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Are All Loons Shy and Wary?

My family and I have long regarded loons as a special bird, a coveted creature whose distant, eerie calls, especially at night, always enhanced the outdoor experience. Over the years we have chuckled at their clumsy flight characteristics, or marveled at the sight of a female swimming with chicks on her back. We have known, … Continued

Caribou Mountain: The Perfect Hike

Established in 1990, the Wilderness is home to a dozen trails and 25 miles of great hiking possibilities as well as a good measure of solitude. It’s one of my favorite hiking areas in Maine, especially come the cool weather and colorful foliage of autumn. Route 113 weaves back and forth along the Maine–New Hampshire … Continued

Legend of Nude Rockne

Teenagers can be a heartless bunch, especially when it comes to nicknames. When Choke Rockne finally sired a son, he proudly chose to name the boy after that most famous of his distant relatives, the legendary football coach Knute Rockne. All went well until the boy’s junior year in high school. In the tryouts for … Continued

The Canning Caper

Joe flipped down the bail on the old-style canning jar, pulled the tab on the rubber seal, and lifted off the glass cover. Careful not to spill anything, he poured the contents into the hot frying pan, stirring slowly. “That’s the last jar of deer meat,” he said ruefully, setting the empty jar and cover … Continued

Evil When I See It

“Oh, I saw! This is very nice!” Milton Geezer settled his ample bulk into a ladder-back chair at our table in the Five N/ Diner. It was late afternoon and me and Joe were having coffee after a busy morning of grouse huntin. We’d stopped into a café a few minutes before and Edna Corpulent … Continued

Where to Go in Maine to See Summer Moose

Among its other distinctions, the Maine wilderness is home to more moose per square mile than any other state in the lower 48. The state’s moose population is estimated to be between 52,000 and 72,000. Summertime is prime time for tourists and residents alike, who take great delight in watching a cow moose and her … Continued

Game Warden Pilots: Are They A Special Breed?

By V. Paul Reynolds Sooner or later, most career game wardens place themselves in harm’s way in the line of duty. The same can be said for game warden pilots who often are called upon to assist, from the air, in coordinated ground searches for missing persons. More often than not the weather is nasty, … Continued

Good Trail Grub: What’s A Backpacker To Do?

By V. Paul Reynolds Good trail grub. Thinking it and finding it are two different things. A late-in-life backpacker, I have yet to find a way to travel light and eat right. Macaroni and cheese, or beef jerky and granola bars can grow monotonous. Even those so-called high-end pre-packaged dehydrated meals leave me cold. You … Continued

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