Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Moose River Bow Trip
The circuitous Moose River Bow Trip has to be the quintessential canoe
trip in Maine. With just a single mile-long portage, you can paddle for
four days yet end up back right where you began. This is wild country,
home to the river's namesake. The boredom of long, flat-water stretches
is broken by challenging yet fun rapids. Some of the best river-side camp-
ing in Maine is found along the Moose.
L.L. Bean
It might as well be the law that all visitors to Maine stop at L.L. Bean on
their way into or out of the state. This is the most complete outfitter
around. You can literally step through the door of the main store in
Freeport any time of the night or day with little more than the shirt on
your back and a credit card and be fully outfitted for any adventure
within minutes. At L.L. Bean, all merchandise is top quality and field-
tested. Knowledgeable and friendly sales people will always point you in
the right direction.
Mahoosuc Notch
How would you fare tackling the Appalachian Trail's toughest mile? You
won't know until you've hiked Mahoosuc Notch in the rugged mountains
of Western Maine. It's an adventure just getting to the top or bottom of
the notch to begin with. This is a long slot canyon, 20-yards wide at the
base with steep slopes rising 600 feet up each side. The bottom is a jum-
ble of car-sized boulders where snow and ice linger into late June. The
trail slabs over and under these moss- and tree-covered rocks. In the
caves, where packs must be taken off to allow hikers to crawl through, lis-
ten for an unseen stream rushing deep underground.
Two experienced hikers I know took more than four hours to traverse its
one-mile length. Seasoned AT through-hikers have been known to do it at
night, with full packs and no flashlight in the rain (definitely don't try
this at home, besides, what fun would that be?).
Outfitters & Guides
L
iterally hundreds of businesses in Maine sell clothing and equipment
for the active outdoor life. But only a handful are true full-service,
one-stop outfitters either offering an incredible variety of outdoor mer-
chandise or the best selection of specialty gear. If you've only got time to
stop at one or a handful of outdoor stores, or even if all you want to do is
