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Fit Maine

Mahoosuc Range

Hiking Outdoors

Hike Goose Eye Mountain (aka Goose High) in Newry

A summit as high as a goose’s eye. I suppose “a peak as high as a goose’s beak” works, too,

Shannon Bryan November 27, 2020

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More adventures

Waterfall rappelling with northeast mountaineering

Rappel down a waterfall with Northeast Mountaineering

August 25, 2020

Shannon Bryan August 25, 2020

Island swimming hole: Cool off in a quarry on Green Island in Stonington Harbor

August 5, 2020

Shannon Bryan August 5, 2020

Day trip to Monhegan Island: Coastal hiking, cliffside yoga + Monhegan Brewing

May 5, 2020

Shannon Bryan May 5, 2020

Ride the railcycles with B&ML RailCyclers in Thorndike

August 22, 2019

Shannon Bryan August 22, 2019

fitmaine

KICKBOXING! Joined a kickboxing class at @kumakick

KICKBOXING! Joined a kickboxing class at @kumakickboxing in Saco last night. We jabbed and roundhoused and knocked the daylights out of some freestanding heavy bags.

KUMA Fit is a dedicated women's kickboxing gym, and owner Stacy Kim has created a welcoming space where women can engage their bodies, find community, and embrace their badassery.

Full story in next week's @portland_phoenix!

#kickboxing #womenskickboxing #fitness #maine #sacomaine #workout #207 #maineismygym

Some people talk about winter with such dread, lik

Some people talk about winter with such dread, like it’s an unwelcome out-of-town relative arriving with suitcases packed for a prolonged and bothersome stay.

But not Holly Twining. To her, winter is a snow-covered playground. Or, to stick with the original analogy, winter is a snow-pants-wearing neighborhood pal with a couple of sleds and a thermos of hot cocoa knocking on her door asking if she can come out and play.

Twining’s not one to turn down an opportunity to play. She’s even inviting us to come, too.

An experienced yoga instructor, Twining is the founder of @maineyogaadventures, a Maine-based event company that combines yoga with a range of outdoor activities all year long — from hiking and rock climbing to whitewater rafting, cross-country skiing and outdoor hot tubs.

Thus winter, she's organizing some cool winter adventures that include ice climbing, curling, skiing, and yoga in the snow. All good reasons to get outside at a time of year when some struggle to find a good reason to go outside. Who knows, by the end of winter, you might even be sad to see the snow melt.

Read all about it in this week's @portland_phoenix!

#maine #maineyoga #maineadventure #outdoors #winter #207 #crosscountryskiing #skiing #snow #snowga #curling #iceclimbing #getoutside

END-OF-SUMMER CAMP for grownups at @evansnotchlod

END-OF-SUMMER CAMP for grownups at @evansnotchlodge with the stupendous @guidesgonewild and super-cool Ashley Leedberg of @twoloonsguideservice! Sept. 23-25!

The weekend is packed with summer-camp essentials like hiking, paddling, arts and crafts, campfires, and s’mores. Could there also be ax throwing? Absolutely. And since this camp is for adults, there will also be cocktails.

It’s a welcome opportunity to adventure in a stunning part of Maine, meet people, and try something new. It’s also a weekend to chill the heck out on the heels of what can be a hectic time of year.

Read all about it in this week's @portland_phoenix

CANOE SKILLS! There’s a certain kind of majesty

CANOE SKILLS! There’s a certain kind of majesty to paddling a canoe.
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Maybe it’s the sense of self-determination we feel while sitting in the stern, our paddle acting in accordance with our will as we propel our way downriver or across a lake like bold explorers of yesteryear.
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For centuries, canoes were an integral means to travel, explore, and trade for cultures around the globe—and in some places they still are. The Pesse canoe, uncovered in 1955 in the Netherlands, dates back to sometime between 8040 and 7510 BC and is the oldest known canoe.
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In modern Maine days, if you’re paddling in a canoe, it’s likely you’re doing it with leisurely goals—another noble purpose.
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If you’re new to paddling a canoe, or you’ve spent plenty of time tooling around Maine’s rivers and lakes but would like to broaden your skills and elevate your on-water confidence, sign up for a Penobscot River Canoe Trip this summer with Master Maine Guide Greg Sarnacki of @forageriverguide

The Penobscot River Canoe Trip is hands-on learning at its finest. The one-day class begins at a field training site in Mattawamkeag, where you’ll gain some paddling know-how on dry land before sliding your canoe into the Penobscot River for an afternoon on the river. You’ll learn paddle strokes and signals, rescue techniques, and what a Prusik knot is. And you’ll practice reading the water and navigating small rapids.

You might even find yourself floating in the Penobscot with your legs flung over the bow of a canoe to help stabilize it while one of your classmates climbs back in. It’s all part of the on-the-water experience that will leave you feeling like a more confident and competent paddler.

Read more in this week's @portland_phoenix

📷 from 2020, when the class was co-led by Greg and John of @mainesoutdoorlearningcenter (pictured cooking up lunch). Greg has since launched his own guiding business, but this canoe class remains the same!

#canoe #canoeing #paddling #canoeskills #canoerescue #mainepaddling #canoemaine #207 #maine #maineoutdoors #outdoors #idocoolshitinmaine

BIKING + ACHERY. A smashing Sunday pairing from th

BIKING + ACHERY. A smashing Sunday pairing from the adventurous minds of @gorham_outdoors. The Bike and Bow Biathlon consisted of four rounds of bow-and-arrowing followed by a bike ride on the trails at Shaw Cherry Hill Farm in Gorham. @heather_steeves had me smoked by round 2, so I put my focus on archery accuracy (if I hit a bullseye, I could get straight back on the bike for the next round and maybe make up some time). Turns out that wasn't a wise strategy, either. My arrows preferred to hover near, but never ON, the bullseye. Even still, we had a grand time and Heather and I even made the podium! Cool first-place plaque belongs to her!

#archery #biking #mountainbiking #trailride #bikeandbow #maine #207 #gorhammaine #gorhamoutdoors #getoutside #maineismygym #idocoolshitinmaine

WATERFALL HUNT. The key to a successful waterfall

WATERFALL HUNT. The key to a successful waterfall hunt is your stealth approach. Movements should be slow and steady as you draw closer, lest you risk scaring the waterfall off.
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Consider scenting yourself with smells familiar to the waterfall by showering with water before your hunt. I’m also an advocate of catch-and-release waterfall hunting, so the falls can live their fullest life as important members of the natural ecosystem and other hunters will have the pleasure of capturing them, too—with their eyes and cameras.
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Last year, on a cool bluebird day common during a Maine spring, @sailorgirl2001
@moveandbestill and I plotted out a day trip with a single goal in mind: See many waterfalls. It’s a respectable way to spend your time in the shoulder season, when waterfalls are fat from melted winter snow and your hiking legs aren’t quite ready for miles in the mountains.
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Plus, waterfalls are highly irresistible in any season, whether they spill modestly through a gorge or tumble dramatically down a 90-foot rock face.
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Feeling a healthy sense of “get out of Dodge,” we selected Coos Canyon, Angel Falls, Cascade Stream Gorge, and Smalls Falls. All are in the Rangeley/Sandy River Plantation region and can easily be combined into a one-day, waterfall-hopping road trip adventure.
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Read more in this week's @portland_phoenix!

#waterfall #maine #207 #hiking #outdoors #spring #getoutside #rangeleymaine #angelfalls #smallsfalls #maineismygym
#idocoolshitinmaine

DESERT CAMPING! Er, desert-adjacent. While my tent

DESERT CAMPING! Er, desert-adjacent. While my tent stayed cool under towering pines in a traditional-looking campsite, the @desertofmaine was mere steps away. Dirt transitions quickly to sand in this part of Freeport, making it a unique place to spend a couple of nights.

The new owners are doing some pretty neat things with the place, too. The campgound boasts a cool self-serve camp store that takes cash or credit cards. Need ice or bug spray or a bottle of ginger beer at midnight? No problem. The bathrooms are sharp-looking, there are games for playing, and this year there are several sweet new A-frames, too. Met some nice folks who congregated here for an Aliner RV meetup as well.

As for the desert, it's taken a new shape since maybe you've seen it last. (Literally. The forest continues its slow reclamation of the sand. What once was a 100-acre desert is now down to 20. Nature, amiright?) There's a Gem Village with a maze and hobbit house and a sand play area. And that old spring house that was buried by sand decades ago? They dug it up! (The wood structure didn't survive, but you can now see the original well and stone walls.) Around the desert's perimeter is a network of trails, too, one of which meandered right behind my campsite. Also, the gift shop has ice cream and books and art and cool shirts.

The Desert of Maine is a place for kids - a geological wonder paired with hermit folklore and things to climb on. But as a grownup, I find it fascinating, too.

Learn more about the desert's history (including the story of the Hermit of Maine, a musician and artist who lived in a cabin on Desert Road and entertained desert visitors while they waited in long car lines to get in) on the Desert of Maine website. Or go to there and learn while your feet are in the sand.

#maine #207 #desertofmaine #maineoutdoors #camping #idocoolshitinmaine #getoutside #roadsideamerica

ACADIA BIKE RIDE. 25-ish miles on the Park Loop Ro

ACADIA BIKE RIDE. 25-ish miles on the Park Loop Road at Acadia National Park was a fine way to shake the dust off our bikes this past weekend.

#acadianationalpark #acadia #maine #207 #bikeride #biking #cycling #bikemaine #outdoors #maineismygym #idocoolshitinmaine

SACO HEATH + MY MOM! As a kid, I spent a great de

SACO HEATH + MY MOM!
As a kid, I spent a great deal of time digging in the backyard in search of ancient burial grounds, sitting in the warm and squishy mud puddle that formed at the end of the driveway every time it rained, and charging into the woods near the 7-11 to climb into long-abandoned cars.
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When I returned from my suburban explorations—shrub scrapes on my shins and dried mud flaking from my ears—my mom, Judi, would simply say, “Well, the dirtier you are, the more fun you had!”
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It’s a philosophy I continue to live by.
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Judi lives states away in Illinois, so we aren't able to adventure together very often.
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So, in honor of Mother’s Day—and all the women in our lives who embolden us to get out and explore, dirt be damned—I’m regaling a pre-pandemic afternoon my mom and I spent meandering the boardwalk at Saco Heath in Saco in this week's issue of the @portland_phoenix
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Saco Heath is an ecological gem sitting just beyond an unassuming parking lot off Buxton Road in Saco. The 1,218-acre preserve includes woodlands and a raised coalesced bog.
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We found pitcher plants patiently awaiting their next meal. We also encountered cool-looking leaves on plants neither of us could identify, and we pointed them out to each other and leaned in for closer looks. We marveled at the late-summer colors and how the afternoon sun made everything look so serene. We spotted tunnel-web spiders, too, but decided not to lean into them.
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That’s the wonderful thing about superb outdoor spaces like Saco Heath. They’re places where we can be curious and crouch and take photos of plants to identify later. But they’re also a memorable backdrop for time spent with the people we love—especially the people who taught us to embrace adventure and to not be afraid to get dirty. It just means you had a lot of fun.
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Read all about it in this week's @portland_phoenix

#moms #mothersday #maine #outdoors #sacomaine #getoutdoors #207 #maineismygym

EAGLE ISLAND. Paddled out to Eagle Island in Casco

EAGLE ISLAND. Paddled out to Eagle Island in Casco Bay to take a gander at Admiral Robert Peary's place - even spotted the Arctic explorer through the window! In season, visitors can tour inside and learn more about Peary's life and explorations (Eagle Island is a National Historic Site), but for now @heather_steeves and I were content to enjoy the views, the lichen-covered stone, and early blooms.
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Also: yay for the first paddle of the season!
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#kayaking #maine #paddling #cascobay #207 #mainepaddling #outdoors #getoutside #maineismygym #idocoolshitinmaine

Turns out @heather_steeves and I both like to spea

Turns out @heather_steeves and I both like to speak positive words of mountain biking confidence to ourselves, but out loud. Mostly "look where you want to go!" "Forward, forward, forward," and "holy $#!+ don't fall off!"
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We also yell "Weeeeee!" a lot.
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#mountainbiking #maine #207 #outdoors #gorhammaine #getoutside #maineismygym

HIKE + PICNIC! Hikers are lured onto Maine’s tra

HIKE + PICNIC! Hikers are lured onto Maine’s trails by the promise of paths carved through tall pines and expansive summit vistas. Sometimes they’re after a bit of trail solitude—the chance to hear their breath and the chirping of birds—or the challenge of steep terrain they’ve yet to conquer.

And sometimes it’s largely about the snacks.

Not that a summit vista isn’t motivating in its own right. Of course it is. But I believe every view—be it from a mountaintop or a pondside patch of ground—is further improved by the presence of a sandwich. And some granola with chocolate chunks in it. And maybe a whoopie pie.

Additonal thoughts on the pleasures of hike and picnic pairings in this week's issue of the @portland_phoenix

📷 by @troberge09
⛰️ Cliff Trail in Harpswell

#maine #hiking #picnic #spring #207 #outdoors #maineoutdoors #harpswellmaine #maineismygym #idocoolshitinmaine

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