Monday, March 19, 2007
It's almost Spring!!
What a blur winter has been for us in Aroostook County! The last 6 weeks found us backcountry skiing in Baxter State Park, downhill skiing at Mont Comi in Quebec, and XC/backcountry skiing in Greenville, Maine while staying in a yurt.
Betties brought husbands, children and siblings on these outtings to make for a real family experience that none of us will soon forget. We've got some great stories about steep trails, swelling faces, terrible driving conditions, "bonking" and have started a list called "3 things anyone travelling with me should know." We apologize for the short postings. We know they haven't included much description about the places we've explored or the products we've used that worked great and those we'll leave behind next time. We promise to do a better...
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Winter in Maine
Yes...it's been a while since we've posted but we've been busy with grown up responsibilities (like freakin' jobs) and skiing. Anyway, Northern Maine has some of best xc ski trails around. If you like classic skiing, Aroostook State Park and the Nordic Heritage Center have some great track. You can also skate ski at the NCH. These pictures are from a morning ski at the park, an afternoon ski at the NHC and an evening ski by headlight at the NHC. Aroostook County got anywhere from 10-14 inches of snow last week and we've been enjoying it.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Knitting - No Kidding
When we told you we knit, we weren't kidding. What you see here is a table at the Fort Kent Craft Show the weekend after Thanksgiving. Betty E. & Betty D. have a business called Loose Ends that includes knitted items, knitting accessories & needles, yarn (check out the Peace Fleece website), and recycled wool products. They have one more show this holiday season, then it' s finally time to sleep and play in the snow (that's right folks...we have enough snow in northern Maine to play in it). Items that were a hit: felted mittens, flip-top (or convertible) mittens & gloves, felted slippers/clogs.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Aroostook River
This is probably the last long paddle of 2006. The day was truly a gift. The recent rain meant we were paddling instead of hiking (can we say "portage"), the sun was warm enough, and we saw some great wildlife. The bird watching is always great on this trip from Washburn to Presque Isle (a 3 hour paddle), but when we took a break after Rum Rapids, a family of river otters made an appearance. Although the wind picked up on the second half of the trip, it was a great experience. Several people now know that kayaking is really not for them, but they were great sports (and willing to try something new). We finished off the afternoon with a late lunch and for some, a nap.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Deboullie Mountain
We ventured into the North Maine Woods (NMW) on 10/28/06 with a group of students from Northern Maine Community College's (NMCC) Discover Aroostook class to climb Deboullie Mountain. 15 of us made the trip. We left Presque Isle at 6:30 a.m. because the ride to the mountain is a 2 hour trip (one way) and the weather was calling for lashing rain and winds of up to 50 mph by the afternoon. The weather held off until we arrived just at the top of the mountain. SNOW! Our first real snow this year! The group picture was taken at the base of the mountain and you can see there is no snow yet. The picture on the far right, however, was when we were down off the mountain and there is plenty of snow. The snow turned to rain the further away from the mountain we went. By the time we reached Portage, it was rain only. Deboullie Mountain gets its name from the Frend word for "fallen," referring to the fallend rock in the Deboullie slide. It is the highest of a small cluster of mountains in the wilderness south of St. Francis on the the New Brunswick Border (gorp.away.com). It is a beautiful trip (even if you only hike to the base of the mountain). We saw several moose and deer on the early morning ride into the NMW. Can't wait to go back...
Friday, October 06, 2006
Blue Moose Ride
Fourteen ladies came together on an awesome fall Saturday to bike from Mojo in Presque Isle to the Blue Moose in Littleton on the ATV trails and old rail beds - 56/57K. We had a shining sun, postcard views, and some great discussion (not to mention the food). For some ladies, this was their first mountain bike ride ever. The Friday evening before the ride most of the ladies came together to practice lubing chains, checking tire pressure, and removing/replacing tubes. It really was much more exciting that it sounds and was a good time for all (I think). Most of the group completed the ride and those who ended their ride before the Blue Moose still have the satisfaction of knowing they biked a long way and passed through several towns all before most people were having their second cup of coffee. Way to go everyone!
Another Reason to Love "The County"
These pics are of a super secret lovely place called Hasting Falls. This is one of my childhood haunts and I try to go 2 or 3 times a year. You can mountain bike in during summer and fall or snowshoe in during the winter. OK...it's not that super secret, but
it is one of those places a "local" would know about. It was always a treat to hike in as a kid with our parents and friends. Just one more reason to love "The County."Mountain Bike Races at Nordic Heritage Center
9/16/06 was the date of the Noridic Heritage Sport Club's Mountain Bike Race. Featured were several children's races, XC races (one 8 mile lap for beginner/intermediate riders or two 8 mile laps for "expert" class), then a downhill race. The NHSC, the NHC, and MWSC websites are being revised, but anyone interested should be able to find the sites with a basic "google" search. The race results should be posted on the NHC website. Enjoy the pics. We also took students from Northern Maine Community College (NMCC) to the races and put them on mountain bikes - some for the first time in their adult lives. The weather was great, the turn-out was fantastic, and the BBQ was yummy. What else could one want...
Friday, September 15, 2006
What'd We Learn?
Here are entries from Betty E.'s trail journal...
Things we liked on this trip:
* hot Gatorade (grape). The only good thing that came out of nearly dying of dehydration.
* lentil & sausage stew - very light when dehydrated and quick to cook. Very filling.
* Sleeping in lean-to.
*Shaw's
*knitting
*reading
*The Nana Relief Effort
*hot coffee.
What we like the least:
*blisters (Betty D.'s feet molted)
*friction burn (another Betty D. ailment...note to self: don't use lotion containing alcohol on friend's raw and wounded back - may cause intense pain and unconsciousness).
*Colby College Freshmen Orientation. I would have carried Betty D. on my back over Moxie Bald Mountain if I'd known what it would be like to share a shelter with twenty 18-somethings in the woods.
*running out of water
*false summits (damn Pleasant Pond Mountain)
*summer sausage!
One of our favorite recipes: Spaghetti 'a Limon from Backpacker magazine.
Need: 1 lb. of spaghett, 1 lemon
In zip-lock bag 1: 1 zucchini, 1 summer squash, 1 red bell pepper, 2 celery sticks - all cut lengthwise into thin strips. 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tbsp. olive oil (marinade).
zip-lock bag 2: 1 stick butter cut into small cubes, 2 c. grated parm. cheese, 1/2 c. chopped parsley, 1/2 c. fresh basil, 1/2 tsp. salt.
At camp: boil spaghetti, place bag 1 in water while spaghetti cooks. Strain noodles. Empty bag 2 into spaghetti and mix. Squeeze lemon juice into pasta.
