Here are things you can do at the New England Outdoor Center

Karen Francoeur, owner of Castine Kayak Adventures, skis past a view of Katahdin. Credit: Courtesy of Clark Tate

Bangor Daily News: Here are things you can do at the New England Outdoor Center

I’ve been waiting for winter since November. As much as I love it — the clean slate, the world thrown black and white by the low traverse of a January sun, cotton candy sunsets — it intimidates me, too.

Venturing out is consequential when a small mistake could leave me out in the cold. I tend to travel with others this time of year and stick to more popular trails.

When a friend invited me to a birthday celebration at the New England Outdoor Center, its groomed trails and Katahdin views sounded just right.

A little more than 15 minutes past Millinocket, the outdoor center spans 1,350 acres along the southwest shore of Millinocket Lake. Owner Matthew Polstien has a clear vision for the property. “We’re hoping to help promote stewardship of areas like this and get people outside, leading active, healthy lifestyles and, you know, having a great time doing it.

“I don’t think there’s anywhere prettier than the side of this hill facing Katahdin,” he said.

Clark Tate’s story originally ran in the Bangor Daily News in Febuary ‘24. Read it here (subscription required).

Trail Building 101

Backyard Recreation

When our children were little, my husband mowed paths through the fields around our house, swaths wide enough and gentle enough for toddling. These meandered through the old apple orchard, around the full perimeter of the field, and down to a glacial erratic the kids soon dubbed Big Rock. Years later, the kids now bound up Big Rock in confident strides, run through the fields for fitness, and have crafted a few trails for biking in the woods nearby.

Like many other folks during the last several months, we've stuck close to home. We have been acutely grateful for the woods close by and have spent time resurrecting old trails and clearing blowdowns along popular routes. We've even thought about building some new trails. I imagine we're not the only ones looking to get into the woods close to home these days. Lucky for all of us, trails can be crafted on a half-acre plot, a woodlot of hundreds of acres, or anything in between, And autumn is as good a time as any to embark on a backyard trail-building endeavor.

Read Meghan McCarthy McPhaul’s story, originally published in Northern Woodland’s Magazine’s in Autumn 2020.

Green Woodlands Foundation

Connecting With Nature

Green Woodlands Foundation is the shepherd for about 23,000 acres in Lyme, Dorchester, Orford, and Wentworth, New Hampshire. Its goal is to preserve the land for future generations using tools of wildlife management, environmental research and education, and historic preservation. In addition to these elements are outdoor activities, mainly cross-country skiing and mountain biking. The nonprofit maintains 50 kilometers of groomed ski trails and 70 miles of mountain biking trails.

Read the full story in Here in Hanover Magazine’s Winter 2020 edition here.

Smitties shoot for world-class trails

Photo: Lou Reuter

Photo: Lou Reuter

Paul Smith’s ready to have new 5K trail network homologated for Nordic ski and biathlon competitions; goal is to be top US college for Nordic, biathlon.

Paul Smith’s College, working in concert with USA Nordic and US Biathlon, is now positioned to have its new 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) Nordic ski trail network homologated by the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the International Biathlon Union for elite-level racing.

FIS and IBU will send homologation officials to the site to inspect the trail profiles and biathlon range. They will also consider the site’s natural snow cover and review a college race last winter that tested the trails.

When completed, the “College of the Adirondacks” will be the only collegiate facility in the United States with sanctioned trails for Nordic skiing and a biathlon range, both on campus, en route to its goal of becoming the top Nordic and biathlon school in the United States.

Read the full December 2 story at the Adirondack Daily Enterprise here.


Paul Smith’s College Invests in Nordic Sport and Its Future

A vision for an on-campus nordic sport future – an aerial shot of a portion of Paul Smith’s campus

A vision for an on-campus nordic sport future – an aerial shot of a portion of Paul Smith’s campus

Running a small liberal arts college is big business. Stress over enrollment. Stress over capital improvements. Stress over staying relevant. 

Paul Smith’s College in Paul Smiths, New York is a relative newcomer on the East Coast college scene; founded in 1946 and currently enrolling 745 students. One particular aspect Paul Smith’s makes it stand out – a massive 14,200 acre campus in the foothills of the Adirondack high peaks region. This is perhaps the school’s most unique asset. School administrators see their landholdings as one path to running a more sustainable higher ed business. The broad acreage of the campus is part of the school’s strategy to build infrastructure to attract potential students. In this instance, we are not talking about Paul Smith’s breaking ground on a shiny new student center with amenities like a five star hotel. 

Read Jason Albert’s full story in the February, 2020 issue of Faster Skler here.

ConVal Cougars Make Winter Debut

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The ConVal Nordic ski team competed in its first meet of the season on Tuesday at Green Woodlands in Dorchester. The skate race inaugurated a new five-kilometer course and will likely be the toughest venue the high school skiers will ever race on. Designed by famed Nordic ski race course designer John Morton, the homologated route satisfies FIS specifications for elite championship races. Over 125 racers from five high schools attempted the challenge.

Read the full coverage in the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript here.

USA Nordic skiers will train at Paul Smith College

Bill Demong — five-time Olympian, Vermontville native and CEO of USA Nordic — talks about bringing the U.S. ski team to Paul Smith’s College, making the four-year institution the organization’s East Coast training center. (Photo credit: Aaron Cerbon…

Bill Demong — five-time Olympian, Vermontville native and CEO of USA Nordic — talks about bringing the U.S. ski team to Paul Smith’s College, making the four-year institution the organization’s East Coast training center. (Photo credit: Aaron Cerbone for Adirondack Daily Enterprise)

The trails at the Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center will be skied by the USA Nordic team next year.

USA Nordic is seeking to establish eastern, central and western training centers across the country, and it selected the college as its East Coast hub.

Bill Demong is the CEO of USA Nordic, a Vermontville native and a five-time Olympian and 2010 Olympic gold and silver medalist in Nordic combined. He said he grew up skiing the trails of the VIC with fellow Olympian Tim Burke. At one point he lived down Keese Mills Road, so the VIC trails were practically his backyard.

Read Aaron Cerbone’s full story in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise here.

Dover Looking to Grow Trail Network

Land behind Route 100 and the Valley Trail is being purchased by the town of Dover for expanding trail systems. (Photo credit: Chris Mays, Brattleboro Reformer)

Land behind Route 100 and the Valley Trail is being purchased by the town of Dover for expanding trail systems. (Photo credit: Chris Mays, Brattleboro Reformer)

Under contract to purchase approximately 50 undeveloped acres, the town is looking to expand its recreational offerings.

"I see this as a great opportunity to build trails and other outdoor activities to support a healthy outdoor lifestyle," Dover Select Board Chairman Josh Cohen said in an email. "A true four-season destination. The location couldn't be better and will support businesses along the Route 100 corridor."

Read Chris Mays’ story in the Bennington Banner here.