"I never dreamed that 20 below zero could be so much fun and soo comfortable..."
Gus Szabronski
Winter Destinations
The four Maine trips offered this winter have settled on an area where headwater streams pass through mixed hardwoods, boreal forest, and occasional bog openings. Each region is part of a historic network of canoe and snowshoe routes in the upper more intimate winding reaches of major watersheds. All are within the Forest Society of Maine’s West Branch Project which, while allowing adjacent forest harvesting to take place, protect the region from the threat of future development in favor of remote recreation. We’ve selected these river segments for their maximum and diverse wildness and minimal potential for encountering snowmobiles. The final trip is scheduled to match school vacation week.
Recent winter travels on the Big Bog section of the North Branch, and St. John headwaters between Fifth St. John Pond and Baker Lake, have been filled with lynx tracks, otter sign, dancing ravens, and singing coyotes; as well as host to the usual tracks, wildlife, and birdlife of the season. We are eager to explore the South Branch with hopes that it will reveal a route of equal satisfaction for a spectacular annual sojourn. Pine Stream has been a standard offering over the years and provides a great introductory trip.
North Branch of the Penobscot, Maine
January 17-22, 2008
Introductory Level Trip
St. John River Headwaters, Maine
January 27- February 1, 2008
Introductory Level Trip
South Branch Penobscot, Maine
February 7-12, 2008
Introductory Level/Exploratory Trip
Pine Stream, Maine
February 17-22, 2007
Introductory Level Trip
Our Advanced Winter Destination:
Menihek Hills, Labrador, Canada
March 3-23, 2008
(includes travel and train days – actual days on trail: March 7 – 20)
In the woods and barrens of Quebec and Labrador the best months for extended travel are in February through the end of March. Daylight hours are longer and travel conditions at their best. In addition to being an area where the sighting of wolves, caribou, ptarmigan and other denizens of the north is a possibility, these trips often have remarkable cultural encounters with the Naskapi and Montagnais Indians who have made their home in this country for centuries. Encountering families in their winter bush camps provides a direct link with the cultures from which many of our winter travel skills have been adopted.
For those interested in a truly wilderness outing, we will explore a region of the Menihek Hills on the west-central Labrador plateau for 14 magnificent days. The itinerary will include time for several layover days to explore the surrounding barren-topped hills and on clear nights observe the dance of the aurora.
Participation in the northern trip requires a greater physical and psychological commitment than the shorter trips. The remoteness, scale of the landscape, and closeness of our traveling community are all increased several notches. However, for those who make the commitment, the rewards, sense of accomplishment, and pleasure of travel in such a landscape escalate beyond the fantastic into the realm of the euphoric.
Participation on a shorter Maine trip, or similar winter experience, is strongly recommended before making the commitment to the Labrador trip.