SLED DOG RACING
OFF THE RAILS
In the Know: Ashley Simpson, a 20-year-old Registered Maine Guide and sled dog racer, says people are often surprised by her Alaskan huskies’ work ethic: a dog team can keep a 10-mile-per-hour clip hauling a 500-pound sled. People may also be surprised by the sport’s growing popularity in Maine. “The state is unique,” says Simpson, who began working with sled dogs after moving from Florida in 1996. “You have the mountains, ponds, and a fair amount of snow without Alaskan temperatures where it can be too cold to run dogs.” The region’s vast inventory of logging roads doesn’t hurt either, giving mushers a turnkey venue for running long lines. The 100-Mile Wilderness Sled Dog Race takes mushers over some of the most wild and remote landscape in the Northeast. The Can Am Crown, a grueling 250-mile sled dog race in northern Maine’s Allagash Wilderness region, is one of the qualifiers for Alaska’s Iditarod.
On the Ground: Last winter’s tepid snow totals forced organizers to cancel the 100-Mile Wilderness race. But local mushers are hopeful this year’s running of the popular Greenville-to-Brownville chase will go off as planned. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” says Simpson, who finished fourth in 2005’s inaugural event. “It’s acting like it’s going to be a good winter.” Held over a 100-mile, out-and-back course, the race cuts through the heart of the 100-Mile Wilderness region on a network of trails and logging roads (including sections of AMC’s Katahdin Iron Works Road). A mandatory two-hour rest period is required in Brownville before mushers and their teams can make the return trip. It’s a welcome respite. “You see a hill, you’re going to lose time if you stay on the runners and don’t help by pedaling,” explains Simpson. “You’re working close to as hard as the dogs.” Find out just how hard yourself by signing up for a mushing tour with Simpson’s Lone Wolf Guiding Services, the Monson-based company she started in 2006. Tours range from a crash course on running dogs—with Simpson at the gangline—to a learn-to-mush course where participants run their own team of Alaskan huskies.
Beta: Lone Wolf Guiding Services, 207-997-3545; Northwoods Outfitters, www.maineoutfitter.com
FLY FISHING
CASTING CALL
In the Know: Every summer an entomological phenomenon known as “the hatch” whips Maine’s prized native brook trout into a frenzy. The anglers who’ve patronized the state’s sporting camps for more than a century aren’t far behind. It’s all part of the coming-out-party for the Green Drake (mayfly), whose annual hatch signals prime fishing time for one of the most sought-after species in the Lower 48. “The Green Drake hatch is something else,” says fishing guide Simpson, recalling a prolific evening on First Little Lyford Pond. “The fish were just bubbling out of the water.” Such scenes are commonplace in Maine’s North Woods. Along with the iconic native brook trout—a species on the decline nationwide—the area offers excellent angling prospects for landlocked salmon, lake trout, and bass. “There are so many opportunities for fishing—from worm and bobber to fly fishing to trolling,” adds Boutin of Northwoods Outfitters. And so many places to cast a line. The KIW property boasts a wealth of backcountry fishing spots, many you’ll only find with the help of a guide. The number of ponds “blows peoples’ minds,” says Simpson. “But I also get asked, ‘Are you sure we’re on the right path?’”
On the Ground: Lake trout dwell in the deeper glacial lakes and are known for their larger size. Landlocked salmon —Atlantic salmon trapped in inland bodies of water—are prized for their fight. Both swim abundantly in Long Pond, which anglers can access via AMC’s self-service Moose Point Cabin on its southern shores. Little Lyford Pond Camps is also a popular staging site for fly fishing adventures with so many pools within striking distance. “The nice part about it is the remoteness of the area,” says Boutin. “You have the peaceful wilderness experience almost all to yourself. You feel a little more connected to the outdoors and the wildlife.” Nobody is more connected than Bob LeRoy, whose fishing expeditions occasionally take him off the beaten path. “Look at a map and take a bearing,” he advises. “Follow your fly rod and go find it.” The sport’s roots run deep in the Moosehead Lake region; in their heyday in the 1870s as many as 100 traditional sporting camps catered to hunters and fishermen. But LeRoy believes fly fishing still has room to grow, particularly among those seeking family-friendly activities. “Lots of people are wanting to take up the sport because it’s an art form,” he says. Or maybe it’s something simpler. “The excuse to paddle is to fish and the excuse to fish is to paddle.”
Beta: Little Lyford Pond Camps, www.outdoors.org/lodging/lyford; Maine Guide Fly Shop and Guide Service, 207-695-2266
HIKING
BACKCOUNTRY THOROUGHFARE
In the Know: Everything you’ve heard about Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness is true. “The mystique is appropriate,” says Bob LeRoy. “It’s a wild chunk of country and you have to be prepared to go into it.” The fabled final leg of the Appalachian Trail provides thru-hikers with the ultimate gut check: the longest stretch of trail that doesn’t cross a paved road. Dayhikers can sample the footpath’s rugged glory via the KIW property. But the AT is only part of the story. AMC’s trail crew has added 25 miles to the property’s existing inventory of paths since 2004. Today’s routes range from easy rambles around wetlands to mellow climbs with big views of Katahdin and the Barren-Chairback Ridge. The long-term trails vision includes a north-south trunk with loops linking AMC’s sporting camps, camps, and campsites. “We’re building for a good diversity of skiing and hiking experiences,” adds AMC Trails Director Heather Clish. “The new ski trails have some fun hills and turns. The new hiking trails combine great natural features with surprise viewpoints. The trip is as enjoyable as the destination.”
On the Ground: AMC’s 45 miles of trail are the central line to four-season recreation on its KIW property. Hikers have front-door access to many of these from Little Lyford Pond Camps. Nearby Gulf Hagas Trail, an 8.6-mile spur of the Appalachian Trail, is the area’s marquee footpath. But viewing the gorge’s furious cataracts is “a closed-in experience,” says Gerry Whiting, AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative project manager. Whiting suggests a quick ascent of 2,341-foot Indian Mountain for long-range vistas that extend into Canada. Or try 2,180-foot Chairback Mountain, whose aspen-cloaked flanks give rise to the AT en route to Monument Ledge and views of more than half of AMC’s property. But for the truly adventurous, the best may be yet to come. Beyond the Barren-Chairback Ridge, the property’s southern tier holds a wealth of untapped ecological gems: among them Houston Pond, a 130-foot-deep pool ringed by glacial erratics, and the wetlands of Caribou Bog, once home to Maine’s last wild caribou herd. A proposed backpacking loop would open this next frontier in primitive backcountry recreation. “There’s no development in there,” says Whiting, adding that AMC’s campaign to protect the region will keep it that way. “Flying over it, you look down and just say, ‘Wow.’”
Beta: Southern Piscataquis Regional Recreation Map and Guide
- Ed Winchester is executive editor of AMC Outdoors.
<< Best of Maine, previous
Print version
