Winter's Finale... get out and see it!

The days are getting longer, the sun stronger, and the snow softer. You are probably one of two types of people by this time of year.

Type 1 - You hate winter and have been embedded in your couch watching all 500 digital channels for the last 4 months. You complain about every storm and you seriously think maybe buying one of those bankrupcy houses in Florida would be a good move about now.

Type 2 - You race to get outside any chance you get to strap on some skiis or snowshoes so you can get some fresh air and see what is happening amongst all this white stuff.

Here is the scarry part, you can move from Type 1 to Type 2 by getting out on a sunny afternoon in March and realizing how great is to get outside in Winter in Maine! By the same token if you have had a busy month and had no time to get outside you can revert from a Type 2 to a Type 1 as well. So, get a jump on spring and spend a couple hours on the 'hill'. Winter conditions are the best they will be all season for the next 4 weeks. Live in the moment and appreciate the good things in life are truly free! Now is the time......

Are You an Inconsiderate Trail User?

This past weekend, a horse rider decided it would be a good idea to ride their horse down the middle of our groomed ski trails. This left behind a trail of 6 inch holes for 1/2 mile. The damage can't be repaired until another significant snow storm arrives, impacting hundreds of trail users.

I guess I have a hard time understanding of why a trail user thinks leaving deep marks in the trails anytime of year is 'okay'. Did they think about the 6 hours volunteer groomers spent making the trail ready for skiiers or the 2-3 hours they will spend attempting to fix the holes left behind?

You really need to only obey three rules on any trail:

1 - don't damage the trails or cause others to have to clean up your damage

2- don't remove or harm the flora and wildlife

3- don't ruin the trail experience of others

Regrettably this trail user violated all three of these.

So, the GCE and Friend of Libby Hill are in the process for updating usage rules for pets on the trails. The first step is as follows:

Horseback Riders - Please stay off all ski and hiking trails. You may ride on Old Libby Hill Road or the snowmobile/ATV trails. The following trails are no longer available for use by horses:

Turkey Trot
Moose Odyssey
Deer Run
Holmquist Hollow
Harold Libbey
Outback
Ghost Trail
Winter Trail
School Ball Fields

These rules will stay in place year round because of damage to trails done by horses over the past 6 months. This includes:

1- erosion of Harold Libbey Trail at meadow crossing
2- trail damage in November after rains on Moose Odyssey and Turkey Trot
3- winter riding on groomed ski trails

Approaching Zero, Rising Moon, and a New World

Its 6:30pm on a Thursday evening. Current temperature is 9 degrees and falling with a 5-10 mile an hour 'breeze'. I leave the nice comfortable cocoon of my car and strap on my snowshoes to make a test run of our upcoming full moon snowshoe hike. First thing, suddenly its not cold! It's amazing that with a little layering of polypropylene and polar fleece, you are never cold snowshoeing!

I then turn on my headlamp at first to see if it works; it does. The moon is 4 days from full and is high in the sky and about to the 3/4 stage. Venus shines very brightly to the south and as I look overhead I can see the milky way in crystalline condition. I alternate snowshoeing with my light on and off and decide to keep it on only to make sure I don't walk into a dead branch at eye level. In the distance though you see the ghostly glow of pure white snow against the moonlight.

Every 15 minutes or so I stop and listen. The woods seem almost dead quiet except for the whispering of the pines in the arctic breeze. I see tracks everywhere but no eyes peering back. Its funny for the first half hour or so, you feel a little on edge being alone in the dark. I look at the large shadows cast by the 100 year old pines and initially it seems a bit spoky to me. Then I feel comforted by their shadows.

I think about the history of this place, 250 years of wood lots, farms, saw mills, a quarry, pastures, and even Indian Wars. Yet here it sits on a cold winter night much the same as it always has, waiting for someone else to discover it. Despite the fact I've been on this hill several hundred times in the past 10 years, when I come here this night, it looks oh so alien to me. So some night, maybe soon, maybe 100 years from now, when someone else takes this trek they'll get to experience the glory of a cold winter night just like all those who have gone before these last few hundred years!

A New Year A New Opportunity

2008 was a year of constant change and turmoil. Most of us just want to get beyond and hope for a better 2009. So January brings cold and a new start. I spent a Saturday morning exploring the newly frozen bogs of Thayer brook. Here I saw dozens of deer and mouse tracks in the dry powdery snow. The temperature was about 5 degrees with a slight wind bringing the chill below zero. Yet with my snowshoes on I was very comfortable and enjoyed 2 hours of just admiring the forest of Libby Hill. The time slid by so fast I couldn't believe I had to leave soon.

We are all looking for new direction in 2009. I'd like to offer an opportunity to you if you enjoy the outdoors, giving back to the community, meeting interesting new people, seeing the fruits of your time pay off, and learning new skills. The chance I refer to is joining the "Friends of Libby Hill". Our modest organization provides an easy way to donate small or large amounts of time. We try and minimize red tape and meetings and taylor volunteer projects to an individuals preferences. I know you have thought about doing some trail work but weren't quite sure where to begin. So, here's your chance, on Monday January 26th, "Get Aquainted Night" is being sponsored by the Friends of Libby Hill. Why not drop in and see what is on the horizon for 2009 at Libby Hill. The meeting is at the Androscoggin Bank in Gray at 6:30pm. Come and see why you can make a difference and start down a new trail of discovery for 2009.

Your Gift Is Waiting

This is a very busy time of year, shopping, cooking, socializing, and weathering a difficult economy. You probably are cutting back on your Christmas spending this year to help make ends meet. If you feel like you are being shorted a little this year under the tree, then you aren't looking under the right tree! Come visit Libby Hill Trails which this year finally came completely protected for the future.

While we still need to pay off our mortgage, your gift of open space awaits. Eight miles of trails, free skiing, and a place to escape the stress of these troubling times. So your gift is out here waiting for you to unwrap it. Maybe like many gifts you get, you at first aren't sure what to do with it. Trust me, if you make an exploratory trip out into the woods with the new snow you'll suddenly feel you got the gift you always wanted!

Tomorrow, Sunday 21st we'll attempt to hold our solstice walk to take a fun winter walk in the woods and share some fun with fellow walkers. Keep an eye on the weather and maybe bring your snowshoes or hiking boots.

Come see what you got for Christmas!

First Snow Comes - by Sharon Caulfield

I can see my breath as I climb the hill. Pockets of ground that were muddy last week are now frozen over, horse tracks memorialized on the trails. At 7:30am, only the chickadees are out and about. Me, the chickadees and the lightly falling snow.

Everything seems quieter than usual this morning. The cars on the turnpike are muted. When I stop to look at the woods, I only hear a light crunching as the flakes fall on my jacket. I raise my face to the sky to taste this first snowfall, and I remember how I felt as a child, playing the in the woods in my backyard. Tasting the snow is kind of a silly tradition, but I can’t help it. There will be time to whine about snow come March. But in December, snow is still a marvel. And so on I hike, in the peacefulness of an early morning, and in celebration of snow.

Sharon is an avid trail user at Libby Hill and blog contributor.

A Sunday on the Trails

Did you know that the Moose Odyssey trail, at 3.1 miles, is the same distance as a 5K?

Yesterday, I ran the BURN OFF THE TURKEY 5K put on by the Gorham Recreation Dept. and since I still had some Thanksgiving indulgences to burn off, I decided to do another 5K today, Libby Hill style, the Moose Odyssey way! There is a certain kind of excitement running with a crowd, of course, but there’s another kind of thrill to be found out in the woods. It makes getting up and out in the cold worthwhile.

At 8am, things were pretty quiet on the trails. A man walking his dog. A woman in the parking lot, waiting for her running partner to show up. A few random birds. And me, crunching across the leaves in the early morning sunshine. After a summer of focusing on running on the roads, I am trying to get myself reacquainted with the trails in time for the first snowfall. I’m in better shape this year and looking forward to the chance to snowshoe more of the trails. And hopefully, Santa (or his elves) will bring me a pair of cross country skis for Christmas and I will get to use those on the trails as well.

When I made it back to the trailhead, a horse and rider were getting ready to head out. I love that we have this resource right here in town, and that it’s offered free, for all of us to use. Come on over and do your own 5K in December. You’ll get that peace and calm that only the woods can bring – and you might just get to enjoy a few more holiday goodies, guilt free!

Happy Hiking!

submitted by Sharon Caulfield - avid trail user