Winter Season is on its way! Snowmobile Rentals Maine Winter Vacation

Well we hope....We are well into our fall/early winter season in the Moosehead Lake Region. The leaves have fallen from the trees. The wildlife of the area are starting to move to the next season as well. The Moose "Rut" mating season is well behind us and Whitetail Deer too. The woods have grown quiet but for that chattering of hte Red Squirrels scolding me while she fills her nest with food for the winter. Its just days now until The Big Lake caps over for that long winter coating of deep thick Ice. This can only mean one thing for those of us who love the next season. WINTER IS COMING!

Our staff have busy as Beavers preparing the store with new inventory like warm clothes, Skis, Snowshoes and Snowmobile Gear. The snowmobile rentals are getting a good tune up. X/C ski packages are flying out the door in anticipation of that first big snowfall of the season. Keep posted to this blog- as the next will be full of winter pictures and activity reports. It wont be long now.
Maine Moose Watching Maine Winter vacation

Paddling the West Branch

With the close of Summer, the Northwoods Outfitters team decided to take a little R & R trip. We closed the store down one dreary Monday afternoon and piled into the trusty van for our excursion: paddling the West Branch. For me personally, this was one of those moments in life that is simultaneously as terrifying as it is beautiful. I have been in a kayak before; I understand the concept of paddling; however, I had never kayaked in moving water: with rapids and rocks. I am admittedly, a novice.

And I think it showed: I departed wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. It was not until after the fact that I was advised "cotton kills".

Our trip was beautiful. Although the day was overcast and drizzly, the foilage was magnificent. There is something alluring about the peaceful quiet of nature. We ended the trip with burgers and dogs on the grill. A great afternoon for all.

Richard & Steve



Eric



Mike & Pat





Hope & Chris



Dan, Dave, & Emerson





Moosin' Around

There is a crispness in the air; a bit cool. Summer is closing in as Fall draws near. The leaves will soon start their metamorphosis: miraculous ribbons of scarlet red and burnt orange will captivate the foliage. The moose are still active. On this crisp morning we enjoyed a spectacular show of a moose eating. Moose are excellent swimmers and are known to wade into water to eat aquatic plants, like lillies and pondweed. Enjoy this video of our recent Moose Safari. 

Sunset Cruise

The Sunset Cruise is one of the many tours that Northwoods Outfitters provides. Few experiences compare to the feeling of wind blowing in your hair, out on the wide open lake, enjoying a peaceful moment gazing at the sunset. Bliss.

The pictures of this Sunset Cruise will show you that we help create special memories for families to share. We typically provide some treats; in this case, an assortment of fresh fruit, veggie platter, crackers & cheese.

A stop at the beach allowed the kiddos some great swimming. It was a beautiful night.

Unfortunately, when it was time to get back on the boat for the remainder of the cruise, the boat would not start! Our quick thinking guide started a fire as nightfall set in and while they were waiting for another boat to arrive.

Everybody still had a wonderful and memorable time!

The Berry Patch

One of our shuttle drivers, Buddy, was on his way to pick up some Penobscot canoers. He spotted a field full of berries and pulled over to take a look. Suddenly, a black bear stood up tall on her hind legs, looking at Buddy and sending out a warning signal. Then, her cub popped up in front of her belly, curiousity getting the best of her!

Allagash River Trip



Preparing for Trip



Gathering Gear

Connecticut Boy Scout Troop #41 enjoyed a trip with Northwoods Outfitters this week. Here they are preparing for their adventure!

The Allagash River Canoe Trip is just one adventure trip that Northwoods Outfitters has to offer. This Boy Scout troop traveled from Connecticut to complete their excursion. They will be putting their Boy Scout skills to the test during this 7-day canoe and camping trip. The unspoiled nature of the Allagash River has made it a popular destination for canoe trips. In the 1850s Henry David Thoreau made two journeys by canoe along this river. Much of the river is considered the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, namely because Maine citizens voted to protect the river and its natural beauty. The Boy Scouts will enjoy its alluring adventure!



Adventures with Dan: Adventure Crew 100

It was an adventurous trip for some recent customers of Northwoods Outfitters. The crew headed out for several days of camping & canoeing on the Penobscot, clad out with Northwoods' equipment. On Thursday morning Dan headed out for their 12 noon pickup. It was a nice day; a bit cloudy, with thunderstorms moving in with the evening. Dan had a several hour drive ahead of him to reach the specified pickup location. Along the way he enjoyed many wildlife sightings: deer, hawks, a cow moose, a bear and her cub, and fox. After a long but enjoyable drive to the pickup location, Dan found that the crew had not arrived. This was a bit unusual but Dan, in his laissez-faire manner, didn't panic--not yet anyway!

It was quite apparent after some time that this party wasn't going to be showing up anytime soon. With nightfall quickly approaching, Dan drove around in the northwoods wilderness tirelessly searching for our customers. He grew more and more nervous with every passing hour. To complicate things further, he was unable to maintain contact with Northwoods Outfitters because of lack of cell phone service. Dan was relying upon the Ranger Stations and using their phones. He was driving from one location to another, searching for our customers.

Back at the store, we still hadn't heard from our customers. We, too, were growing worried. The thunderstorms were setting in.

Long story short, Dan did eventually pick up our customers. The crew had missed their designated pick up location and were found at another spot. All were in good spirits when he finally found them. Fortunatley, everyone was safe. We chuckle about the mishap now. Dan drove a total of 16 hours that day!

Great Summer Adventures!

Summer is in full swing at Northwoods Outfitters! With warm weather and sunshine, moose spottings have been great for our customers. One customer sent this after their excursion with Northwoods Outfitters:

"Just wanted to say thanks to Northwoods and especially Ashely for the spectacular outdoor adventure. We knew we were in for a treat when we spotted a moose and a black bear while still in the van on the way to the pond. Our canoes were barely in the water when a beautiful bull moose stepped from the forest. We were able to watch him feeding in the water for nearly 45 minutes. Ashley did a great job with the children. They all say that our moose tour was the best part of our whole vacation. Thank you."

The Carr Family
Hidalgo, Illinois

Thank you for sharing your vacation memories, Carr Family! 

Trophy Maine Brook Trout!

Yes, there are still huge brook trout in Maine. These big beauties were caught in the spring using small dry flies.Maine fishing for wild Brook Trout is another great and  unique experience that Maine has to offer. The state of Maine contains 97% of all the wild or native Brook Trout ponds remaining in the entire country. Here at Northwoods Outfitters we offer guided fly and spin-cast fishing trips on a variety of remote trout ponds in the Moosehead lake region. Just last night Eric enjoyed excellent fishing during an evening Fly Fishing Trip in one of his favorite ponds. He and his guest, Mike Levinsky caught and released 15-20 nice trout during the evening Mayfly hatch. Even if you have never been fishing before our expert guides are exited to introduce you to sport! Call our friendly staff  to help plan your next Maine Vacation!

Adventures with Dan: West Outlet Bald Eagle

This week Dan delivered for his customers a sighting of the Bald Eagle - the symbolic token for American freedom. So it seemed quite fitting to post about Dan's sighting this week, as here we are leading to July 4th - Independence Day. Amid the fireworks and family gatherings this weekend, let this be a reminder to honor our great nation.

Father & Son Fishing

After a successful moose sighting on our Moose Safari, one father treated his sons, ages 8 & 6, to a morning of fishing. They loaded up on gear at our store and headed out for some quality father and son time on the water. Upon their return they reported that they caught (and released) 52 fish! Among their catch was white perch, yellow perch, and several Smallmouth bass. Create your family memories: call today to book your Family Fishing Trip with Northwoods Outfitters.

Adventures with Dan: Canoe & Kayak River Trip

While on a van drive to the West Outlet to go kayaking this week, the Giannakouros family spotted a Pileated Woodpecker! Woodpeckers can be identified by the rhythmic drumming of their bill. They live in wooded areas and tap on tree trunks to find insects, which in turn, they eat. Some species of woodpecker drum to communicate with other woodpeckers during courtship. It is estimated that a woodpecker can tap up to 12,000 times per day!



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One Family's Picture Perfect Moose Safari

With warmer weather on the way it is a great time to enjoy a Moose Safari at Northwoods Outfitters. A recent guided moose tour with Ashley produced this perfect picture opportunity! Our guests enjoyed this special connection with our friend, the moose. Our experienced guides continue to delight customers with moose sightings. Call today to book your upcoming family outing.

Morning Moose Watching Trip!

Spring is here and the moose are really starting to move. All of our trips this week spotted the elusive Bullwinkle. 18 moose sightings this week alone! We have had a blast with our customers, some repeat and some from as far away as England! The moose are a little grey this time of the year after a long winter. As the season comes along they will start to bulk up and show antlers. Soon the calf's will be born! Creating great photo opportunities! This mornings customers Diane and John drove 900 miles just to join Ashley on a guided Maine Moose Tour. They were not dissappointed! Moose watching Trips offered Daily!

When the smelts are running the Fish are Biting!

Big lake fishing has really ramped up this week. Temperatures are starting to rise on the local lakes and rivers which means the fishing is picking up. Between Mike and Eric, our Maine fishing guides, had 3 lake trips this weekend. All of our trips produced multiple Salmon and trout catches. If the rain ever stops and the sun starts to shine we should start to see some good insect hatches for those fly fisherman. River levels have been high this spring because of spring runoff and the spring rains. The best Bass fishing of the year is in the next 6 weeks so be sure to book soon!