I thought I would share a peek
into my 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 the process of being an outdoor enthusiast. The middle sections are divided into the year's seasons, Spring,
Summer, Fall, and Winter, with
glimpses of my outdoor treks taken from this Outdoor Enthusiast blog.
The following 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 smartphone 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 becoming 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 smartphone 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 becoming a committed daily outdoor enthusiast.
Below is a look into the section titled, Places to Play in Northern New England. The Appalachian Trail, Androscoggin River, Great North Woods, Northern Forest Canoe Trail, and Maine Island Trail will be highlighted.
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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.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 Source to the Sea. Outdoor Steve has paddled twelve sections of this Trek and you can find descriptions of this fabulous paddle in Steve's Outdoor Play books.
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.
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.
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
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!
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:
"Everyone
must believe in something. I believe I'll go outdoors." – S. Priest
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Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life.
Additional Sources of Books at:
Hardcopy at: http://outdoorsteve.com and https://www.amazon.com/dp/098503842X
E-book at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/098503842X
Steve’s books are available as hardcopy and e-Books at Amazon's Kindle and hardcopy at Harborside Trading Company, 81 Main St, Sunapee, NH, Wild Goose Country Store, 77 Main St, Sunapee, NH, Morgan Hill Bookstore, New London, NH, Bookstore at Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Gift Shop, Lebanon, NH, and Village Sports, New London, NH.
Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life.
Additional Sources of Books at:
Hardcopy at: http://outdoorsteve.com and https://www.amazon.com/dp/098503842X
E-book at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/098503842X
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