March in Maine can be maddening for those who enjoy the outdoors. It can be spectacular, or just as easily, downright miserable. As we have already experienced this March, you can have sunny days in the 50s, a foot of snow, deluges of rain and these can all come in the same week.
outdoors
JOSH CHRISTIE: Test runs show gear makes difference
Like a lot of weekend skiers, my quiver of skis is only one pair deep. The idea of a single “all mountain” ski is a tough one to nail down — especially here on the weather-variable East Coast — but it’s a more affordable option than different skis for every condition.
SNOWMOBILING: Iron Men
When David Hammond and Robert Gardner set out to Alaska to compete in the Iron Dog snowmobile race, they had three goals.
SNOWMOBILING: Never forget land owners
The Maine Snowmobile Association is supporting L.D. 1613, “An Act To Strengthen the Relationship between Land Users and Landowners,” sponsored by Rep. Andre Cushing, (R- Hampden), as initiated by the Small Woodlot Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM).
ALLEN AFIELD: 4 signs that spring is near
Spring sounds start in earnest this month and pick up momentum in April, and the angle of the sun’s rays dictate the timing of nature’s canorous and at times cacophonous timetable.
FOR THE BIRDS: Massive gathering of crows intriguing
It’s thrilling to see an unusual bird. Who is not excited about the chance to see a snowy owl or an American oystercatcher in Maine? Yet there is the potential to experience wonder in watching our common birds.
SKIING: Spring skiing is near
Just last week, skiers and riders could have used a reminder that although their lawns were bare, Maine’s ski areas were still well covered with snow.
HIKING: A short hike with grand views
Bauneg Beg Mountain rises inconspicuously above the rural outskirts of North Berwick in York County. Driving to the main trailhead on Fox Farm Hill Road, the mountain and its three peaks aren’t distinguishable until you’re nearly upon them. Perhaps that’s because it is — incredibly — the only mountain in southern Maine without a communications tower.
ALLEN AFIELD: Open-waterfishing hit or miss this time of year
In March, friends call or stop at my home to tell stories about early open-water fishing adventures in flowing waters in the bottom third of the state, and the up-to-date news fascinates me big time. It also spurs me to get on the water.
Expert: Growing bear numbers OK for now
Maine’s bear harvest has been declining at the same time the bear population has been increasing through ample natural food. But despite growing bear numbers, there’s not a problem with bears clashing with the public and becoming a disturbance, state biologists say.