Whitewater Rafting
Terrence spends a weekend whitewater rafting in northern Maine with friends every summer. This year, a few of the regulars backed out at the last minute, so he asked me to come along. I'd never been whitewater rafting before, but we had such a great time on the Dead River with Windfall2 that I may become a regular. The Dead was flowing at 3,500 cfs and was a blast! I can only imagine what it's like at 5,500 cfs or greater (which happens a few times a year).
Deep Sea Fishing
Every few years, my parents' financial advisor (Bob) invites us to join him for a day of deep sea fishing. Since the last time we went, he's upgraded to a larger boat (a 42' yacht), which was great for spending a day on the water. He keeps it moored on the Bass River, but we went as far as Nantucket in search of fish. We caught striped bass, flounder, bluefish, and dogfish … and they were biting all day.
Hiking
As members of the AMC3, my family has been to each of the eight huts4 that they maintain. The scenery on the way and the view once you've arrived are spectacular, but I wouldn't recommend the trek to your average couch potato. Ranging in elevation from about 3,000 to 5,000 feet, you have to cover several miles of rugged terrain over the course of a day just to reach any of the huts (although a few cater to families and less experienced hikers).
This year, I hiked to Zealand Falls5 and Mizpah Springs6 with my dad and brothers over the course of three days. By the time we returned, we were ready for a shave and hot shower. Maybe a massage. Oh, and a big greasy burger. And how about a beer to wash that down, too?
But don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of this getaway. It has been entirely too long since the last time I went hiking and it was nice to avoid TV, traffic, cell phones, and e-mail for a few days. To enjoy the silence of the great outdoors and see every star in the night sky. To get almost ten hours of sleep each night and to spend lots of time with the boys. To see a momma black bear and her two cubs foraging for berries from 50 feet away. Each of those things made the effort worthwhile.
