Fit Maine

“This park is an island:” Kayak + camp at Warren Island State Park in Penobscot Bay

Shannon Bryan — Sun, 28 Mar 2021 00:19:21 +0000

More than once, as you’re booking your campsite or simply perusing the campground info online, you’ll be reminded: “This park is an island.” It’s an appreciated heads-up for folks who might not realize that they’ll need their own boat (paddle-powered or motorized, your choice) to get to Warren Island State Park. I wonder how many […]

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Winter survival + shotgun skills: Becoming an Outdoor Woman at UMaine 4-H Camp & Learning Center in Bryant Pond

Shannon Bryan — Sat, 27 Mar 2021 23:47:00 +0000

Generally my winter survival toolkit consists of warm layers, an outdoor adventure of any kind, and a post-adventure hot toddy. But just in case things go south in a jiffy whilst on aforementioned adventure, it’s good to have some actual survival skills. You know, so you live to see that hot toddy back home. We […]

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Harriman Point in Brooklin: Blue Hill Bay views + quiet beaches on the prettiest of peninsulas

Shannon Bryan — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 21:33:41 +0000

Good golly, Harriman Point is a surprise. The one-mile walk down Tinker’s Lane is flat and wide, lined with tall evergreens and short groundcover. The path from the parking lot bends through the woods before connecting with Tinker’s Lane. The rest of the way is a fairly straight shot, the sort of trail that encourages […]

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XC ski the river trail + enjoy views of Katahdin from the warming huts at Penobscot River Trails in Grindstone

Shannon Bryan — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 22:32:22 +0000

River trail, moose tracks, and Katahdin! Spotting moose tracks in the snow isn’t guaranteed, but the pretty river trail and the Katahdin views are a sure thing when you visit Penobscot River Trails in Stacyville. Nestled along the East Branch of the Penobscot River and not far from the Medway/Millinocket exit of I-95, Penobscot River […]

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Winter sunrise hike on Mount Crawford in NH’s Crawford Notch State Park

Shannon Bryan — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 21:49:41 +0000

The sun will rise in the morning – that’s a fairly dependable assertion. Whether we’ll be able to see it, due either to overcast skies or because the Earth was obliterated during an overnight asteroid assault, is less reliable. But when you DO catch a dazzling sunrise, the kind that earnestly lights up the sky […]

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Coastal sunrise, stellar vistas + the coolest Southwest Harbor hideaway (it has BUNK BEDS)!

Shannon Bryan — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 11:34:07 +0000

Oh, the beauty of Acadia in the winter! Or was it spring? I will call it ‘springter.’ We sure did have a grand last hurrah before the realities of COVID-19 brought the globe to a halt in March 2019. We had no idea what was around the bend and instead focused our mental energy on […]

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Short hike to marvelous Shin Brook Falls in Shin Pond Village

Shannon Bryan — Sat, 13 Mar 2021 21:17:00 +0000

Every waterfall is a looker. It doesn’t matter if it’s a shallow creek spilling over a series of pint-sized rock steps or a tall drink of water rushing from several stories overhead – we’re going to stop and watch it for a while. We’re thrilled by water that leaps and tumbles from sheer rock faces […]

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Scenic snowshoe at Mill Brook Preserve in Westbrook

Shannon Bryan — Sat, 13 Mar 2021 20:32:06 +0000

Spent some quality time with the Mill Brook in Westbrook after a solid snowfall. Those seem to be rare occurrences in coastal southern Maine these last few winters, but when Mother Nature does deign to drop a few inches our way, these local preserves make for splendid winter explorations, even on a lunch break. The […]

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XC skiing, snow + skulls! Winter at Aroostook Wildlife Refuge in Limestone

Shannon Bryan — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 23:27:57 +0000

You can be anything you want to be. Just look what this former Air Force base grew into! I bet it had plenty of naysayers along the way, saying that Air Force bases could never be wildlife refuges. That it just wasn’t done. But Loring Air Force Base – or should I say the Aroostook […]

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Flat, straight + downright good looking: XC skiing on the Narrow Gauge Pathway Trail in Carrabassett Valley

Shannon Bryan — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 01:31:32 +0000

It feels like you can ski into forever on the Narrow Gauge Pathway Trail in Carrabassett Valley. The 6.6-mile trail was a welcome flat path after a morning across the street at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center, where a friend and I spent the morning challenging ourselves on the hills. Our legs needed a breather. We […]

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