Down East in October

Last week I set sail with two of my roommates on Coastal Route 1 for the eastern-most part of the United States: Down East Maine. We packed up Dan's car with our surfboards, sleeping bags and an old Eureka Camping tent from my College's outing club and headed due east.

Ranging from Belfast to Quoddy Head, the Down East region is the most unexplored coastline in the East because it's simply a pain the ass to get to. It is three hours from Portland, six hours from Boston and ten hours from New York.

For two days, we cruised up Route 1, following the coastline and making trips down gravel roads in search of views.

A wind turbine nestled in a corn field.

By night we squatted on empty plots of land such as this subdivision. Early morning fog near Winter Harbor.

An outhouse in Quoddy Head State Park.

One of our squatting campsites in a housing development near Bar Harbor.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

Tucker overlooking the Atlantic.

At night my -20° F rated sleeping bag made the temperatures in the low 30's feel cozy and inviting and my wool socks and jacket kept me warm in the early morning coastal haze. After 400 miles of driving on and around Route 1, we finally crossed the border over a small cove in the Bay of Fundy and began the second leg of our trip.

Here are some more links,
Down East in October (Picasa).

Picking Apples In October

A high of 58° with a 90% chance of rain limits most outdoor activities. On Saturday, my roommate Dan and I decided to make hard apple cider and went in search of free apples. We eventually found some overgrown trees on the side of the road near Colby. For two hours we climbed trees, shook branches and dodged falling apples.

Incoming!

Soaking wet.

All told, Dan and I picked over three hundred apples destined for our vat of brewing hard apple cider. The consummate fall activity.

Here are some more links,
Picking Apples In October (Picasa),
Fall (ART).

A Fall Drive

Fall is seeping down south in Maine; forcing leaves from trees, turning grass brown, and nudging temperatures below the frost point. The crisp smell of fall makes me smile and eager to put on my itchy wool jackets and retire my iced caffeinated beverages.

On a quiet fall morning I took the long way home through the rolling central Maine farmland and made frequent stops.

Moo's at a local organic farm. MOFGA represent.

These photos give context to a way of life that I romanticize from afar.

In the end, the detour took an extra 45 minutes, time I would give up in a heart beat.

Here are some more links,
A Drive in the Fall (Picasa),
Fall (ART).

The Common Ground Fair

In the last weekend of September, fifty thousand people descend on a small organic farm in Unity, Maine to celebrate rural living, local crafts, sustainable lifestyles and local farming.

Hand made ladders: more bars in more places.

Curing a deer hide in preparation for tanning a hide with mayonnaise. He got the half moon on his left index finger from a casual, "slaughtering a chicken."

Chop Chop, these axes were used to shape beams.

This guy is the real deal. The Maine Guide badge denotes his title and his Maine Hunting shoes complement his Johnson Woolmills digs.

Chestnuts roasting on the opening fire.

The Maine Hunting Shoe was all over the place. I want a pair!

Well loved.

This guy has probably slept outside a night or two; all wool and leather, a pair of Quoddys and a bow drill.

This team makes barns and other structures without nails, using only hand cut beams.

This single beveled broad axe is used for putting the finishing touches on each beam.

Hand-made snowshoes and canoe paddles.

I want one so badly.

I love the Common Ground Fair because it reminds me of a life without computers and iPhones.

Here are some more links,
Common Ground Fair (Picasa),
Common Ground Fair.