first time hiking in maine was incredible.

[northernstorm]

my wife and i decided to celebrate my 30th birthday in maine at the moosehead lodge up in greenville. we hiked on some trails and bushwacked quite a bit. the snow was pounding when we left yesterday. it will be so rewarding to make it there on my thru next year. anyone else feel like the whites in NH and north is the most rewarding feelings? i guess that question goes out to thru-hikers who have already completed it.
anyway, just wanted to say it was great and the locals are very nice.

[DLANOIE]

Glad you enjoyed your hike/stay while up here in Maine. I know I am biased but Maine does have some of the best hiking available on the East coast. NH is a close second(I am from NH and now live in Maine), the above tree line hiking is second to none in the Whites. Especially in inclimate weather!!!!!FUN<FUN<FUN

[walkin' wally]

my wife and i decided to celebrate my 30th birthday in maine at the moosehead lodge up in greenville. we hiked on some trails and bushwacked quite a bit. the snow was pounding when we left yesterday. it will be so rewarding to make it there on my thru next year. anyone else feel like the whites in NH and north is the most rewarding feelings? i guess that question goes out to thru-hikers who have already completed it.
anyway, just wanted to say it was great and the locals are very nice.

My second home. I love that place. About 10" of snow yesterday at Lily Bay and much more today.... Where did you hike?

[Cookerhiker]

Certainly the beauty & grandeur of the Whites and Maine were very rewarding - I felt that way as a section hiker especially after finishing 28 years of section hiking by ascending Katahdin. Re the North Woods, hiking the Long Trail in '07 was also rewarding, especially the views of Lake Champlain - no where on the AT does one have such an extended several-days' view of a large natural body of water. My first backpack was a section of the Long Trail in 1977 and I still marvel how the view from the Glastonbury Mountain Firetower yielded nothing man-made - all I saw was mountains, forest, and lakes.

Are these places & experiences the "most" rewarding? Not necessarily - I've got wonderful memories of good AT hiking in the South - seeing wildflowers in the Spring, colorful foliage in the Fall, hiking aboving the clouds into the sunshine in the Smokies & Nantahalas, seeing bears in Shendandoah NP - all highly rewarding experiences.

And then there's other outdoor places I've been to across the country and world. Won't list them all here except for one note: I spent 2 1/2 months this summer in the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska. Most of this time was in Alaska. Now there's some rewards!

I empathize with and share your positive feelings of the north country's magnificence and I suspect that in your next 30 years as you travel more, you'll also appreciate the beauty in other ecosystems as well.

And one more point about the north country: don't take its existence for granted especially in Maine with all the private landholdings. Join the MATC and contribute to the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust.

[northernstorm]

My second home. I love that place. About 10" of snow yesterday at Lily Bay and much more today.... Where did you hike?

oh we just did maybe a mile or two. we didnt have much time because of the snow at moosehead. i was wiping off trees to see blazes. so i figured it was time to turn in. however very fun hiking in the snow. the place was called monson. and according to my research is the beginning f the 100 mile wilderness. thats where we hiked. the woods are so dense. if i can make it through the blistering summer, i will reach maine. i dont do well in extreme heat. if i am to quit next year aside from serious illness or injury, it will be the dang sun that does it.

[northernstorm]

Certainly the beauty & grandeur of the Whites and Maine were very rewarding - I felt that way as a section hiker especially after finishing 28 years of section hiking by ascending Katahdin. Re the North Woods, hiking the Long Trail in '07 was also rewarding, especially the views of Lake Champlain - no where on the AT does one have such an extended several-days' view of a large natural body of water. My first backpack was a section of the Long Trail in 1977 and I still marvel how the view from the Glastonbury Mountain Firetower yielded nothing man-made - all I saw was mountains, forest, and lakes.

Are these places & experiences the "most" rewarding? Not necessarily - I've got wonderful memories of good AT hiking in the South - seeing wildflowers in the Spring, colorful foliage in the Fall, hiking aboving the clouds into the sunshine in the Smokies & Nantahalas, seeing bears in Shendandoah NP - all highly rewarding experiences.

And then there's other outdoor places I've been to across the country and world. Won't list them all here except for one note: I spent 2 1/2 months this summer in the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska. Most of this time was in Alaska. Now there's some rewards!

I empathize with and share your positive feelings of the north country's magnificence and I suspect that in your next 30 years as you travel more, you'll also appreciate the beauty in other ecosystems as well.

And one more point about the north country: don't take its existence for granted especially in Maine with all the private landholdings. Join the MATC and contribute to the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust.

great info. yeah i have heard good things about the long trail. havent made it to the western seaboard yet, at least not for a wild getaway. i lived in denver for 10 years and that was also breathtaking on top of some 14'ers. the hiking there is extremely brutal. challenging terrain but spectacular views. the curvature of the earth can be seen up there. if you haven't already, i strongly suggest the rocky's. stay away from aspen and vail. those are money pits for tourists and such. steamboat springs has wonderful trails. cheers!

[Cookerhiker]

....i lived in denver for 10 years and that was also breathtaking on top of some 14'ers. the hiking there is extremely brutal. challenging terrain but spectacular views. ...

Much of Maine can also be characterized as "extremely brutal challenging terrain" and I'd be interested in how you compare it with your Colorado experience.

[northernstorm]

Much of Maine can also be characterized as "extremely brutal challenging terrain" and I'd be interested in how you compare it with your Colorado experience.

personally there are things i love differently about both places. maine is closer to my home country, (norway) so i feel very nostalgic there. colorado was nice because of the elevation differences. hiking above treeline is amazing. its hard to pay attention to your feet and not sumble due to the fact you are constantly rubbernecking the 360 degree view. lol.

[northernstorm]

i will also add that i have not hiked in maine at all except those couple miles. so i am very much looking forward to seeing all of it. i will probably be able to give you a better answer than anyways. is that what you had in mind? oh! and i saw some of your youtube vids. nice.

[Cookerhiker]

Some day you'll hike some or all of the following:

Mahoosuc Notch and Mahoosuc Arm
The Baldpates
Moody Mountain
Old Blue and the Bemis Range
Saddleback Range
Crockers
Bigalow Range

and even "lesser" climbs like Pleasant Pond Mountain, Moxie Bald, Whitecap.

When you hike these, you'll see what I mean.

BTW, is your "Norway" the town in Maine or the Scandinavian country? Re. the latter, I've been there once and really want to return to do some backpacking!

[DLANOIE]

Why would you ever want to hike Moody MNT. MORE THAN ONCE!!!!! Just kidding....but seriously, why.

[Cookerhiker]

Why would you ever want to hike Moody MNT. MORE THAN ONCE!!!!! Just kidding....but seriously, why.

I think he's thruhiking in 2011.

[DLANOIE]

I think he's thruhiking in 2011.

Oh yeah....

[hikerboy57]

I section hiked from Grafton Notch to gorham this summer, and It was absolutly one of the best sections I've ever hiked!! Challenging, great scrambles ,beautiful scenery, the infamous Mahoosuc Notch, and one of the best shelter views anywhere on the AT(Gentian Pond).

[northernstorm]

Some day you'll hike some or all of the following:

Mahoosuc Notch and Mahoosuc Arm
The Baldpates
Moody Mountain
Old Blue and the Bemis Range
Saddleback Range
Crockers
Bigalow Range

and even "lesser" climbs like Pleasant Pond Mountain, Moxie Bald, Whitecap.

When you hike these, you'll see what I mean.

BTW, is your "Norway" the town in Maine or the Scandinavian country? Re. the latter, I've been there once and really want to return to do some backpacking!

yes i am from trondheim norway originally from birth. but moved to the states when i was like 3 or 4.
i will look forward to the places you mentioned and will be willing to tell you all about my thoughts next fall.

[DLANOIE]

We also have a Norway, Maine! No real hiking in the area to my knowledge. Just being a wise crack.

[northernstorm]

wow thats cool. makes sense. many norwegian settlers.

[northernstorm]

oh and i love the local beer in maine as well. sweeeet!

[walkin' wally]

Why would you ever want to hike Moody MNT. MORE THAN ONCE!!!!! Just kidding....but seriously, why.

Good one

At least he wasn't there when part of trail slid downhill. Major repairs and relo just finished this fall.

[Namaste]

Good one

At least he wasn't there when part of trail slid downhill. Major repairs and relo just finished this fall.

Just finished? WoW! That was summer 2008. I was SOBO Maine and had to butt slide in the pouring rain to get down.......I just remember being soaking wet but laughing my butt off and cheering when we finally spotted a white blaze.

Maine is a beautiful state for hiking especially the AT but I've done lots of canoeing up there as well. My favorite trip was 10 days out on the Penobscot to Lobster Lake then on to Chesuncook where you can see the mighty Katahdin. Watching families of moose feeding early in the morning was priceless.