Ice Fishing Report (26 Jan 08)

The Waldo VillageSoup has posted an article about brook trout and how winter fishermen fish for them. See the Jan 25, 2008 article entitled "Catch a trophy fish". The Kennebec Journal has an article on weak ice - see "Belgrade Lakes Wardens: Draw-down weakens ice" - posted January 26, 2008.

Maine Smelt Fishing Tips

If you are interested in trying ice fishing in Maine then read an article entitled "Some tips before, during and after smelt fishing", Seacoastonline.com, January 24, 2008. The passage below is an extract from the article - to read the full article click on the hyperlink above.

"Ocean-going smelt enter our tidal waters as early as November and December. Anglers get serious about smelting in January and can fish for them into March. Fishing can be done from a pop-up ice shelter. This means taking an ice auger to get through the ice, as well as a stove to keep the chill off, bait, bucket, rods, hooks and other tackle. Everything has to be hauled out onto the ice because the ice is too unstable to drive a vehicle. The majority of smelt anglers like to rent a shack from a commercial place where most of the items are taken care of by the proprietors. Small mom-and-pop businesses emerge each year with as many as two dozen smelt shacks for rent on the ice of tidal rivers. The cost to rent these shacks varies, with the range of price somewhere between $10 and $14 per person. Bait, hooks, lines, and sinkers are provided. There is a wood or kerosene stove in the shack to keep the occupants warm."

Kingfield, Maine - Nice Place to Visit and Live

The New York Times has published an online article about Kingfield, Maine (January 25, 2008). Entitled "The Simple Life, North of 'the Volvo line'", the article describes the hassle-free, simple pleasures of living life in a small town, whether on a permanent or part-time basis. Kingfield, inexpensive and close to areas offering winter and summer sports activities has lots to offer to folks who want to spend their time outdoors. For more information about Kingfield, Maine visit "Welcome to KingfieldUSA.com" and "Kingfield, Maine - Town Official Website",

Freeport, Maine - Music and Libations Festival (Feb 1-3, 08)

The Freeport, Maine Music and Libations Festival will take place the weekend of February 1, 2, and 3, 2008. It will be a weekend of fine food, speakers, dancing, ice sculptors, demonstrations, spirits and music of all sorts for the entire weekend. Some of the proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association. Click here for more information on visiting Freeport, Maine.

Aroostook State Park and "Take It Outside"

The "Take It Outside" program held one of its events at the Aroostock State Park in Maine this past weekend. Organized events included sledding, tobogganing, snowshoeing, and skiing. The "Take It Outside" initiative was launched by Maine Gov. John Baldacci in August 2007 to encourage children to spend more time outdoors. Government agencies and other organizations have joined together to stage both summer and winter events throughout the state to get people to enjoy the outdoors. Read more in the January 22, 2008 Bangor Daily News article entitled "Presque Isle: County event gets 'em outdoors".

Smelt Recipe for Ice Fishing Folks

The Boston Herald has published an article describing the smelt dish that a restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts serves. The restaurant catches the fish in Maine on weekends and serves it during the week. Read "T.W.'s fish is so tasty it'll smelt in your mouth".

Maine Musher's Bowl - Biathlon

A biathlon was held in Bridgton, Maine as part of the week-long Musher's Bowl Winter Carnival (Jan 18-27, 2008). The 3-kilometer children's race and 5-kilometer adult race was preceded by an instructional clinic. The clinic was taught by instructors from the Maine Winter Sports Center. The events took place at the Five Fields Farm Cross-Country Center. Read more about this event in the Sun Journal news article of January 21, 2008 entitled "Taking a shot at biathlon". Click here for info more on skiing in Maine.

Poland, Maine Ice Fishing Derby (Feb 9, 2008)

The Patriots Grandstand Club is sponsoring an ice fishing tournament at the Middle and Upper Range Ponds in Poland, Maine. The date is Saturday, Feb 9, 2008. For more info (registration, prizes, directions, etc.) see the keepMEcurrent.com posting of January 20, 2008 entitled "Ice fishing tournament to benefit Gray-New Gloucester football". Click here for more information on ice fishing in Maine.

Maine Dog Sledding Event - Greenville

The 100 Mile Wilderness Dog Race will be held on February 9, 2008 in Greenville, Maine. For more information click on http://www.trcmaine.org/sledrace/. The 16th Annual Can-Am Crown Sled Dog Races take place in northern Maine up by Fort Kent.

Maine Ice Fishing Report (19 Jan 08)

Read recent reports and news articles on ice fishing in Maine. See "Ice Fishing Report", MaineToday.com, Jan 16, 2008. The Morning Sentinel published an article on a fish called the black crappie (16 Jan 08). Read the article - "Black crappie popular with anglers in the know". And, with the warm weather we have been getting, we should be thinking of safety - see this safety article by The Ellsworth American (Jan 17, 2008) - "Check Ice Conditions Before Fishing".

On January 26, the Fourth Annual Horne Pond Ice Fishing Derby will take place on Pequawket Lake. This will benefit Camp Sunshine in Standish, Maine - a camp that provides a camping experience to very sick children and their families. Read more about this event in keepMEcurrent.com's January 18, 2008 column entitled "Outdoors with Hutch: Hooked on helping Camp Sunshine".

Maine Ski Update (19 Jan 08)

Enjoy some news about skiing in Maine - read the following recent articles:

"Proper fitting ski boots make all the difference", Morning Sentinel, 19 Jan 08.

"Want a big mountain? Try Shawnee peak", The Times Record, 18 Jan 08.

"Shawnee Peak Raises Money For Children With Cancer", WCSH6 News Center, 31 Dec 07.

"Camden Snow Bowl", The Hartstone Inn Blog, 18 Jan 08.

Mushers Bowl Winter Carnival - Bridgton, Maine Lakes Region

The Mushers Bowl Winter Carnival will be held in the Bridgton, Maine Lakes Region. Read a detailed account on January 18, 2008 of the festivities presented by keepMEcurrent.com entitled "Sculpt it, sled it or sing it: Carnival time is here". The Portland Press Herald also ran an article (Jan 18, 2008) - "Mushers Bowl is 10 days of expandced winter events". For previous posts by this blog on the Musher's Bowl click on the dog sledding label below.

Comedy in Auburn, Maine

The Fireside Inn & Suites in Auburn, Maine is now offering Saturday night comedy shows. Read more in a recent article in the Sun Journal (Jan 16, 2008) entitled "Saturday night comedy returns to Auburn". For more information on comedy clubs in New England visit Laughing Matters Comedy.

Maine Ice Fishing Update (Jan 16, 2008)

Here are some recent Internet postings on ice fishing in Maine:

"Ice fishing report: Season in full swing", Jan 15, 2008, keepMEcurrent.com.
"Nothing Better Than Maine Ice Fishing", EzineArticles.com.

Plentiful Snow Good for Maine Businesses

The abundance of snow in Maine is a boon to many of Maine's businesses. Read the beneficial effect that the snow has had in the January 16, 2008 Portland Press Herald article entitled "Bountiful snow's good for many businesses".

Winter Camping in Maine

Read an article in the New York Times about winter camping in Maine. See "Camping Under a Mantle of Snow" (Jan 4, 2008).

Maine Ice Fishing News (Jan 14, 2008)

With the warm weather hitting the state the Maine Wardens are issuing warnings to ice fishermen about checking ice thickness before venturing out for ice fishing. Read more about the dangers in the Morning Sentinel (1/12/2008) article "Ice just isn't what it used to be -- be careful". Read an account of a recent smelt fishing trip by The Fishin' Hole BlogFish entitled "Maine Smelt Fishing Report". MaineToday.com Outdoors has posted it's Moosehead Region Fishing Report dated 11 January 2008. The Togue Ice Fishing Derby will take place at Moosehead Lake on January 26/27. The Bangor Daily News reports (January 10, 2008) that provides information on the Schoodic Lake Ice Fishing Derby to be held on February 16-17 and the Greater East Grand Area Ice Fishing Derby to be held on February 22-24, 2008.

Mushers Bowl Winter Carnival - Greater Bridgton Lakes Region

The Mushers Bowl Winter Carnival will be held January 18-27, 2008 in the Greater Bridgton Lakes Region of Maine. Besides dog sledding there will be a host of other winter activities to include skiing, ice skating, biathlon, wine and cheese reception, skijoring, ice sculpting, ice fishing, contests, cultural celebration, and more. For more information on the Winter Carnival visit the Mushers Bowl Winter Carnival 2008 website.

Maine Snowshoeing: Where to Go

A comprehensive article about snowshoeing in Maine has been published in The Times Record (Brunswick, ME) on January 10, 2008. It presents information on showshoeing in Maine, how snowshoeing is beneficial in regards to weight loss and is good exercise, what type of equipment to use and where to buy it, what to wear for clothing, and where to snowshoe. Places recommended in the article include Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park in Freeport, Ragged Mountain in Rockport, and Mt. Battie in Camden. The article is "Snowshoeing can help shed those unwanted pounds".

Nordic Skiing in Maine

With all the snow Maine has been having Nordic skiers are out in force and the winter sports writers are writing about it! Here are some of the recent blog posts and online news articles seen on the Internet about cross-country skiing in Maine.

Posted by a Maine Guide blogger, skiing in Acadia National Park, (Jan 7, 2008).
MaineToday.com, "First Sunday at Sunday River XC", January 7, 2008.

Snowmobile Safety in Maine

The Maine game warden service is offering safety tips for Maine snowmobilers. Read more in the Bangor Daily News January 7, 2008 posting entitled "Maine game wardens offer safety tips for snowmobilers". The website SeaCoastOnline.com also has an article on safety - see it's posting of January 10, 2008 entitled "Snowmobilers need to put safety first".

Winter Trails Day and Maine Participants

A Winter Trails Day will be taking place across New England. The purpose is to introduce people to the joys of cross country skiing and snowshoeing. The Boston Globe has posted an article on this event entitled "Winter Trails Day aims to get people to try snowshoes and cross-country skis" (10 Jan 08).

Warm Weather Poses Danger for Maine Winter Sports

The recent warm weather in Maine has heightened the danger to those going out onto the ice for snowmobiling, cross country skiing, or ice fishing. Read a report on the current status by the Kennebec Journal (10 Jan 08) - "Warm weather prompts wardens to warn those venturing onto ice".

Maine Ice Fishing Safety (9 Jan 08)

The recent warm weather is cause for concern in Maine if you do ice fishing. Safety, of course, is what we are talking about. Read some articles on this subject by the Bangor Daily News, "Many lakes still lacking in adequate 'fat-guy ice'" (8 Jan 08) and The Village Soup, "Warm weather, thin ice prompt safety concerns" (7 Jan 08);

Cross Country Skiing in Maine

With all of the snow that Maine has been having, at least 40 inches by the first week of January 08, skiers are having a blast - no matter where they are. Read a posting about "urban skiing in Portland, Maine" by the Port City Studios Blog (5 Jan 08). The abundance of snow is also making the news. See an article about the amount of snow Maine is experiencing in the Morning Sentinel's 4 Jan 08 article entitled "A fluffy start to winter 2008".

Probert Family Preserve, Penobscot Bay, Maine - Cross Country Skiing

Read a review of the Probert Family Preserve located on Penobscot Bay, Maine. This 140 acre recreational area is now a part of a public land trust for the sole purpose of recreation. This includes cross country skiing. To read a review of this recreational area read "A New Playground", by Life on Penobscot Bay (blog), 7 Jan 08.

Snowmobiles and Rangeley, Maine

The town of Rangeley, Maine will be holding their annual Snodeo the last weekend of January. It is a three-day celebration of snowmobiles and winter activities. Read more about this event and the effect a good amount of snow has been having here in Maine in a Boston Globe article (Jan 3, 2007) entitled "Snowmobile riders at home in Rangeley". For more info on snowmobiling in Maine click on Maine snowmobiling.

Maine Nordic Ski Areas Are Busy

The abundance of snow in Maine, some reports saying over 30 inches in many areas in December alone, has set up the Nordic ski areas for early success this ski season. Read a report by the Morning Sentinel on the excellent snow conditions and the resulting pick up in business for the ski areas - "Nordic ski areas enjoying an early surge", Morning Sentinel, Jan 1, 2008. Read a report by a blogger on cross country ski conditions in Acadia - "New Year Greetings from Acadia National Park". It would appear that the good ski weather will continue - see "Keep Shovels handy, more snow is on the way", Morning Sentinel, Jan 1, 2007. For a listing of Nordic ski events in New England go to the New England Nordic Ski Assocation (NENSA) web page listing the Nordic ski racing events for the season. Click here for more info on skiing in Maine.