The Edge of Civılization
IN MAINE’S WILDERNESS WOODLANDS, HILARY NANGLE DISCOVERS EASIER WAYS TO ROUGH IT.
WMountains cradle pristine lakes and serene ponds. Tumbling waterways splash dense woodlands. Eagles soar and moose romp. The result: a vast outdoor playground laced with trails and blessed with an abundance of riches.
Let me tick off just a few highlights: 5,267-foot-high Mount Katahdin, Maine’s highest peak, overlooks the region. The 100-Mile Wilderness, considered the most arduous section of the 2,170-mile Appalachian
Trail, shimmies through it. The Allagash Wilderness Waterway, a National Wild and Scenic River, flows northward from here. The state’s largest lake, 117-acre Moosehead, is a mere drop in the region’s bucket.
Some come for paddling, hiking, boating and fishing; others for wildlife watching or artistic inspiration; and many simply to relax amidst the wonders of one of Mother Nature’s masterpieces.
You don’t need to be a dedicated wilderness lover or to forgo creature comforts to delight in this region’s many wonders.
Though unpaved roads (most owned by paper companies) web the forest, it’s easier and far kinder to your vehicle to stick with the paved roads that skirt around it. So, instead of trying to explore every nook, cranny and ridge of this humongous chunk of real estate, concentrate your efforts in one area.
SMALL-TOWN CHARM
Greenville, a frontier-like resort town, sits not only on the edge of Moosehead Lake and the 100-Mile Wilderness, but also on the edge of civilization. East of here, pavement cedes to dirt. About 1,600 people reside in Greenville, making it the big city in these parts, although moose outnumber people three to one. You’ll find restaurants and lodging as well as anything you might need for venturing into the wilderness, including Registered Maine Guides for fishing, hiking and wildlife safaris. Also sharing the lake’s western shore are Greenville Junction and the village of Rockwood.
MAINE, BECAUSE OF ITS SINGULAR AND PROFOUND BEAUTY, IS A PLACE OF WORSHIP WITHOUT WALLS. I LOVE IT SO.