My trail companion and I set out to walk a wooded path today during a much anticipated storm. Before we made it into the protection of the forest, our faces quickly turned red from the blowing wind and snow. The road was only shared by us and the plow trucks before we reached the sheltered entrance– I think we were both relieved to finally be in the woods. We soon regretted not wearing our snowshoes as it would have made the walking a much easier job, but by then we had committed ourselves to going without them.
We stopped at a section where the trees opened up next to the main highway. Watching the large orange plow trucks go by was a nice contrast to the gray and white environment that was surrounding us. We were not there for too long before we heard a loud noise as a car crashed into the guardrail and flipped onto its side. My trail companion quickly called 911 and we rushed into the woods to get out to the roadside. Thankfully, other vehicles had stopped and informed me that the driver was responsive and doing well. We waited for first responders to arrive on the scene, and after taking a few photographs from the tree line, we left– I am glad that no one was seriously hurt and that we had decided to stay and watch the trucks.
Bradford Angier compiled an abundance of information covering fire making, wild edibles, navigation and more to help campers survive in the woods.
John Ford, retired Maine game warden, comically shares many of his fortunes and misfortunes while working in the field.
Annette Jackson tells us of her experiences living in the north Maine woods as a game warden's wife in the 1930s.
Michelle Souliere covers strange Maine tales and mysteries ranging from witches to the Loup-Garou.
With hunting season in full swing, Delorme's Atlas and Gazetteer will help you plan a trip, or get from here to there.
Gil Gilpatrick outlines basic outdoor skills for anyone looking to increase their knowledge in planning and packing for a wilderness canoe trip.
Joyce Butler writes of the historical Maine fire that raged in 1947 , burning 200,000 acres including many coastal homes and communities.
Paul Fournier shares stories of being a guide and bush pilot, as well as assisting in the failed reintroduction of caribou in Maine.
Donn Fendler shares his story about being lost on Katahdin, Maine's largest mountain, when he was 12 years of age.
February 2012
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Some amazing weather you guys have over there. I have yet to experience my first snowstorm here, but the one I experienced as a young boy still lingers in my memory!
So does the one time, about a decade later, I experienced seeing a carcrash actually happen in winterly conditions, when a van hit the railguard and the driver was thrown out through the frontwindow towards us! He lived to tell the tale….
I’m just thankfull that people still do stop and tend to the victims and I am even more thankfull for those men and women who rush to their aid, despite bad conditions!
Ron- It is surprising how fast the weather can change.
Amazing that the driver was alright after- certainly a time when people were not as vigilant about wearing seat-belts.
I think as long as people are still willing to stop and help, we are not doing so bad. When the weather is poor, it is something we can all relate too- it could just as easily have been us.
More beautiful photos!!!! When you mentioned the snowplow passing, it reminds me of the safe feeling i get every time I hear the plowtruck driving past our house, knowing that there are people doing their jobs so that we may be able to pass on the roads if need be… this feeling actually goes back to when I was a little girl. We are very blessed to have emergency responders as well as raod crew who all put their lives on the line for us. Thanks Peter for stirring up these thoughts
Therese
Therese- I am certainly thankful for all of the long hours the plow drivers and first responders put in during a storm.
We absolutely are, and thank you!
Those storms are both beautiful and dangerous as we all know..you captured the essence of both with your post..good job Peter
Mike- They are beautiful to be out in when on foot- I would not want to be on the road.
Thank you.
Nice way to capture both the beauty and the danger of a big storm. Somehow, for better or worse, we in western NY dodged the clipper and caught but a few inches off the western edge of the Nor’easter.
Thank you Walt.
Some people like the snow here and others could do without it- either way, it is a lot of shoveling.
The storm did seem to hit the hardest along side the coast, which I am sure the western NY people are thankful for.
Wow. Right place at the right time. Good on you for staying and making sure all was well. Take care, and keep warm!
Erin- It is funny how things work out sometimes.
Thank you and you too!
That’s crazy to see something like that happen. Glad no one was seriously hurt.
The weather sure makes for interesting times in the woods. I’m always amazed at how beautiful deadly weather can appear. It’s a rewarding time to be in the woods. Just need to be prepared to deal with it if it goes bad on you. Thanks for the great pics Peter
OE- it was an intense situation at first.
I could not agree with you more.
Peter it seems as all of New England is shoveling out.
Those plows are awesome.
Time for some hot soup.
Alan- You are right, it has been quite the storm for everyone.
I do love to watch them.
You ventured out into this! We have our own storm watchers, who needs the local TV news channel. Good to hear the people in the car accident were OK.
Pauline- We sure did!
We were very relieved that she was responsive, and she appeared to have a friend of hers from another vehicle up ahead.
Stay warm!