everyone must believe in something. I believe I'll go outdoors." – S. Priest
--------------------------------------------------
Steve’s latest book, Outdoor Play "Fun 4 4 Seasons" is available as an e-Book at Kindle ($3.99) and hard copy at Amazon.com ($9.95)
------------------------------
Steve’s book, Outdoor Enthusiast: Never say, “I wish I had…” is available as an e-Book at Kindle and Nook and hard copy at Amazon.com
Steve’s latest book, Outdoor Play "Fun 4 4 Seasons" is available as an e-Book at Kindle ($3.99) and hard copy at Amazon.com ($9.95)
------------------------------
Steve’s book, Outdoor Enthusiast: Never say, “I wish I had…” is available as an e-Book at Kindle and Nook and hard copy at Amazon.com
