Sweep, Stomp, Slide, and Skate. Winter Sports Are Back!

It’s January and the backwoods in the MidCoast are perfect now for winter sports. The colder outside, the better! Winter exercise offers health benefits you don’t get in summer including improved endurance. Yet, the best rewards of course, are the joy of gliding on snow, exploring the winter woods, or carving lazy eights on ice. Try new sports like Fat Tire Biking or enjoy outdoor classic like Snowshoeing in fresh snow. Bundle up, bring a friend, and plan extra time for hot cider or cocoa!

 

 

Stomp on The Pedals – Fat Tire Bikes

At first, they may look goofy, but fat bikes are one of the newest ways to have fun outdoors. With tires that are 4-6” wide, you can travel over crunchy snow and stomp on the pedals to plow through fresh power. Unlike fast summer biking, riding a fat tire bike is easier when you take it slow. Fat biking is a great social activity because everyone takes their time. The bigger tires and heavier weight give the bike a cushy, floaty feeling. And wipeouts in the snow are a lot more forgiving than spills on asphalt. You can rent fat tire bikes and get trail recommendations at many shops throughout the region.

 

 

Start Sweeping – Belfast Curling Club

Ever wonder why curling is such a popular Olympic sport? You can discover the sublime pleasures and patient skills that curling offers for yourself. Since 1959, the Belfast Curling Club has fostered this ancient Celtic sport for thousands of player and fans. Once limited to outdoor ponds, the club now maintains an indoor ice house with three sheets for play. Anyone who wants to learn to Curl is welcome. You’ll learn all about the finesse and tools of curling – including the art of sweeping. Using a long-handled broom, you can sweep the ice to help navigate the direction of the curling stone and extend its path.

 

 

Ski and Ride The Sea – Camden Snow Bowl

The Camden Snow Bowl is the only ski area on the East Coast with ocean views. At the top of the triple chairlift, it’s hard to resist the views of Penobscot Bay. With a warm, family-friendly atmosphere, you’ll find trails for all skiing and snowboard abilities during the day and for night skiing. This season, fingers-crossed, the Snow Bowl will open part of the mountain for a Tubing Hill. And after a year’s absence, the 31st Annual U.S. National Toboggan Championships will be held February 11-13. The scary-steep, 400-foot long, wooden chute will see more than 400 teams compete and draw a huge crowd of fans. Don’t let the names like “Runaway Brides” and “Sled Man Walking” fool you. These teams are fast and fearless.

 

 

Snowshoeing – The Zen of Winter Sports

To enjoy nature to at a slower pace, few outdoor activities rival snowshoeing. It’s one of Maine’s top winter activities because you can snowshoe most anywhere. Modern snowshoes are lighter and designed for terrain from rolling meadows to steep mountain climbs. Rentals and lessons are available at shops throughout the region. The MidCoast offers many different of hikes and walks. For first-time snowshoers and families, Long Cove Headwaters Preserve in Searsport offers 3 miles of easy trails. Another beautiful hike is Fernald’s Neck Preserve near Lincolnville. Its 1.7 mile trail will bring you to several points along Megunticook Lake.

 

 

“It’s Ice Fishing – Not Catching”

First-time ice fishers are often surprised by the scenery and by the comfort of fishing on frozen ponds and lakes. The fish range from perch to lake trout and salmon. Yet, most ice fishing is about the relaxing time spent outdoors and less about catching fish. You need a fishing license for the January 1 – March 31 season and the State Maine offers a helpful beginners guide. Favorite fishing spots in the MidCoast include Chicawaukee Pond and Megunticook Lake. You can find ice fishing gear at many shops including Johnson’s Sporting Goods in Rockland and Brunswick.

 

 

Ice Skating – It Starts with Swizzles

When Maine’s ponds and lakes are frozen hard, skaters of all ages will be found flowing across the ice. A few may be dreaming of an Olympic-worthy “Alex Jump”, but most are blissfully happy with the gliding sensation of steel-blades on smooth ice. You can learn to skate at most any indoor rink or with the help of friends. Online videos will show you the basics such as the Swizzle that gently moves you forward. Outdoor skating rinks open to the public can be found at Goddard’s Pond in Bath and the Brunswick Mall Rink on the town mall on Maine Street.

 

 

Explore the MidCoast by Snowmobile

For a little adrenaline and stunning vistas, a trip snowmobiling is for you. There are countless miles of trails around the MidCoast that offer unforgettable winter scenery. The Maine Snowmobile Association provides trip planning maps and a great list of clubs to get in touch with. Over 40 miles of groomed trails connect Appleton and Liberty to Waldoboro. This extensive trail is maintained by the Washington Hill & Gully Riders – just one of over 280 snowmobile clubs in Maine.

 

Take Off on a Toboggan!

Sliding down a hill is a blast at any age. It a low-cost, low-maintenance activity that chills and thrills. Dozens of great, free hills can be found throughout the MidCoast. America’s epicenter of tobogganing – that’s a real word – is the Camden Snow Bowl IT welcomes everyone with toboggans and it will host the 31^st National Toboggan Championships, February 11-13. Camden is also home to the Camden Toboggan Company, one of the few American companies that hand-builds wooden toboggans. Their toboggans can scream down the Snow Bowl Chute in nine seconds.

 

 

MidCoast Cross-Country Trails

The MidCoast offers miles of multi-use and cross-country trails in deep woods, across meadows and along rocky ocean shores. Some ski centers have trailside warming huts and lights for nighttime skiing. With so many places to choose from, here are just two to consider: In Jefferson, the Hidden Valley Nature Center has 1,000 acres of protected land that includes over a mile of shore front on Little Dyer Pond. Owned by the MidCoast Conservancy, the center has miles of groomed trails. For the ultimate cross-country experience, find your way to the Holbrook Island Sanctuary in Brooksville. The island is home to diverse terrain and elusive animals including otters, beaver, fox – even bobcats.