-Trip Report- Evans Notch Road: Black Diamond Driving (February 2012)

I could see a clear line through the bumps.  A quick jaunt left, then a cutback right would be needed to start my run.  Suddenly, however, a large hole appeared out of nowhere.  Without any way to avoid it, I hit it straight on: a jarring thump that made my teeth chatter and my knees buckle.

I was still on my way to the trailhead and facing the toughest line I would see all day.  I was on the infamous Route 113 and my truck's suspension was paying the price.

Bradbury Mountain State Forest: Maine Attraction

Maine: New England's blueberry stained flannel shirt wearing drunk lumberjack uncle,
covered in mosquito bites, who likes to go fishing and play pond hockey.

A short drive north of Portland, just outside the L.L. Bean mothership in Freeport lies the little town of Pownal, Maine.  There you'll find a sleepy little hamlet with a blinking traffic light, a church, and a country store.  If you're a mountain biker who likes to camp, you'll also find the best fucking mountain biking destination northeast of Sebago Lake.

Yeah, that's right Acadia... I just threw down the gauntlet.

A New Old Resource for East Coast Skiers

Right there between bird watching and lighthouses.

I received a photo from my friend Keith yesterday.  Keith, who has sworn off winter camping and backcountry skiing, had noticed a book on backcountry skiing at the local Borders. He hadn't seen me reading it yet, so naturally had to pass it along.  

My first thought:  Aha! Keith is now noticing books on backcountry skiing.  Maybe our campfire chat did him some good, and there is hope for him after all.

My second thought: What?  A book about East Coast backcountry skiing that I've never heard of?!

Well, a quick Amazon search revealed that this is a new version of two older books.  It appears David Goodman has combined his two previous volumes on backcountry skiing into one book covering both New England and New York.  I'm curious to see if he's added any new destinations to his reviews.

This would be a good resource for those looking for an introduction to backcountry skiing in the East.

-Trip Report- Burnt Meadow Mountain- (1/18/10)

About twenty minutes east of North Conway, just off Rte 113 is the little town of Brownfield, Maine.  Above this crossroads looms Burnt Meadow Mountain. Rumor has it that the bald summit is due to a fire that burned not only the top off the mountain but also the town below.

Keith blazing a trail up the ridge

When I think if southwestern Maine, I picture fields, low hills, and the lakes that dominate the landscape all the way to the Atlantic.   So when my friend Keith, from Portland, announced a snowshoeing trip to Burnt Meadow, I was only lukewarm to the idea.  With so much unexplored terrain in the more rugged White and Green Mountains, I didn't feel like this part of Maine had much to offer a backcountry skier.  Boy was I wrong.