Maine Moose "Snow" Tracks!

As we were traveling last week with Northeast Guide Service to the Springfield RV, Camping & Outdoor Show in Springfield, MA, we were surprised with the 50 degree weather and it was hard not to 'think Spring!" Today, however, with the talk of the town saying anywhere from 4 to 14 inches of snow is on its way, we are thinking winter and all of its fun activities once again!
This year, Greenville, ME and the Moosehead Lake Region has been lacking in its 'winter' department. However, unlike the rest of New England, we at least have snow! And since the temperatures here do not read Spring, we will take it! The trails are groomed and ready to go for any adventure/outdoor enthusiasts.
Although the mild winter has been anything but a good thing for snow fans, our regular visitors during our Moose Watching Tours are more than likely happy for this.
When we have a season that the snow piles foot after foot, our Maine Moose are not able to move around as much and even struggle to get through the thick of it. They of course have seen many Maine winters as their sheds say, but I bet if you were to ask one of them, they would opt for a mild, less snowy winter..."just easier to get around" they would probably say!

I've seen a lot of tracks in the snow and have seen plenty of moose this winter which leads me to believe that we will have an amazing Spring for Maine Moose watching tours! We are already booking morning and evening tours so call Northeast Guide Service and reserve yours! Don't miss the Moose! :)

Top 10 Moose Sightings in 2011 in Maine

A top 10 list for moose sightings with Maine moose watching and Northeast Guide Service. We see a lot of moose in one year's time and take many people to see moose in Maine every year, so a top 10 list for moose sightings in 2011 isn't as easy as you might think. But, here goes:

10) Dead Moose - Yes, that's right, we came across a dead moose. It was a private April tour, snow on the ground and we came across a moose that did not survive the winter.

9) Alive Moose - Thankfully, we saw a moose on the dead moose tour, which makes it number 9 in memorability. We all went from wow, that really is too bad that moose didn't survive to, holy smokes, look at this moose! She still has on her winter, heavy coat and thank goodness, she made it!

8) Number 8 in our list is: Are we there yet?
This group was really putting the pressure on to find a big bull moose and we found him.

7) Dare I forget almost getting carried away by black flies on one of our Memorial Day weekend canoe tours to see moose. A family from California was visiting the area for hiking, canoeing and moose watching...they also got black flies! But, the great thing about spring tours, is that there are so many moose on the loose. The black flies drive the moose out of the woods.

6) Bald Eagle, oh ya and moose - The bald eagle on the water was the highlight of this tour, for me. I love all wildlife and this bald eagle flew over our heads, landed in a dead tree and watched us for almost an hour!

5) Number 5 is memorable because a nice couple from Germany were visiting Maine in late September, had never seen a moose before and we came across this nice size bull that walked in front of us on the road. The morning was beautiful. The autumn colors were spectacular and the moose was a special treat for this couple that day.

4) We had a few amateur and professional photographers join us this year for Maine moose watching and number 4 on my list is when Stacey Guptill, from Inspired from Time Photography joined us. She didn't intend on going in the canoe, but a nice couple chauffeured and she got some amazing pictures. At one point, a moose came swimming right across the pond near her canoe! It was a memorable morning moose tour for sure!

3) Number 3 on my top 10 moose sightings in 2011 list is: 2 couples - one married for 50 years and the other on their honeymoon. Listening to both couples talking to each other and enjoying the moose tour that I was fortunate enough to take them on.

2) Almost the most memorable moose tour of 2011, but comes in runner up was a morning moose tour in September. The temperature was in the 20's. We arrived at the pond for canoeing and you could not see a thing, there was such a heavy fog. We put the canoes on the pond and stayed very quiet, canoeing along the shoreline. We made our way to the cove and sat, listened and waited. Two female cows emerged from the dense fog and forest and we watched feed. It was cold, but awesome and well worth the experience for all of us.

1) ...and number 1!!!! For me anyway, is the MOOSE FAMILY on the pond. It was so awesome. We were canoeing and watching the bull and cow graze and all of a sudden, the cow looked up, into the woods and I knew another moose was coming...tip toe, tip toe and there she was...the rest of the moose family.

Our Maine moose watching tours are a great way to experience nature and moose in their natural habitat. All of our tours are about creating an experience and lasting memories. We are looking forward to what 2012 has in store for us and the moose we see all season long.

Giving Thanks

The holidays can be such a hectic time of year for most of us. We find it hard to slow down and reflect on the good things that have happened in our lives. Thanksgiving Day is your first excuse to do so! Thanksgiving is a day for giving thanks for all of the blessings you have received during the past year. Yes, we enjoy time with our families and friends, we feast, we may nap, we may watch football, we laugh and enjoy one another. But, every year, we need to take the time to reflect and be thankful for what we have and what we have achieved.
We are thankful for our Registered Maine Guide's that worked hard to provide a special experience for our Maine moose watching guests. Jared, Joanie, Glenn, Jessica, Brett and Brian led many moose tours during the 2011 season. We provide moose and wildlife safaris, both with groups and private tours. Guests can enjoy land and canoe tours to see moose. Our guide's are always eager to take guests to the best spots for maximum moose sightings. Some of us are just as excited as the guests are when we spot moose!
We are thankful for our location and building, overlooking Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine.

We are thankful to be able to provide a service to our guests that is personalized, informative and exciting! Seeking out moose and other wildlife in the North Maine woods is a special journey that our guests really engage in, which makes it fun for all of us!
Thank you to the moose watching guests that joined us in 2011. Some of you, on more than one occasion! We appreciate your continued interest in us and what we do.
Our winter work isn't as glamorous as moose watching is, but we have to do the administrative business during the winter! Stay connected with Maine Moose Watching tours during the winter months, via Facebook, Twitter and our Maine Moose Tracks blog.
We are excited to tell you that we are uploading pictures of some of our moose tours to our new moose gallery, so when that is complete, we'll let you know! Until then...

Blue Ridge Parkway and the Shenandoah Mountains

Wildlife and scenery abound during this leg of our road trip. What a beautiful drive our road trip has been. We drove from Asheville to Roanoke, Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway and talk about seeing a lot of deer. Deer are everywhere here. Manny and Abby are so exhausted after this trip through the Blue Ridge Parkway, they are sure to be tuckered out after Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah's. This is beautiful and rolling hillside country, with brick homes and farms along this scenic road, with larger populations, 2-3000 feet below in the foothills. This road trip journey is spectacular and worth it for anyone that loves to take the time to see the country, and is not in a hurry to get anywhere. One thing I've learned on this vacation is that the Northeast is in much more of a hurry than anywhere south of Pennsylvania...at least during this journey, that is for sure! It is an important foot note, since I will try to push less and listen more.
After staying in Roanoke, it was up early and back to our scenic drive. The Blue Ridge Parkway is closed, just north of Roanoke mid November until April for road work, so we skipped it and move on to the Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah's. This is deer country to the max! We saw over 100 deer in the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah's. We also saw 3 bears...mom with her two cubs. I tried really hard to get a picture, but there happened to be another spectator nearby that was noisy, to say the least! Anyone that has joined me on a moose watching tour, knows the importance of being respectful to wildlife, staying quiet and keeping our distance. We saw the 3 bears, so I have them in my memory, but would have LOVED to have gotten a great picture to share. But, I walked away from this memory recalling the importance of quiet observance in nature.

From the scenic drive of the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah's, to Cooperstown, New York and the Baseball Hall of Fame...we are loving our getaway!!!

Great Smoky Mountains

Our trip from Nashville to Asheville was absolutely beautiful. We traveled into Gatlinburg, which is a funky town at the TN entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains. There are tons of activities, shops and restaurants here to enjoy. The drive through the Great Smoky Mountains is beautiful and a must do for anyway that loves the outdoors, mountains, wildlife and breathtaking scenery. Except for Mount Mitchell and Mount Craig, the highest mountain peaks in eastern North America are found in the Smokies - the most massive mountain uplift in the East and one of the oldest land areas on Earth. Sixteen summits rise more than 6000 feet, and the main ridge does not drop below 5000 feet for 36 miles. It's amazing!

Here, at the Newfound Gap, I am 1972.00 miles to Mount Katahdin Maine on the Appalachian Trail.
As we continued on our journey, just before we arrived in Cherokee, NC we happened upon these reindeer, grazing in this field. I was so excited when I saw cars parked along the side of the road. Any one of you that has gone on a Maine moose watching tour with us understands that when you see cars along the roadside in the wilderness, it's either a moose or a PMS (possible moose sighting). This was a confirmed reindeer sighting and five of them, I might add. I can't tell you how excited our dog friends were. We always excite Manny and Abby about seeing MOOSE. So, when we see cows, deer and this time reindeer...they were just as excited as I was!

So, we are in Asheville now and have plans to check out the city and relax again, before our trek north. We feel rested and I would say are both looking forward to traveling north to our home of the great State of Maine. We will be traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway, from start to finish or from finish to start, however you see it. It's 469 miles and I can't wait.

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

J really wanted to go to Mammoth Cave National Park and tag another state in our quest to see the U.S., which yesterday we conquered. We love the National Parks and this was another one that definitely lived up to it's potential. Mammoth Cave is an amazing place. As Registered Maine Guide's, we have a lot of respect for those that lead trips and tours. We went on the guided Historic Tour of Mammoth Cave. Our guide was very knowledgeable. We went 310 feet below the earth's surface, into the bowels of Mammoth Cave. We learned about the network of underground paths that are Mammoth Cave and what is yet to be discovered. I'll be honest, I was a little nervous about going on the cave tour because we were told there were sections that would be narrow and that we would have to crouch to get through. Yes, I know, I guide people on whitewater rafting trips, moose tours, and overnight trips in Maine and shouldn't be nervous about going on a cave tour, but I was. There was no reason to be nervous, though. The experience was amazing and well worth it!
In Bowling Green, KY we stopped at the Corvette Museum and then stopped in Portland, TN at the Sumner Crest Winery. The winery representative was awesome. She told us all about wine in TN, we sampled a bit and couldn't leave without purchasing a couple bottles. We have some great ideas for our travels east in TN for some more winery stops along the way!

Veteran's Day Nashville Style

What a great way to spend the day in downtown Nashville and get to see the Veteran's Day parade.