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■ INSIDE
IN THIS ISSUE Publisher
Richard J. Warren BDN Maine Outdoors Editor
Aimee Thibodeau Graphics Editor
Michele Dwyer
04 Seth Wescott
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott
07 Ice Shack Blues 09 Skijouring The thrill of dog sledding with the peace of cross country skiing
11 SAM Newsletter Hear what’s new at the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine
15 Snowshoeing 101 What to know before you hit the snow
Writers
John Holyoke Aislinn Sarnacki BDN Maine Outdoors Extra
15
How to ruin a fishing trip without even trying
18 Dogsledding A Maine winter provides the perfect place to experience a thrilling ride on a dog-drawn sled
22 Gil Gilpatrick Legendary guide who introduced hundreds to Allagash Wilderness
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Special Advertising Section Editor
Brian Swartz Writers
Debra Bell David Fitzpatrick Advertising Director Towle Tompkins Advertising Sales Jeff Orcutt jorcutt@bangordailynews.com Creative Services Bridgit Cayer Michele Dwyer John Koladish To advertise in our next edition, please call Jeff Orcutt at 207-990-8036 Toll-free in Maine 1-800-432-7964 ext. 8036 or email jorcutt@bangordailynews.com ©2012 Bangor Daily News. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without express written consent. Requests for permission to copy, reprint, or duplicate any content should be directed to athibodeau@bangordailynews.com bangordailynews.com 491 Main Street, Bangor, Maine 04401 To subscribe call 207-990-8040 or toll-free in Maine 1-800-432-7964. bangordailynews.com/outdoors About the cover Seth Wescott of the USA after winning the snowboard cross final at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia and Wescott as he catches some air off a jump on the Sidewinder Snowboardcross Course at the Sugarloaf ski resort, Carrabassett Valley. AP Photos by Mark J. Terrill, Robert F. Bukaty; BDN Photo Illustration BY Eric Zelz
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FEATURE ■
Women of the sea’ surf through the Maine winter BY AISLINN SARNACKI, OUTDOORS STAFF WRITER
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he first wave gives her an instant ice cream headache. The ocean, just above freezing, is a salty slap in the face. “The water feels thicker [in the winter],” said Aimee Vlachos, 36, who surfs yearround off the southern coast of Maine. “You’re paddling through quicksand, pushing this weight out of your way.” But once out there, past the surf, she’s typically greeted by a friendly group she describes as diehard locals, the people who simply can’t stow away their board and wait for the summer months. “On a normal day, it’s the same 10 people, and you go out and talk with them, almost like a bonding experience,” she said. Vlachos has been surfing since she was a teenager. When she was 15 years old, she walked into a Maine surf shop with the money she’d saved to buy her first surfboard. The man working there looked at her and said, “Girls don’t surf.” Determined to prove him wrong, she bought a board and men’s wetsuit (they didn’t sell wetsuits for women), and years later, his words became the title of her master’s thesis for recreation management. “It took me two months to stand up on that surfboard,” said Vlachos, who practiced alone near her home in Cape Neddick. “But I kept going. The first day I stood up, there was this thrill in my body -- just this rush. It altered my life.” Vlachos also has surfed off California, Florida, Mexico and Hawaii, and in Maine, she helps expand the surfing community at Wahine Kai Maine Surf School, an all-women school she founded in 2006 in Kennebunkport. “Wahine Kai” is Hawaiian for “Women of the Sea.” Vlachos and her six instructors keep the classes
small and offer instruction to women ages “7 to 107.” In addition to skills and techniques, they teach how surfing can create confidence and build self esteem. “I think I was hooked before I caught the first wave, when I was just paddling out,” said Nicole Chouinard, 39, who traveled from her home in Massachusetts to attend a Wahine Kai surf camp three years ago. Soon after the camp, Chouinard purchased her first surfboard and began riding the waves off Jenness State Beach in New Hampshire. “I couldn’t imagine my life without surfing at this point,” Chouinard said. Last winter, she decided to try surfing through all 12 months.
“The winter is more of a challenge, but it also brings bigger waves -and the equipment is there now, so it makes it feasible, makes it doable,” NICOLE CHOUINARD Chouinard and Vlachos, along with a few other Wahine Kai instructors, have kept in touch over the past few years and when their busy lives allow it, they meet up to surf off Biddeford Pool Beach or Gooch’s Beach in Kennebunkport. In the winter, both women dress in a thick, hooded wetsuit, neoprene gloves and booties. The wetsuit is 6/5 mm, the “6” referring to the thickness of neoprene around the torso, and the “5” referring to the thickness on the arms and legs. As far as wetsuits go, it doesn’t
really get much warmer than that. Though some people may use a 7 mm wetsuit or simply switch to a drysuit during the Maine winter. Generally, winter surfing in Maine is for surfers who have some experience, mostly because time in the water is limited by the cold. “People call me in the winter and want to learn winter surfing,” said Vlachos, who typically offers Wahine Kai lessons during the six warmest months of the year. “I ask them their skill level. And I just haven’t had anyone who is really ready for it, that I’d be comfortable taking out … depending on what [winter] month it is, you could only have 45 [minutes] to an hour to surf. That’s not enough time for someone to get used to surfing. They’re going to be miserable.” The water temperature off the coast of Portland hovered around 33 degrees last February, according to the National Oceanographic Data Center. “Once you get in the water, it’s OK,” Chouinard said. “It’s a little bit chilly. You start heating up, too, when you’re paddling around. The water that time of year is warmer than the air. The worst part is standing by the car, getting ready to go out … I put a thick moisturizer on my face to keep the water from sticking on my skin too long.” “You know what sketches me out the most is wearing rubber wetsuit booties and walking over ice-covered rocks and down those little cliffs,” said Vlachos. Vlachos is usually so cold after winter surfing that she drives to her home in Kennebunk still wearing her wetsuit and beelines for the shower. “I stand in the hot shower with the full hood and full wetsuit on until I feel like I can
Benny Nadeau of Wells, Maine, heads out surfing during a snowstorm, Thursday, March 1, 2012, in Kennebunk, Maine. AP PHOTO/ROBERT F. BUKATY
PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE CHOUINARD
Nicole Chouinard, 39, of Salisbury, Mass., poses for a self portrait while surfing off the coast of northern New England on Jan. 21, 2012.
make a fist and my hands can move,” she said. She still feels a chill for hours, even when she’s dressed in warm clothes and sitting at a local cafe nursing a hot drink. Yet it’s worth it to just surf for an hour or two, free of the summer crowd, she said. A former lifeguard, Vlachos is always scanning the water during the summer for novice surfers that might get in over their heads (literally). But in the winter, she usually knows who she’s sharing the waves with, if anyone. “There is definitely a special feeling being out there in the water in the winter time, braving the elements and away from the crowd, doing what you love to do,” said Chouinard, who paused and then added. “It also makes you appreciate the tropics.”
For information about Wahine Kai Maine Surf School, visit www.themainesurfschool.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE CHOUINARD
Nicole Chouinard takes a photo of her frozen feet before her first snowy surf session on January 21, 2012 in northern New England.
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■ COVER STORY
A VIEW from
THE TOP with Olympic snowboarder SETH WESCOTT!
Olympic snowboarder Seth Wescott rides down the “Gondola Line” trail in 2008 at Sugarloaf.
BY AISLINN SARANACKI, OUTDOORS STAFF WRITER
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lympic athletes are modern-day heroes, displaying athletic feats across the globe. They break boundaries and astound us, but perhaps more importantly, they inspire us to act, to become better. But what happens when you become the best? Who, then, is your hero, your inspiration? Recently, two-time Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott has faced that very conundrum. “It’s a weird experience when you get to the top of your sport because you can’t look to who your heroes were in your sport anymore. You have to transcend what they did or you’re never going to rise above them,” Wescott said in a recent interview at The Rack, the restaurant and bar he co-owns in Carrabassett Valley. Wescott, who lives and trains in Carrabassett Valley, has recently found himself looking to athletes in other sports for inspiration. “This last week, when I wake up in the morning, I’ve been watching the live feed on the internet from the world surf tour [ASP World Championship Tour],” said Wescott, whose most recent “hero” is the 40-year-old American surfer Kelly Slater, who was crowned ASP World Champion a record 11 times from 1992-2011. Slater’s performance proves to Wescott that he could very well continue on to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games set to be
held in Pyeongchang, South Korea. “I could be 41 and be right there, especially if I’m healthy and I keep working hard in these between years,” Wescott said. Wescott himself rose to athletic hero status in 2006, when he brought home his first Olympic gold medal in the snowboardcross, a brand new event at the Olympic Winter Games. Four years later, he defended his title in Vancouver and won his second gold medal.
“Being from a state with a small population, I meet people every day who are excited about what I’m doing, and in a way, you really feel like you’re carrying all of their hopes and dreams, and it becomes a very real, intangible thing,” SETH WESCOTT “You know, it’s a weird process because in individual sports, you spend a lot of time alone,” he said. “I spend a lot of time running in the woods by myself or mountain biking by myself and paddling by myself. You do all this work for all this time to prepare yourself, and then, when you’re physically prepared, kind of all this extra energy comes your way, and you really do get to do something truly
PHOTO COURTESY OF SUGARLOAF
special that doesn’t feel like any other day that you’ll ever compete in your life. Just to experience that again, I’m so excited for the next year and a half.” This winter, Wescott plans to compete in six or seven FIS Snowboard World Cup events, as well as the U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships, Feb. 25-March 3, all in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Like any hero, Wescott has experienced his share of bumps and bruises along the way. Last winter, he tore his pectoral muscle during the Snowboard World Cup. The injury ended his competition season early and placed him in the operating room. “Therapy went really well,” Wescott said. “Really, since about June 1, I haven’t been able to tell I was hurt, so it’s been good. I’ve been back in the weight room off and on throughout the summer. “Most of the summer, I try to do stuff outside, so I got really into paddleboarding this year, spending a ton of time up on Flagstaff [Lake] and just exploring areas of the lake where I’d never been – just trying to work the upper body and rebuild and everything around the shoulder.” Yet the Olympian’s life isn’t just about training. He golfed 769 holes at the Sugarloaf Golf Club during the summer, and when the course closed down for the winter, he set to work cleaning up the edge of the forest so
golfers, including himself, don’t get tangled up in the underbrush next year. He also has been working with L.L.Bean to design and test a line of winter outerwear, set to debut in fall 2013. “It’s really exciting to be able to step into a Maine company that’s 100 years old and be able to have a really direct and dramatic impact on moving a portion of their company forward by leaps and bounds … it’s really going to kind of be night and day for their winter wear.” When it comes to charitable causes, Wescott’s major focus is getting children active in the outdoors. He is involved in WinterKids, a Maine-based organization that offers children discounted admission and rentals at ski mountains. And for the past few years, he has been supporting talented young athletes through The Level Field Fund, founded by fellow snowboarder Powers in 2001. “My friends who are doing this with me – it’s Michael Phelps, Ross Powers and Daron Rahlves – we kind of all have the same story. We had to work really hard, do construction jobs in the summer to save money and whatever it took to get there,” Wescott said. “And so we’ve created the ability to give kids grants.” Early in Wescott’s professional snowboarding career, he couldn’t afford plane tickets or even a car, so he’d take a Greyhound bus across the country to compete. “Just stuff like that, not being
able to afford anything other than Ramen noodles for a year – you know, it’s hard to be an athlete if you never eat protein,” he said.
“My head coach for the U.S. Team, he just has this quote that he uses a bunch that is like, ‘God, I wish I could just coach desire.’ You know, because ultimately, to be the best in the world at something, you really have to have this fire and this passion inside you that is willing to sacrifice and to overcome a lot to get there.” SETH WESCOTT From the beginning, Wescott has also struggled against stigmas attached to snowboarding. In the 80s, many ski mountains didn’t allow snowboarding, and while Sugarloaf did allow boards, many skiers displayed their prejudice. “I was a 10-year-old and I’d have adults yelling at me from the chairlift,” Wescott said. “It was just weird. It always blows me away because ultimately, if you look at skiing or you look at snowboarding, it breaks down to this basic element of just wanting to slide on snow
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COVER STORY ■ because it’s fun.” Today, only a few ski mountains in the country continue to turn away snowboarders. And just last year, Wescott sat in the office of Dick Ebersol, the president of NBC Sports, and learned that snowboarding beat out men’s downhill skiing in TV ratings during Christmas week. “I’m amazed at how far that acceptance has come, and it was really neat to have been a part of it in that transition phase,” Wescott said. “You know, I’m sure, whenever I have kids and they’re in their 20s, they’re not going to ever think it
was ever that way.” “I ultimately think that the Olympics deserves a majority of the respect for having gotten it there,” he added. Wescott ends each year with a free-riding expedition to the Chugach mountain range in Alaska, where he and a few athletes from the Snowboard World Cup are dropped of by helicopter on mountain peaks to make their way down in the backcountry. “I never want to stop doing those trips, and I think a part of it eventually will transition into guiding and using the experience
I’ve gained over all the years going to those places to share that with others,” he said. Whichever way his future goes, it’s clear that Wescott will continue to be active in the outdoors. In 2005, a tandem paragliding flight in Switzerland sparked an interest he plans to pursue after the 2014 Olympics. “I just always thought it would be so cool,” he said, “on days when the winds are calm here, to go hike Sugarloaf in the summer and go fly off it, ride in the thermals.” Visit Wescott’s official website at sethwescott.com.
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FEATURE STORY ■
Ice shack blues: How to ruin a fishing trip without even trying BY JOHN HOLYOKE, OUTDOORS STAFF WRITER PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MAINE WARDEN SERVICE
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lose the ice shack door and belly up to the wood stove. Sit yourself down on that bait bucket. I’ve got a few ice-fishing tales to tell. Where to begin? Well, I suppose I could tell you about Roger the Concussed. Nah. That can wait. How about the time I made the fish take my bait? Not quite yet. No, let’s start this string of stories with this buddy of mine. Many of you may have met him. A few of you may even have fished with him. He’s a great guy. Really, he is. He’s also … umm … unfortunate. I guess that’s the best way to describe him. And because of that, I won’t use his real name here. You can just call him F.B Fishing Buddy. Several weeks back, I asked you to share a few of your ice-fishing tales to get us in the mood for the long winter ahead. Alas, we got few flags on that query. But as I got to thinking back on my times on the hard water, I realized that the trips had a pretty common theme: F.B. did something that made the day … um … memorable. Yeah. Memorable. That’s a nice way of putting it. Here then, are a few of those tales … along with one of the best reader submissions.
F.B. takes a tumble Over the 20 years that F.B. and I have been pals, I’ve learned that despite his apparent grace on dry land, he often finds it difficult to remain upright and on “all two legs” when he’s out on the ice. (To be totally truthful, he also struggles with balance when he’s got food in his hands, but that’s fodder for another story). There was the time, for instance, when F.B. and I, along with his sons, went ice fishing down at Green Lake. Upon our arrival, we found (as usual) that we had far too much gear for two adults and two small boys to haul onto the ice. Not that that would stop us from trying to pack-mule the auger and traps and bait and food and stove
and more food out there in one trip, of course. So we loaded up: F.B. dragging a small child’s boat sled, packed with gear. Me, hauling something similar. The boys? Well, as I recall, we didn’t give them anything to carry. It was icy, you see. And simply getting down the steep boat ramp onto the lake without tumbling would be a
yards, he cussed. The sled passed him. The bait bucket did, too. Eventually, he slid off the ramp, ran into an icy snowbank, and stopped. His two sons laughed like loons. I might have chuckled once or twice, too. Come to think of it, I’m still laughing, some 15 years later.
PHOTO BY ROBERT F. BUKATY
A fishing shack is reflected in a puddle on Crystal Lake in Gray.
challenge for them, we figured. What we didn’t figure (but probably should have) is that F.B. might also have a hard time staying upright. To be clear: It was really slippery. After a day of rain, the packed snow on the ramp had turned to ice. This morning, as I recall, it was slightly above freezing, and that icy ramp had a thin glaze of water on top of it. About four steps into his descent, F.B. hit a particularly slick part, his feet left him (finishing somewhere up where his ears had been a split-second earlier), and he was on his back, sliding. Slowly, he slid through the icy slop, spinning around, uttering words that I shouldn’t repeat here. For 20 yards, he slid, twirling like a large, man-shaped propeller. For 30
F.B. bites a bear Some days, you bite the bear. And some days, the bear bites you. That’s how the saying goes, anyway. Luckily, F.B. has never been bitten by a bear (yet). And on one memorable trip onto the hard water, he proved that there’s little he won’t do in order to get another bite of the bear. On that day, another of our buddies had come along. He had been bear hunting the previous fall, and on that day, he’d brought along some bear steaks for us to sample. Into a pan the little pieces of steak went. In classic ice-fishing fashion, the fixings were spartan: A little salt. A little pepper. Maybe some cut onions. Then, the bear was left to sizzle. F.B. and I had never tried bear
before, and were a bit leery. We shouldn’t have been: A few minutes later, we began to feast on the little niblets, tentative at first, then enthusiastically. One by one, the small pieces of bear meat disappeared. Finally, there was one left. One of us (I forget who …. though I think it may have been F.B.) grabbed the final morsel, then fumbled it. I can still see that delicious nugget of steak — in slow motion — flying through the air, bouncing off the stove, and rolling across the ice shack floor. If you’ve spent a few hours in an ice shack, you clearly recognize that the well-documented “five-second rule” requires a conversion factor in cases like this. For years, ice fishermen had been tromping in and out of that shack. On the bottoms of their boots? Who knows. It’s best not to consider, in fact. “Five-second rule?” No way. I’d be more apt to obey the fivemillisecond rule in your average grubby ice shack. Not F.B. After an impromptu moment of silence as the final morsel skidded to a halt, F.B. looked at the rest of us, then back at the bear steak, resting on the grimy floor. “Ah, the heck with it,” he said. “That’s too good to waste.” He quickly scooped up the bear, devoured it in one bite, and grinned. And some days, you bite the bear.
Losing the auger Rich Alley grew up in Bangor and now lives in Williamstown, Mass. He still has a summer home in Hancock. And when we asked for icefishing tales to share, Alley came through with a great one. Here’s what he had to say: It was the coldest day of January 1958. Branch Pond was deserted on a Sunday, but for my father, uncle and me. We walked (no ATV or snowmobiles then) to the center of the pond to begin ice fishing.
We chopped (no power augers then) and cleared two holes and let two shiners down to their fate. We stood nearby and tried to stay warm. Cold feet were a problem, even with rubber pacs and wool socks ( no snowmobile boots then) and misery was starting from the toes up. Wool coats and pants over honeycomb insulated tops and bottoms (no goose down ski jackets or snowmobile suits then) were of little help. I asked my father if I could chop a hole 100 feet away, as that spot looked more productive. I took the long ice chisel and the scoop to begin my job. The last thing I heard from my father was “Put the chisel’s rawhide loop around your wrist.” I started chopping furiously, determined to get through all that ice and plant my rig from the old packbasket. I chopped slower and slower, sweating more and more. It looked like another six inches of ice was left when … whoosh … the steel chisel slipped from my grip, plunged through the hole and likely impaled itself at the bottom. Then I remembered the forgotten warning. I told my father what had happened. He didn’t look angry but he did look disappointed. We were left with three holes for the day. I baited my rig and went back to rejoin my dad and uncle. They came over to see my rig, then we walked back to theirs. My uncle shouted “You’ve got a fish on!” and pointed to my trap. The little red cloth flag was up! I ran over and gently pulled the line up. Breaking through the hole was my uncle’s coffee mug. We all laughed. That was the only catch of the morning. The wind picked up, the temperature dropped faster, and we finally surrendered. The best part of the trip then became the great heater in the old Ford Country Squire as we drove back to Bangor. To this day I still regret harpooning the bottom of Branch Pond with my father’s trusty ice chisel … the one with the rawhide wrist strap.
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HARNESSED UP AND READY TO RUN BY DEBRA BELL, ADVERTISING STAFF WRITER
“...It was a rush and he seemed to have a smile on his face in the way that dogs do sometimes when they are just plain having fun.”
S
kijouring -- likely an activity most have never heard of - combines the thrill of dog sledding with the peace of cross country skiing. This Nordic skiing sport is not for beginner skiers or lazy large dogs. It is, however, a perfect sport for active dogs and owners that can provide an amazing bonding experience, said skijourer Tracy Snow-Cormier. “When you glide along behind your dogs, it’s a great feeling of oneness,” Snow-Cormier said. “Everything is going well and you’re not falling down and then getting your face licked by your dogs.” A resident of the Aroostook County town of Portage Lake, Snow-Cormier was introduced to the sport by friends as a fun winter activity to share with her dogs, Haley and Maggie. In turn, she introduced the sport to other dog-loving friends, including Tracy Haskell of Trenton. “I decided to give skijoring a try as friends had spoken about the fun they had doing it, and I wanted something new to teach [my dog] Simon,” Haskell said. “He thrives in mental exercise, sort of Border Collie-ish in that regard. I had also not skied very much for years and wanted to start back in some cross-country skiing, but do more backcountry touring. [Combining] Simon time and my desire to be on my skis again also played a role in getting us interested in the sport.” Outdoorsy dog people trained on experiencing skijouring should start by getting the proper equipment, said Kathy Pickett, co-owner of Nooksack Racing Supply in Oxford. Pickett’s
Maggie and Haley pull Tracy SnowCormier along a trail in northern Maine as they skijour. PHOTO BY KATHY HOPPE
TRACY HASKELL business started in 1975 when her family moved back to Maine from Oregon. “I needed to have my snow,” she said. “We wanted to do a sport that combined our love of snow and of dogs.” That first sport was dogsledding and Pickett was making her own equipment. “I had been employed in shoe industry,” she said. “As the business grew, we gradually added products. Then in 1995 our daughter, Sara Vanderwood, moved home from attending [college] in Alaska and took over the active dog end of our kennel and really brought the sport of skijouring to Maine.” Vanderwood attend the University of Fairbanks in Alaska on a cross-county scholarship. Today, she is a senior government affairs consultant for Maine Street Solutions in Augusta. Skijouring, Pickett said, is a sport lacking a big ticket tag to get started in. A new skijourer should invest in a skijouring hip belt, a standard x-back harness for the dog, and a bungee line for one or two dogs. Dogs prone to developing “snowballs” between their toes also should be fitted with special booties to make running in the snow fun, Pickett said. Humans should also be equipped with Nordic skis and poles sans metal rims. Properly fitting harnesses for both human and canine are important not only for safety, but for comfort. Skijouring is recommended for dogs 30 pounds or heavier. “We’ve seen [breeds such as] Border Collies and husky types to standard poodles who actually love the snow,” Pickett said. “This sport
is a good way to spend time with your furry friend and form the bond of companionship while being out in the snow.” Once the appropriate gear has been located and your pooch is ready for some time in the snow, it’s time to start training. To be successful, Snow-Cormier said, the dog needs to be able to run ahead and pull. That takes lots of practice and a little encouragement. During training, having another dog or a friend who will ski ahead and encourage the skijouring dog to chase is helpful, she said. “I remember on one of our first skijoring trips when Simon sort of ‘got it,’” Haskell said. “We were going along and he was not really pulling at that point. He sort of turned his head to look back at me a couple of times and it was almost as if he thought ‘wow, she is keeping up with me. I better run faster’ and then he just started to fly. It was a rush and he seemed to have a smile on his face in the way that dogs do sometimes when they are just plain having fun.” Pickett recommended that skijourers who do hit the trails this winter, be aware of their surroundings. “If you’re doing [skijouring] on snowmobile trails, do it in a timeframe that won’t have lot of snowmobile traffic as a precaution,” she said. “Some cross country areas have dog-friendly areas and may charge a trail fee for the dog.” The best trails to skijour on, she said, are those groomed for winter recreation, especially nordic or skate skiing. For in-depth training recommendations and information on skijouring, visit skijornow.com/ skijornowhome.html.
Other resources include: • Nooksack Racing Supplies, 63 French Road, Oxford. Open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Monday and 3-9 p.m.Tuesday-Saturday. The best way to ensure an appointment is to call 539-4324. Visit online at nooksackracing.com. • North Country Mush & Skijor Club, Presque Isle. For information, email NorthCoun-
tryMushSkijorClub@Hotmail. com. • The Maine Highlands Sled Dog Club. For information, visit mainesleddogclub.com. • Want to vacation and take skijouring lessons? Check out the Telemark Inn, located in Mason Township, at newenglanddogsledding.com/ skijoring.html.
PHOTO BY KATHY HOPPE OF PORTAGE LAKE
Tracy Snow-Cormier and her Australian Shepherd Haley skijour on a trail near Portage Lake in northern Maine.
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SLED TOGETHER, CRASH TOGETHER, STAY TOGETHER BY BRIAN SWARTZ, ADVERTISING STAFF EDITOR
S
ome people call two-person kayaks “divorce boats”; paddle one with your spouse, and you’ll understand why. But how about those folks who spend their winters riding around on two-up snowmobiles with their significant others? These riders face their own challenges. Think they have their share of chilly disagreements? Crazy crashes? Mid-forest meltdowns? You’re right, they do. We asked you to share your stories about marital snowmobiling bliss … or how you returned to marital bliss after a snowmobiling mishap.
The question: Can couples who snowmobile together stay together after a sledding accident? At least some can, based on hopefully accurate memories. Here’s one reader-submitted story, and the author’s own tale of woe (or, more accurately, his wife’s tale of woe):
Wife OK … but about that camera Jack Gifford, a retired BDN ad rep who divides his time and attention between Bangor and Pensacola, Fla., loves to snowmobile. “There isn’t a prouder moment in a snowmobiler’s life than riding your first new [Arctic] Cat,” Gifford said. “And making the wife feel good about writing the check for it
by investing in a new Cat for her.” Jack and his wife, Lu, often sledded together, with Jack usually leading the pack and Lu scurrying to keep her beloved hubby in sight. The Giffords occasionally had problems where land encountered water, from an icy break-through on Pushaw Lake to the “particular fateful day involving a washout on a Hampden-area club trail,” Jack recalled. “I convinced my partner to lurch from a standstill over a waterhole that I had managed [to cross] with little difficulty,” said Jack, always known for his braggadocio. “‘You can do this,’ I urged her. ‘Just [turn the] throttle and hold on!’ “It just somehow didn’t dawn on me that she’d not release the throttle,” he admitted, “and, lo!” Lu “landed atop the rear end of my Cat, with me still sitting astride” it. Poor Lu had endured her first [snowmobiling] fender-bender by pulling a kamikaze dive on Jack’s sled, which had a Bangor Daily News 35mm camera in the storage compartment Jack said. He escaped unharmed, but the poor camera did not function well under the weight of a 440 Cat. “Suffice it to say, that camera never took another snowmobile photo for the BDN,” he admitted. Despite all the mishaps they have encountered on Maine snowmobile trails, Jack and Lu remain happily married. The last time we heard from them,
IRVING 4X4/116311
Hurricane Sandy was dogging their Maine-ward trek from the Gulf Coast.
Girl meets tree … hurts knee My dear Susan will never forget the beautiful, cloudless January day when we rented a two-up and all the related snowmobiling accoutrements from Twin Pines Camp. We started east from Millinocket Lake on a trail winding through thick woods. As we eased downhill into a shallow left-hand curve, the sled slid right and lightly bumped a ragged birch as I hit the brake. The collision tossed us into the fresh powder. I hopped up to check the sled; Susan struggled to her feet and suddenly screamed. Susan, an experienced nurse, attempted self-diagnosis. Seems her left knee had developed a mobile mind of its own. “I think I’ve torn my ACL,” she said, grimacing. We got her reseated on the sled, which had a slightly bent spar or rod or strut or whatever on the starboard ski. Susan stopped sobbing; the pain had vanished when she sat down. “Great,” I thought. “We’ve ridden three miles, and if we turn around now, we’ve spent all this money for nothing.” I asked Susan what she wanted to do. “We’ve ridden three miles, and
BDN ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGE DANBY
if we turn around now, we’ve spent all this money for nothing,” replied my thrifty County bride. So onward we rode, cruising another 97 miles across the
gorgeous Katahdin-area landscape before returning the sled late that afternoon. Susan gimped into the Irving Mainway at Sherman for lunch, I paid for the sled’s repairs, and we eased Susan into the Accord for the trip to Millinocket Regional Hospital. We celebrated Old Home Week in the emergency room. Someone knew someone whom Susan knew, and the medical personnel fussed over their patient. They agreed she had torn her left ACL. I told someone how Susan had been injured, and suddenly I was repeating the tale to a tall game warden. Seems I had failed to report a sledding accident involving an injury. Seems he could cite me for failure to do so. Instead he sternly warned me about how bad a boy I had been. After we arrived home, I helped Susan maneuver with her crutches up the steps and into the house. That’s where we met, for the first time, the commercial pilot who would soon become our son-in-law. We made a great first impression on him — and our marriage survived the accident and Susan’s subsequent surgery and recovery. Susan even went sledding with me again — some years later.
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SAM’s 4th annual Save Our Heritage Banquet a success By David Trahan, Executive Director Photos courtesy of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and SAM member Dusty Perry
“[We] had the pleasure of watching 13 children, ranging in ages from 5-15 years from all over the state, receive lifetime fishing licenses” - David Trahan JOURNEY POWERS
MICHAEL BURPEE
JAKE THOMAS
RYLEE DORR
KAILYNN BEDFORD
NICHOLAS JOHNSTON
AUSTIN ROY SMITH
The First annual Gift for a Lifetime youth lifetime fishing license program was a great success. More than 200 people attended the Fourth annual Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine Save Our Heritage banquet and had the pleasure of watching 13
BRITTANY FARRAR
CALEB GROVER
MICHAELA BURPEE
NATASHA HALEY
CLARK BRADBURY
COLBY FRENETTE
...in Memory of: Jason Jewett
Several sponsors of youth lifetime licenses did so in memory of a loved one.
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FREE TO USE FREE TO JOIN
Maine’s Largest Online Hunting Resource
Signature to confirm you support SAM’s mission and purpose.
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SNOWSHOEING 101: WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE HITTING THE SNOW BY DAVID FITZPATRICK, ADVERTISING STAFF WRITER
S
nowshoeing dates back perhaps as much as 6,000 years, but what was once a mobility necessity now survives mostly as a form of outdoor recreation. With snowshoes, you can head for the hills, traipse through your backyard, or enjoy parks or municipal trails. Snowshoeing is a great aerobic workout that’s cheaper to get into than cross-country skiing, and it’s also easier; if you can walk, you can snowshoe. But first you have to get the right stuff. Handmade feet? Handmade snowshoes have been mostly replaced by lightweight, durable synthetics that don’t need regular waterproofing. But the popularity of quality craftsmanship of handmade snowshoes is resurging. Shoe yourself. If you’re planning to tromp around backyards, parks, and walking trails, basic snowshoes will do just fine. But if you plan to tackle rugged terrain, look for something more robust. Most snowshoes have metal frames with soft decking. These can cover a wide range of conditions, but the soft decking might be prone to tearing and damage on rocky terrain. Consider a brand like MSR, which make single-piece hard decks geared to withstand heavy abuse. Size matters. Snowshoes displace body weight by spreading it out over a larger area; the heavier you are, the larger the snowshoes needed. The type of snow matters, too. Snowshoes that support you on wet snow might not on deep powder. The support capabilities of snowshoes is referred to as flotation; the heavier you are, and the lighter the snow, the more flotation you’ll need. For varied uses, MSR offers base snowshoes with add-on extenders. The base shoes work great on wet, heavy snow, but when you need to walk on light powder, adding the extenders increases flotation. It’s also more than just your body weight. Will you carry a pack? How heavy are your boots and clothes? If you’re close to the recommended weight limit for a certain snowshoe length, go up a size. Rise up! If you’re planning to climb steep terrain, get snowshoes with heel lifters. During an ascent,
BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICK
Matt Bishop of Epic Sports in Bangor displays three popular snowshoe styles. At left is an MSR one-piece solid deck, on which you can add extenders to increase flotation; at center is a Dion running snowshoe, designed to be lightweight and allow fast movement; and at right are Tubbs models featuring metal frames and soft decking.
you flip these handy devices up to elevate your heel and level your foot, taking strain off ankles and calves. Snow trek. Trekking poles, like those popular with hikers, can offer balance and stability, and get your arms and upper body into the aerobic workout. Some manufacturers make “snow basket” attachments for trekking poles to adapt them for winter use. Run away. If you’re a jogger who hates heading indoors to the treadmill during the winter, try running snowshoes. Vermontbased Dion Snowshoes makes specialty lightweight runners’ snowshoes in a modular style; you pick out a deck and add bindings and cleats suited to your running plans. They’re great for moving quickly and providing traction, whether you run in your backyard, at the park, or down a snow-shouldered road. Get dressed. Don’t dress too warmly -- snowshoeing is highly aerobic, and you’ll find yourself
sweating in a hurry. (But, of course, bring warm gear with you in case you get stuck in the wilderness.) Have warm, dry, comfortable boots. Pay rent. If you’re nervous about investing in a new hobby when you’re not sure of your level of commitment, try renting first. This will give you a chance to try out a few varieties in different conditions and determine what works best for you. Inspect experts. The best first step: Ask a snowshoe expert. If you don’t know a snowshoer, visit a snowshoe retailer, and talk with a salesperson who actually snowshoes and can speak from experience. Whether you just want to get outside for some fresh air, set yourself on an aerobic regimen, explore the Maine woods, or enjoy a trek across walking trails, snowshoeing is an inexpensive sport that can be fun alone or for the whole family. Information provided by Matt Bishop at Epic Sports, 6 Central St., Bangor, Maine.
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Skating on fun ice T
his winter, welcome the quintessential tradition of ice skating as soon as there’s ice or a rink opens.
Imagine it: You arrive at the ice rink all bundled up. You lace on a pair of skates — figure, recreational, or hockey — and once arriving on the ice, you glide easily across it. Advanced skaters may do jumps and spins while newer skaters will slowly shuffle across the ice. Little ones will hold the hands of the adults who brought them. Couples cuddle side-by-side as they support each other around the rink. The vision — a Norman Rockwell painting of brightly colored scarves, knit hats, and smiles that stretch from ear to ear. But there are a few things smart skaters — and hopeful skaters — should know before hitting the ice.
Get the right gear. While consumers can purchase ice skates from most department
stores, purchasing skates from a specialty shop can save time and money in the long run. According to Rick Gunn, owner of Gunn’s Sports Shop at 32 Greenpoint Road in Brewer, novices should get started with a basic pair of skates. His familyowned business has been serving skaters for almost 37 years. According to Gunn, hockey-style skates or recreational skates share a similar look and their rounded blade with no toe pick are best for the newbie skater. “Most beginner figure skaters use the toe pick inappropriately and can develop bad technique,” Gunn said. “Proper technique is important so it doesn’t matter what you learn on.” He added that there are three essential things to consider when choosing ice skates: proper support, the right fit to allow room for growth, and correctly sharpened blades. Specialty shops often include sharpening in the price of the skates. “Skates don’t come already
BY DEBRA BELL, ADVERTISING STAFF WRITER
sharpened,” he said. Purchasing skates from a specialty store doesn’t always mean the skater will pay more. In fact, utilizing experts can help save a skater money and frustration in the end.
Get the right fit Choosing the right-sized skate is a lot like choosing the right-sized shoe. If the shoe fits properly, the foot feels great. If it’s ill fitting, all sorts of problems can arise, resulting in extra dollars spent to get the right equipment. “You’re trying to achieve the equivalent of bolting a blade to your shoe, so it’s important to get the boot to fit tightly,” he said. “As an adult, you want to get it as tight as you can with it still being comfortable. Comfort is king.” The correct and comfortable fit begins with the socks. Forget about those super thick wool socks your grandmother knit for you when it comes to going ice skating. Thinner socks made from SmartWool or any
AP PHOTO/ROBERT F. BUKATY Three-year-old Sullivan Shoebottom, of Scarborough looks for a pass while playing hockey on an outdoor rink, Friday, Dec. 17, 2010, in Falmouth. Outdoor skating conditions should remain ideal until Sunday when a snow storm is expected to hit Maine.
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION ■ fabric that wicks away moisture is optimal. Choose well-fitting socks that don’t bunch or sag and bring them to the fitting. Hockey skates, he said, should usually be bought a size and a half below the skater’s shoe size. For young skaters, Gunn recommended purchasing skates an extra size larger to allow for the foot to grow. Gunn’s offers used skates and a trade-in program for re-saleable skates, making skating more affordable for youngsters who want to give it a try. “The skates don’t have to be from here originally,” he said. The most important part to getting the fit right, Gunn said, is having the skater present for the fitting. Gunn said he and his staff ask lots of questions while working with the skater to find the perfect skate for them. That’s doubly important for children and youth skaters who are constantly growing, he said.
gravel, dirt, or pavement. • Keep those blades sharp. For recreational skaters, once or twice a year should suffice. For more constant skaters or for skaters who are outside, Gunn recommends sharpening the skates every six to eight hours of ice time. • Store skates in a dry, cool location. To prevent moisture from infiltrating the skates, Gunn recommended storing skates in a dry, cool location to allow skates to air dry. For a list of ice arenas in Maine, many of which offer public ice time and rent equipment, visit arenamaps.com/arenas/ Maine.htm. Many towns also
have outdoor rinks, but if you’re planning to venture out on one of Maine’s many lakes or ponds to try out those blades, make sure the conditions are safe.
Maine Warden Service tips for ice safety Never guess the thickness of the ice – Check it! Check the ice in several different places using an auger or some other means to make a test hole and determine the thickness. Make several, beginning at the shore, and continuing as you go out. Check the ice with a partner,
so if something does happen, someone is there to help you. If you are doing it alone, wear a lifejacket. If ice at the shoreline is cracked or squishy, stay off ! Watch out for thin, clear or honeycombed ice. Dark snow and dark ice are other signs of weak spots. Avoid areas with currents, around bridges and pressure ridges. Wind and currents can break ice. Parents should alert children of unsafe ice in their area and make sure that they stay off the ice. If they insist on using their new skates, suggest an indoor skating rink.
If you break through the ice, remember: • Don’t panic. • Don’t try to climb out immediately – you will probably break the ice again. Reach for solid ice. • Lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard. This will help lift your body onto the ice. Once on the ice, roll, don’t walk, to safety. • To help someone who has fallen through the ice, lie down flat and reach with a branch, plank or rope or form a human chain. • Don’t stand. After securing the victim, wiggle backwards to the solid ice.
Upkeep is key After finding “the one” at the skate store, storage and upkeep are key to keeping the skates looking (and feeling) like new. To keep Y equipment in tip-top shape, skaters should: • Purchase blade guards. Blade guards protect the blades from dulling due to dirt, gravel, or pavement. They also protect hands, fabrics, and pets from being cut. Hard blade guards are ideal for walking short distances. • Don’t store the skates in the blade guards. Moisture from the environment and ice that is trapped in guards can cause the blades to rust and is costly to fix. Put blade guards on while travelling and if walking over
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Dog-sledding not just for the professionals KEVIN QUIST PHOTO
A team of sled dogs pulls musher Lindy Howe of Heywood Kennel Sled Dog Adventures along the abandoned railroad bed in Stockholm.
BY BRIAN SWARTZ, ADVERTISING STAFF EDITOR
T
hanks to the Discovery Channel and its “Iditarod: Toughest Race on Earth” show, dog sledding has gained popularity with outdoor recreationists, and a Maine winter provides the perfect place to experience a thrilling ride on a dog-drawn sled. “I would suggest that everyone try a dog sledding trip,” said Lindy Howe at Heywood Kennel Sled Dog Adventures in Augusta.
“There is a thrill about loading up the family in a big sled and veering down the trail on a beautiful winter day.” LINDY HOWE “If people like dogs. and they like being out in the winter, they’re going to like dog sledding,” said Polly Mahoney, co-owner of Mahoosuc Guide Service in Newry. For outdoor recreationists lured by images of mushing through wintry woods, the sport’s greatest attraction probably is the propulsion system: the dogs themselves. “For our customers, we have found the appeal is mostly the relationship with the dogs,” Howe said. “I would say it’s spending time with the dogs. People love being with the dogs,” Mahoney agreed. “The experience is very hands-on. They can help feed the dogs, bed them down. People are encouraged to speak to the dogs and pat them.” Heywood Kennel runs Alaskan huskies, which many people confuse with Alaskan Malamutes and expect to see very large, very furry, beautiful dogs, Howe explained. “We have the mutts of sled dogs -- smaller, leaner, faster dogs that still have the tough feet and good coats we need them to have,” she says. One Heywood Kennel dog team features dogs that Howe describes
as “pointer crosses,” drawn from English Pointers, German shorthaired pointers, and greyhounds, breeds all “mixed in with the Alaskan husky to add some extra speed and high drive.” Mahoosuc Guide Service has its own breed that they call Yukon huskies, Mahoney said. She and co-owner Kevin Slater have bred their dogs for 33 years. The lineage traces to sled dogs that appeared in the movies “Never Cry Wolf ” and “The Call of the Wild,” and to the dogs belonging to the last sled team run by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the Yukon Territory. The Mahoosuc dogs weigh between 55 and 90 pounds. “We tend to run bigger dogs,” Mahoney says. “We are not into racing, so these are more the ‘freighting dogs.’ They haul people and gear.” Heywood Kennel offers short trips, and Mahoosuc Guide Service offer both day trips and overnight trips in length from two days, one night on the trail, up to 10 days. Most popular are the weekend trips that see customers experiencing the old traditional style of winter camping by sleeping inside canvaswalled tents heated by portable woodstoves, with balsam fir boughs covering the floor, she says. At Heywood Kennel, each ride starts with a kennel tour. “Then the customers get to meet their team,” Howe said, noting that for most it includes lots of pats and pictures. Customers then learn how to fasten the harnesses and hitch dogs to the gangline, which is the harness system connecting the dog team to the sled. After hearing the safety instructions, customers go for a ride. “People enjoy being able to play the part of a real musher,” Howe said. After the sled rides are over, she said the the favorite part is helping take care of the team. Customers interact extensively with the Mahoosuc Guide Service
dogs, too. As they’re placed in harness, the dogs are quite excited, ready to go. “When they head off, it’s totally quiet. You hear only the dogs panting and the sound of the runners on the snow,” Mahoney said. A customer either rides as a passenger or as a musher. At Mahoosuc Guide Service, either Mahoney or Slater guides the lead team, and a customer guides the following team. A day’s ride can cover five to 15 miles. Howe and Mahoney emphasize that mushers must dress appropriately. “Dress five times warmer than
you think you need to,” Howe recommends. Wear “warm boots, as much wool as you can stand, warm hats and good gloves.” “It is really important to stay away from the cottons. Mushing is a lot of work, and it is easy to perspire. Then when you stop, it is easy to get cold,” she said. “Our motto is, ‘cotton kills.’” Mahoosuc Guide Service provides customers with winter boots and insulated parkas with insulated hoods. For overnight trips, Mahoney recommends wearing “long johns top and bottom, polar fleece or a wool layer top and bottom,” and wind pants and a wind
breaker. To all this clothing add a hat, scarf or neckwarmer, glove liners, and insulated mittens or gloves. “Goggles are nice if you have them,” Mahoney said. “And nothing cotton.” For more information about Heywood Kennel Sled Dog Adventures, call 629-9260, email heywoodkennel@yahoo.com, or find them on Facebook. For more information about Mahoosuc Guide Service, call 824-2073, email info@mahoosuc.com, or visit mahoosuc.com.
M. DIRK MACKNIGHT PHOTO
Outdoor adventurers relax as their sled dogs rest during a long trek across Umbagog Lake in western Maine. The dogs and sled belong to Mahoosuc Guide Service.
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Meet our BDN Outdoors bloggers Be sure to visit bangordailynews.com/outdoors to find the most up-to-date outdoor content in the state. “Out There,” John Holyoke tells tales of his own hunting and fishing expeditions, updates readers about new rules and regulations they need to be aware of, and passes on stories from others about their outdoor adventures -- including big bucks, huge fish, and quirky creatures.
O
LINDY HOWE PHOTO
Peanut, an Alaskan husky sled dog belonging to Heywood Kennel Sled Dog Adventures, takes a break after pulling a sled for a while through the Maine woods.
ULTIMATE DOG SLEDDING EXPERIENCE 123277 / 2X2 DOG SLEDDING PAGES
Aislinn Sarnacki has perfected her “1-Minute Hike” feature on “Act Out With Aislinn,” where you’ll find photos, videos and maps of her recent adventures so that you can go out and try them yourself. Other BDN Maine Outdoor bloggers include: TRACEY ACKERSON PHOTO
Sled dogs pull a sled and passenger Morgan January Albert as musher Lindy Howe of Heywood Kennels Sled Dog Adventures guides the team through a wintry Maine landscape in Stockholm.
RUSSELL’S MOTEL 2X2 / 123283
HEYWOOD KENNELS 2X2 / 123272
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“George’s Outdoor News” -- George Smith writes about all things outdoors, from hunting and fishing to conservation and state legislation. “Thoughts From a Tree Stand” -- Erin Merrill started hunting in 2002 with her Dad and decided she liked it enough to blog about it. She tells about her hunting adventures, topics related to the deer population in Maine and other new adventures she encounter along the way. “Robin’s Outdoors” -- Tales of hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing, kayaking, cross country skiing, wild harvesting food, gardening, cooking the food she’s wild harvested and grown, and local outdoor activities are all part of what this outdoors woman has to offer. “Maine Matters” -- Mike Webber grew up in Waldo County within a strong fishing and hunting family tradition. He writes about those traditions, as well as boating, which is another big part of his life. “Vise Squad” -- Written by BDN computer guru Don Corey, readers will find everything they need to know about fly tying from this veteran fisherman.
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HYPOTHERMIA
awareness key for outdoor enthusiasts
W
ith winter comes skiing, skating, snowshoeing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and a slew of other snow and ice related outdoor activities. But with cold weather also comes the risk of hypothermia when you’re not prepared for the conditions. A person with hypothermia isn’t usually aware of it because the symptoms often begin gradually and hypothermia causes confusion or lack of self-awareness. Symptoms of hypothermia usually occur in a progression. They start with involuntary shivering and loss of motor skills. Blood vessels shut down in the hands and feet. As body core temperature falls below 95 degrees, the shivering becomes violent. The person may slur speech or mumble, display illogical behavior, loss of emotional cognition or fight consciousness. Below 92 degrees, the effects become
BY AISLINN SARNACKI, OUTDOORS STAFF WRITER life threatening, shivering stops, muscles become rigid, pupils dilate and pulse drops. By 86 degrees, the person is in a state known as the “metabolic icebox.” Breathing becomes shallow and erratic, consciousness is lost and the heart becomes vulnerable to deadly arrhythmia.
How to help hypothermic people if medical care is not available: Get the person into a warm shelter. If pre-made shelter can’t be found, insulate the person from the ground with a waterproof layer and shield the person from rain and wind. If the person is wearing any wet clothing, remove it. Wrap them in an insulating blanket. The goal is to gradually warm the center of the body first — chest, neck, head and groin. Warm beverages can help increase body temperature.
If in an enclosed shelter, heat up and humidify the air. After body temperature has increased, keep the person dry and wrapped in a warm blanket, including the head and neck. Get medical attention as soon as possible. A person with severe hypothermia may be unconscious and may not seem to have a pulse or be breathing. CPR should continue while the victim is being warmed, until the victim responds.
To prevent hypothermia: Continuously eat a variety of food all day and keep hydrated. Have a layering system of dry clothing including a waterproof, windproof layer and larger insulating layer for when you aren’t moving. Don’t travel across thin ice and protect yourself from moisture. Keep your skin covered, including your head, in cold temperatures. THINKSTOCK/iSTOCKPHOTO
HAMMOND LUMBER 10.25X6.31, 1/2 PG 116419
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WINTER 2012
■ FEATURE
Legendary guide introduced hundreds to Allagash Wilderness BY JOHN HOLYOKE, OUTDOORS STAFF WRITER
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AIRFIELD, Maine — When registered Maine guide Gil Gilpatrick accepted a job at the Skowhegan Regional Vocational Center back in 1970, he figured he’d be teaching some valuable life skills to students who shared his passion for the outdoors. He also figured that his bosses would tell him exactly what he ought to be teaching. Boy, was he wrong. “I thought [the students] would be experienced kids [when it came to outdoor adventures],” Gilpatrick, now 78 years old, recalls. “That didn’t turn out to be the case. Some of them hadn’t been farther away from Skowhegan than Norridgewock, unless they were from Norridgewock. And they hadn’t done very much outdoors.” Evening up the slate: Their teacher hadn’t done much teaching, either. “When I first started, took the job, I didn’t know for nothing,” he says. “I didn’t know what was going to be involved or what they wanted me to teach … I hadn’t taught before and I naively thought that they were going to tell me what to do. That isn’t the way it worked. I kind of had to develop the program myself. So I started looking for things that would interest young people.” His approach worked: Over the next 24 years — until his retirement from teaching in 1994 — Gilpatrick taught scores of high school-age students how to build things like strip canoes, snowshoes, and snowshoe-
themed furniture. Each year, he took a group of his senior on a weeklong adventure in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. He wrote books explaining how to do the many things he had mastered, which were absorbed by generations of outdoors enthusiasts. During his summers off, he guided paying customers down the Allagash, sometimes with his wife, other times with one of his daughters. Eventually, Gilpatrick’s name became inexorably linked with that special northern Maine waterway that he loves; he has served on numerous committees dedicated to Allagash issues. And in 2010, Gilpatrick was honored by his peers as the first living recipient of the Wilmot “Wiggie” Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award. Robinson himself won the first award, posthumously. None of that was really part of Gilpatrick’s master plan, he’ll tell you. In fact, back when he was a kid who still went by his given name of Volney — he didn’t become “Gil” until University of Maine buddies decided that was a better name for him — he just knew he liked getting outside, no matter how miserable it got. “I didn’t know enough back then to wear long sleeves, so I’d get home and it looked like measles on my arms where I’d scratched all the mosquito bites,” Gilpatrick says with a chuckle. “But that has its benefits, too, because now when mosquitoes bite me, I don’t itch at all.”
But if you stepped back in time and told young Volney Gilpatrick that he’d spend much of his life in the woods, paddling Maine’s great rivers, and teaching others all that he’d learned? “I’d say, ‘bring it on,’” Gilpatrick says. “I never had a clue. I just enjoyed being out there [as a kid] and that’s the way it went. I didn’t have any big plans, back then, to be a guide or anything else.”
Gil the teacher
might have a book on his hands. Gilpatrick agreed. “So that’s where it started Once I got that [book] done, I said, ‘Well, I build canoes, too. I’ll write that, too,’” he says. “DeLorme published both of them.” Left out of that explanation is this interesting tidbit: Although Gilpatrick estimates that he has now built or overseen the building of more than 500 strip canoes, he had to acquire that skill after he began teaching. “I started that from scratch,
too,” he says. “Again, this is in the first years, when I was casting about for projects [to teach], and a friend brought me a Popular Science magazine with a three- or four-page article on building a strip canoe. I said, ‘Well, I can do that.’ So we did. And we just went on from there.” Not long after that, Gilpatrick started taking his senior students on river trips. First, smaller rivers. Then the mighty Allagash. In all, he did 25 Allagash trips in 25 years with students, he says.
After spending 10 years away from Fairfield and Skowhegan while in college and the U.S. Army, Gilpatrick returned in 1962, earned his guide’s license, and worked at the family greenhouse business. In 1970, he accepted the teaching position, and quickly learned that he needed a curriculum for his Natural Resources program. Eventually, those lessons turned into his popular series of outdoor books. But first, he had to master the skills himself. “It started with building snowshoes,” says Gilpatrick, who explains that his boss also had an interest in that craft. “We got snowshoes, and I started studying it, how to lace it,” he says. “I spent … I don’t know how many evenings in front of the cookstove, fooling with it and taking [the lace] out and fooling with it again, and finally I got it.” While he was learning how to make snowshoes, he took plenty of notes, and the school secretary, who had been enlisted to type those notes, suggested that he
PHOTO COURTESY OF GIL GILPATRICK
A snowshoe clock was one of many outdoor crafts that Gil Gilpatrick of Fairfield taught to students during his tenure as a teacher at the Skowhegan Regional Vocational Center. The craft was a great way to utilize one snowshoe when the other shoe broke.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GIL GILPATRICK
Gil Gilpatrick of Fairfield, a retired Maine guide, bakes biscuits during an Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
WINTER 2012
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FEATURE ■ And in the summer, he took others who were willing to pay for his expertise. Consider: By that time, Gilpatrick had established himself, literally, as the man who had written the book on Allagash trips.
Mr. Gil and Mrs. Gil You can’t write about Gil Gilpatrick — “Mr. Gil” to many of his students — without writing about his wife of 55 years, “Mrs. Gil.” Dot Gilpatrick met Gil in college and has been his partner ever since. During the summer months, she also served as an assistant trip leader with her husband as he took eager (but sometimes ill-equipped) paddlers on the Allagash. Two of the couple’s three daughters also filled in when there was an open spot in a boat. “When they left the nest, so to speak, I was left with nobody to help me,” Gi Gilpatrick says, explaining that a full trip consisted of 12 paddlers, counting him. When one bailed out, Dot was on call and willing to grab a paddle. “A lot of times, it was the night before, [and] we’d find out that somebody couldn’t make it, and Dot would frantically run around packing her stuff for the trip,” he says. Once on the trip, Dot played a key role, her husband says, proudly. “To giver her credit, she always got my ‘problem,’ he says. “If you had a problem on the trip, give it to Dot. She dealt with them.” By “problem,” Gil isn’t talking about lost food or burnt biscuits. He’s talking about the paddlers that could make a trip a disaster. “I don’t mean to say we had a lot of problems. But every once in awhile, we had someone come along who was a real loner, or very inept as far as paddling is concerned,” Gil Gilpatrick says. That’s when Dot was at her best. “I remember one guy … we’d been on the river four, five days. And he’s paddling along with Dot, and he says, ‘I just can’t do it!’ Gilpatrick says. “He still hadn’t got it, how to keep the canoe running straight, or whatever.” Together, Mr. and Mrs. Gil got through that trip. Just like they always did.
Age is not a number Look at Gilpatrick, and you see a man of advancing years; try to guess his age, however, and you’ll likely miss by a mile. You might say 65. You might say 70. You won’t say 78. No way. He’s still active. He’s still lean.
His handshake is still bear-trap firm. But he knows he’s no longer young. And he knows others know it, too. “I’ll tell you, there’s age discrimination in this business,” he says, more resigned to the fact than bitter. “The year I turned 70, I was still guiding and I had my website … and was communicating with [a potential client]. After you’ve done this enough years, you kind of get a feeling of, ‘Yeah, they’re coming.’” When talking with the woman on the phone, he got that feeling. No deposit had changed hands, but he knew the woman and her group were heading to the Allagash. “The last thing she asked me
was, ‘I’m kind of worried about my father because he’s 70 years old,’” Gilpatrick says. “I said, ‘I don’t know your father, but I’m 70 and I’m still doing all right.’” Gilpatrick pauses. “I never heard from her again,” he says. Later that season, he went on the trip that finally convinced him that clients looked at him differently when they learned his age. “Things were going fine. They were a nice family and they helped and pitched in in getting the wood and all of that stuff,” Gilpatrick says. “At some point the subject of my age came up, and I never made a secret of it. I said, ‘I’m 70.’ After that, they couldn’t do enough for
me. They wouldn’t let me lift the canoe, they wouldn’t let me do anything.” That’s when Gilpatrick made his decision. “I says, ‘Boy, I think it’s about time that I hung it up,” he says. “So I did. That’s when I quit.” Not that Gil Gilpatrick is sitting around, feeling sorry for himself. He’s still active, you see. He still goes moose hunting. He still builds
things. And he still spends plenty of time with his bride of 55 years. “I work in my shop … I build a canoe now and then. I build a chair now and then. And do whatever has to be done,” he says, turning to Dot for confirmation. “What else do I do?” Dot smiles and points out the window, and the forest beyond. “He’s cutting wood,” she says. “For next year.”
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