OT: Southern Maine v. Northern Maine

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Maxjax said:
Check out...

Baxter State Park - Big wilderness preserve way "up there" past Bangor. Home of Mt. Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and, IMO, the most beautiful peak east of the Mississippi. Not a whole lot to do if you're going for something tourist-y, but worth a day trip at least.
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You are right. Katahdin is the most dramatic, spectacular mountain east of the Rockies.

I spend 4 or 5 days backpacking in Baxter State Park almost every year for the past 30+ years. Done just about every trail, stayed at just about every remote campsite. As spectacular as Katahdin is, it's just the tip of the iceberg. The Park is full of spectacular sights, including many beautiful peaks, waterfalls, streams, and dozens of the most beautiful lakes and ponds you'll ever lay eyes on.

Some of our trips involve Katahdin. We've climbed it from every side, including a bunch of times through the Northwest Basin (staying overnight at Davis Pond). Many of our trips have been through other parts of the park where we often don't see another person for the entire 4 days on the trail.

It is absolutely a treasure. There really is nothing quite like it in the eastern US, let alone Southern Maine.

I'm never quite sure what delineates Southern from Northern Maine. To me, Southern Maine is the Outlet Shopping Hell that must be passed through in order to reach Real Maine. When the people wearing Carhart outnumber the people wearing cute preppy LL Bean clothes, you're in the Real Maine.

Not much to do unless you like skiing some of the best mountains in the East like Sugarloaf, Saddleback, and Sunday River. Or casting a fly into a crystalline trout stream; or into the waters of the Rapid River/Rangeley Lakes chain; historic spiritual shrines of fly fishing.

Or spending a thrilling day blasting down the rapids of the Penobscot, Dead, and Kennebec Rivers (Done the first 2). Or take on a classic multi-day canoe trip like the Moose/Bow or the Allagash. I spent 8 days doing a 97 mile trip on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway with my son when he was 13. No signs of civilization except for the occasional Ranger Cabin; and remnants from the logging era like the 2 enormous abandoned Locomotives we came across along the shore of a remote lake.

I've gotten a chance to take several 3-7 day sailing trips along the spectacular coast of Maine, in boats ranging from a friend's 24' sailboat to an 80 year old 120' schooner. Bought lobsters right off the boat, and cooked em (along with steamers, corn, Maine spuds, and Jordan red dogs) in layers of seaweed over a driftwood fire on a rocky beach with no one else around except the seals.

Other than that, not much to do in Northern Maine.
 
Speaking of L.L. Bean, you are are morally obligated to stop in Freeport at 3:00 AM and try and find camping gear

Everybody's down it once
 
dropKickMurphy said:
You are right. Katahdin is the most dramatic, spectacular mountain east of the Rockies.

I spend 4 or 5 days backpacking in Baxter State Park almost every year for the past 30+ years. Done just about every trail, stayed at just about every remote campsite. As spectacular as Katahdin is, it's just the tip of the iceberg. The Park is full of spectacular sights, including many beautiful peaks, waterfalls, streams, and dozens of the most beautiful lakes and ponds you'll ever lay eyes on.

Some of our trips involve Katahdin. We've climbed it from every side, including a bunch of times through the Northwest Basin (staying overnight at Davis Pond). Many of our trips have been through other parts of the park where we often don't see another person for the entire 4 days on the trail.

It is absolutely a treasure. There really is nothing quite like it in the eastern US, let alone Southern Maine.

I'm never quite sure what delineates Southern from Northern Maine. To me, Southern Maine is the Outlet Shopping Hell that must be passed through in order to reach Real Maine. When the people wearing Carhart outnumber the people wearing cute preppy LL Bean clothes, you're in the Real Maine.

Not much to do unless you like skiing some of the best mountains in the East like Sugarloaf, Saddleback, and Sunday River. Or casting a fly into a crystalline trout stream; or into the waters of the Rapid River/Rangeley Lakes chain; historic spiritual shrines of fly fishing.

Or spending a thrilling day blasting down the rapids of the Penobscot, Dead, and Kennebec Rivers (Done the first 2). Or take on a classic multi-day canoe trip like the Moose/Bow or the Allagash. I spent 8 days doing a 97 mile trip on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway with my son when he was 13. No signs of civilization except for the occasional Ranger Cabin; and remnants from the logging era like the 2 enormous abandoned Locomotives we came across along the shore of a remote lake.

I've gotten a chance to take several 3-7 day sailing trips along the spectacular coast of Maine, in boats ranging from a friend's 24' sailboat to an 80 year old 120' schooner. Bought lobsters right off the boat, and cooked em (along with steamers, corn, Maine spuds, and Jordan red dogs) in layers of seaweed over a driftwood fire on a rocky beach with no one else around except the seals.

Other than that, not much to do in Northern Maine.
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Nice post. I guided whitewater trips on the west branch of the penobscot and on the kennebec and dead rivers for 6 seasons. Ive also fly fished those rivers extensively. I grew up about 35 miles south west of Moosehead Lake. Its beautiful country up there. Ive been up Katahdin a couple of times but sounds like you know Baxter better than I do. Glad youre enjoying the real Maine and not the southern coastal towns(from MDI south to Kittery) that cater to rich people from Boston/New York
 
jetfan4hire said:
Nice post. I guided whitewater trips on the west branch of the penobscot and on the kennebec and dead rivers for 6 seasons. Ive also fly fished those rivers extensively. I grew up about 35 miles south west of Moosehead Lake. Its beautiful country up there. Ive been up Katahdin a couple of times but sounds like you know Baxter better than I do. Glad youre enjoying the real Maine and not the southern coastal towns(from MDI south to Kittery) that cater to rich people from Boston/New York
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Cool stuff... which outfitter were you with? Northern Outdoors? A buddy of mine lives in Skowhegan and guides during the season. Lotsa fun.
 
All kidding aside. Northern Maine and SOuthern Maine both have their advantages. I have Rafted all three major rivers. I have skied all three major resorts. I have also played all along the beaches and resort towns of southern Maine. I live in the middle (population) and spent a lot of time in the middle (geographically). The entire state has soo much to offer. There are times when living here makes one long for some other things (like professional sports teams that were closer or maybe a major concert). But we do have Quebec Junior hockey like five minutes from my house (Saw Syd the kid hen he was still a kid), Red Sox minor league (AA) baseball forty minutes away (Pedroia, Paps, Becket (Marlins farm team), Youk and many others) and even D-league Celtics basketball in the same area. We still do not get the good concerts but we just make a trip of it (like Dropkick Murphys this past Saturday) and go out for a nice dinner (Cask) and drinks (McGreevy's) and stay the night in the city or out on Rt 1... Oh it would be nice to NOT have a three hour plus drive home (after Rt1 traffic) after Pats games, but most of us pass out anyways...never me though.

The sing coming into the state says "Maine:The way Life Should Be" It is not wrong...
 
Maxjax said:
Cool stuff... which outfitter were you with? Northern Outdoors? A buddy of mine lives in Skowhegan and guides during the season. Lotsa fun.
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I have rafted all three rivers with them. By far the most professional of all of the outfitters-not always the most fun as they are sticklers for the rules, but they have some kickarse micro brews on grounds to make up for it...plus lots of camp sites and tents to rent as well...we will be rafting there again this summer.
 
Box_O_Rocks said:
I understood the New Jersey and Delaware delegations won the dice roll at the Continental Congress and Ben Franklin became a Pennsylvanian as a result. :shrug:
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There were not enough easy French women in any of those states...
 
patsfanroach said:
I have rafted all three rivers with them. By far the most professional of all of the outfitters-not always the most fun as they are sticklers for the rules, but they have some kickarse micro brews on grounds to make up for it...plus lots of camp sites and tents to rent as well...we will be rafting there again this summer.
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Agreed, those guys are A+. The camps at Forks and Millinocket are a lot of fun. And good brews fo sho!
 
As a Southern Maine native (born and raised in Portland/South Portland), I can say with complete alacrity that NO TRUE NATIVE MAINIAC would want to associated with Assachusetts and the Massholes that live there. :D We got our independence from you bastards 190 years ago...

...gotta be a bunch of people who've moved there over the last couple decades that want to do this.
 
O.Z.O. said:
As a Southern Maine native (born and raised in Portland/South Portland), I can say with complete alacrity that NO TRUE NATIVE MAINIAC would want to associated with Assachusetts and the Massholes that live there. :D We got our independence from you bastards 190 years ago...

...gotta be a bunch of people who've moved there over the last couple decades that want to do this.
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Bedbugs eh?
 
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