June 17, 2010

Wow! and Fantastic! can be used to describe the weather at Moosehead Lake so far this year. The days are very comfortable and the nights have been cool. Rain has been almost non-existent unlike the past two years. Of course, by saying this, I may have just jinxed us but we will wait and see. But don't wait too long!

Fishing reports. A couple of trout have been caught off the dock and several out in the Lily Bay area. Not too many fishermen in yet so the reports are pretty shallow.

We have had several groups of whitewater rafting parties in camp. They are reporting great rides and great rapids to be on for half a day or the whole day. Several groups will be back next year to take their turn again on the rapids.

July 4th is coming up and many activities are scheduled in the area for the holiday weekend. Fireworks, a street dance, parade, kid events, etc. Come on up for the weekend and spend a couple of days in camp!

See you in camp!

May 17, 2010

Opening fishing on Moosehead Lake has come and gone. Haven't had too many fisherman in due to unpredictable weather patterns and colder than normal temps. We have had snow here on the ground a couple of times in the past week so one never knows what to expect this time of year.

We did get some more work done on the cabins of late. We finished reroofing two cabins and put in a new door in the Laker cabin. A couple of the cabins will see a new coat of paint shortly and we are still working on putting some flooring in the Kit cabin before that cabin is ready for the summer. Kit is looking pretty nice inside now with the old false ceiling being removed. It shouldn't take but a few more days to get the cabin ready but it is getting hard to find the time to do the work with all the other spring cleaning/camp work that needs to be done.

Memorial Day weekend is coming up followed by Moose Mainea here in Greenville. Come up to spend some down time around the lake and check out the newborn moose in the neighborhood. The mother moose should be bringing out her offspring pretty soon if not already.

See you in camp.

April 8, 2010

Wow! Six weeks have passed since the last blog entry. Goes to show you that not much has been happening in the area. The snow is almost gone. Most of the snow we received came from the big storm the end of January and a little bit from the storm at the end of February but for most parts of the area, the snow is gone. The ice on the lake is getting thin. The earliest ice out recorded on Moosehead Lake is April 14. I though we were going to beat that date this year but it is still around. Lots of gray but still lots of lighter gray/white areas that may make ice out a little later than what I predicted, April 9 but it should be out by the date Dave predicted of April 22. We shall see.

We have had a couple of contractors in for the past week re-roofing our oldest camp, Kit. We took down the 7 foot high ceiling, re-insulated the roof, put up tongue and groove pine for a new cathedral ceiling and a ceiling fan to keep the heat down in the winter. As soon as they are done with Kit, they will move on to re-roof Rainbow. And then Dave & I will be working in Kit to put in new flooring, a new heater, a new kitchen area, and a few other items after we get a couple coats of of polyurethane on the new pine. Kit should be ready to go with a wonderful new interior by mid-May provided we keep moving right along with the updates.

May 1 is the official open fishing day on Moosehead Lake and that happily happens to be a Saturday. So make your reservations for that weekend and come up Friday, get the boat in the water, and be ready for an early morning on the lake. Fishing is typically very good two weeks after ice out so be prepared. As an aside, I saw my first black fly two days ago. Not sure what that is a sign of but perhaps a cold spell will knock their biting power away...at least we can all hope. :)

See you in camp!

Feb 19, 2010

Maine's School vacation week is about over but that didn't stop people from coming up to do some ice fishing or snowmobiling. We hear the trails are in good shape once you get to them but there are several places you will experience some dirt and little base. But don't worry, the weatherman tells me that next week, starting on Tuesday, we are in for a series of storms that will take us into the following weekend. Let's all do a little snow dance but don't dance too much -- the last time I asked for a lot of snow, I was up to my hips in the white stuff. Now, at the time, I stood about 5'11 with long legs. And as old age sets in, I have shrunk a bit. So a little bit of snow at a time will be fine...like a 6" storm would be workable. :)

Fishing has picked up a bit. They have caught a few salmon since the salmon season opened up on Feb. 15. Please remember to check your regulation books for the size of fish that you can take out of Moosehead Lake as we know the wardens are out doing their jobs.

Yesterday was kids day in Greenville and our kids were out riding in a horse-drawn wagon, getting their faces painted, and watching the fireworks go off after dark. Tonight there will be a snowmobile parade and bonfire in town.

On the weekend of March 19 Greenville will be hosting the USCC Snowmobile Race. They are expecting a lot of people in town to watch the races and predicting all the rooms in the area will be booked for the event. If you are looking to come up to watch, to ice fish or go sledding yourself, you will want to get your reservation set soon.

See you in camp.

Feb 4, 2010

The 3rd Annual Togue Derby has come and gone. The grand prize fish was a 4.69 pound togue. I haven't heard all of the details as far as where on the lake it was caught. But the weekend was definitely a weekend for the hard core ice fisherperson. It was cold. Temps overnight were in the negative numbers and the winds howled for Friday and Saturday of the derby making windchill temps pretty unbearable. This fair weather fisherwoman decided to stay inside if she didn't have to go outside. What a contrast in weather from the prior weekend where we had temps in the 40's and rain. The lake should be in great shape in most areas but do ask the locals for updates once you arrive.

We are heading into school vacation next week and it looks like there will be all kinds of activities for people of all ages to enjoy over the long weekend--week. From a chowder feed to a chocolate festival for those who like to eat, to icefishing, skating on the ice (little snow cover at the moment), snowmobiling and skiing, and fireworks for everyone -- there will be stuff to do in the region for sure.

There are a couple of free fishing dates coming up next weekend as well. This is a great time to get out there and try what could be a new sport if you haven't tried icefishing before and don't want to spend the money on a license whether a Maine license or an out of state license. Just remember, it is only for a couple of days.

See you in camp.

Jan 19, 2010

This past weekend we had large groups of ice fisherman out there. They verified there was anywhere between 5" of good black ice to upwards and over a foot of ice. It was a bit slushy Friday morning when they all came up and some quickly decided that traversing the lake on an ATV was not ideal.

This weekends report seemed very positive for those who like brook trout as one party took out 3, another had 2 and both parties put back a few due to size. Some said it was a little slow for togue but the cusk fishing was really good compared to last year. I saw several of the cusk laying around and many were in the 5-6 pound range. I would say that all of them were caught in the early evening hours of between 6-10 pm.

Snow conditions are improving again. As I write this, there are 2" of fresh fluffy snow on the back deck. Forecast is upwards of 8" before the end of the day tomorrow. We had a light mist this morning prior to it turning to snow but from what I have heard, we need the snow to get the trails in really good condition. Trail reports vary depending on who you get them from. Route 66 which runs from Kineo to Rockwood has been used for the past 2 weeks although it is not marked. As the wardens are stating use caution and if any doubt, go the long way around. Better safe than sorry.

See you in camp.

Welcome to 2010!

As of Jan. 1, Beaver Cove had at least a foot of ice everywhere we checked. We should be out this weekend to check ice depths again so we'll let you know when we do.

Colder temps are on the way. The weekend temps are looking to hover right around 10 degrees. Night time lows will get below zero so there is a good opportunity for additional ice making this weekend.

The lake has been pretty quiet. Not too many people up ice fishing yet and not too many snowmobiles running the lake. But I do see lots of trucks and trailers passing by our fabric shop in town From what I hear, the trails are anywhere between early season to excellent in condition. Check out Greenville ITS Grooming for the latest ITS trail reports and Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club for local trail information.

For those looking for non-motorized activities to enjoy the quiet of the Moosehead Region, there is plenty of snow to have a great day out cross-country skiing. Bring your dog and try out your skijoring skills. And for those with a need for speed, Big Squaw Ski Mountain is open on the weekends and during vacation periods. A lift pass will cost a skier $25 for a day. Compare that to other resorts and you'll find a tremendous savings.

The Third Annual Moosehead Lake Togue Ice Fishing Derby with Ricky Craven is just a short 3 weeks away. Do you have your cabin reserved for this event? Last year's derby winner stayed at our camps and caught the winning fish within walking distance from his camp. This year's winner could be out front as well!

President's Day weekend isn't too far away either -- only 5 weeks. You would be amazed at the number of calls we get a week before from people hoping for a last minute reservation. Don't be one of them this year -- get your reservation in now.

See you in camp!

December 20, 2009

Ice conditions on Moosehead Lake are improving. If you are familiar with the lake, there is ice up just north of Harford's Point and into Sandy Bay. Beaver Cove has ice out to the point from what I can see. From the north, I can see the ice to be as far south as Spencer Bayand possibly further south than where Casey's campground is. Lily Bay is iced over as far as I could see this morning as is Mud Cove. But it is still open out in the middle. Dave was out this morning to take the auger to the ice sheet. He drilled a couple of holes and both holes measured about 6" of ice. He went out about 100 feet from shore. We believe the ice formed quickly because the water was super-cooled by all the cold and very windy weather. Once we had one day of calm winds the ice formed quickly.

The ice formed in the cove all day on Friday, 12/18, with some really weird formations. It reminded me of a slide one would see in biology class with the blood platelets being nice and round and the edges being a bit thicker. Dave thinks it looks more like the lunar landscape with all the round flat craters. So unless we get some rain, which I'm not hoping for, it looks like ice skating on our part of the lake will not happen this year due to all the bumps and uneven ice formations.

Only 11 more days til the opening of ice fishing on Moosehead. Prong Pond is open to fishing now and it is frozen over as well. Not sure of the conditions as I didn't get out to check it so please check as you go.

December 14, 2009

Well, the time has come to put away the shorts and pull out the extra blankets and long johns if you living in this part of the world. With the first storm of the season come and gone, or almost gone as the winds are still blowing for the 3rd day in a row, the ground is now covered with a good 8-12" depending on where you are and where the wind has blown it. Gusts of up to 50 mph has created some interesting drifts. And with gusts that high, the lake is still churning. The west cove and east cove in Greenville are starting to form some ice. We had a bit of ice around the edges before the winds kicked up so I'm thinking that if we could have a good 24 hours of calm, there should be a layer of ice on the lake. I'll keep everyone informed as to when that should happen.

Ice fishing on Moosehead Lake starts Jan. 1. Now is the time to check over your gear and ask Santa for any new items you might need to make your trip more successful.

The ice fishing derby for 2010 is set for the last weekend in January for those looking to enter into the derby. We still have cabin availability for the derby weekend. We also have our smaller cabins available for Martin Luther King weekend.

Until the next report, this is just a reminder of what can be caught out front of the camps. The operative word of course is 'can'. :)

November 28, 2009

Thanksgiving found us buttoning up camps, moving the last of the firewood, and moving items around in the barn for easier access to the important winter toys--snowmobile and snowblower--in the morning. Ok, so the latter isn't really a toy but it beats saying shovels.

For the rest of the day, Dave spent some time preparing cookies (family recipe) with the kids and sat for 3 hours playing Monopoly with the kids. It was the first time that I am aware of that the kids have played a full game of Monopoly. It was fun to hear them get all excited about buying property only to hear them groan later when they landed on property where rent diminished the amount of money they had quickly.

And, as we enjoyed our dinner, we gave thanks for what is important. We had an "awesome day" to quote our 10 year old. The weather was fantastic, the family time enjoyed by all, and knowing that we were now ready for the winter season was reassuring.

Now, two days later, we have received a large amount of rain yesterday that turned to snow about 4ish this morning. Reports of trees on the line, vehicles in the ditches, more snow in others and our generator running indicating a tree or a car took down a line somewhere. Power went out about 4 and came back on about 6 just in time for another busy day to begin. I think the snow is here to stay for awhile with more snow and cold temps in the forecast.

We hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving!

See you in camp.

November 4, 2009

Here is the rest of the last story. The bull that was shot on the other side of the lake was not as big as the one our guest shot. But it took all day to retrieve. The guest couldn't remember the exact weight but believes it was between 750 and 775. I don't recall anything about the rack except that it had bigger paddles on it.

The snow we had before melted away and we have had some really nice days since and some really bitter windy days to go right along with it. The snow is flying again...nice big snowflakes...with a prediction of 2-5" tonight. It won't stay long as temps will rise into the 50's on Sunday. Not what the deer hunters want to hear or see in the forecast but that is the weather in Maine.

As I traveled to Bangor this morning, I saw a hunter was successful this year. It was hard to tell of any rack size due to keeping my eyes on the road. Seeing the deer is a good sign since the reports of deer indicate that the deer herd size is down quite a bit. I read in the newspaper about a 38 point buck that was shot in the Greenville area. That same article indicated that the buck was most likely a myth after followup calls to weigh stations indicate that no such buck had been through any of them. It sure is nice to dream. But maybe, just maybe, there will be a buck that size brought in to a weigh station in the Greenville area sometime in the near future.

As the holiday season approaches, consider a visit to the area. Just after Thanksgiving we have a Deck the Halls celebration. Activities for kids, shopping for the ladies, and guys can head out to the woods for the last weekend of deer season. In the evening, a parade and tree lighting followed by a community dinner and sockhop will end the day long festivities.

Stay with us during the long Thanksgiving vacation or even Christmas vacation! Give the family a different feeling for the holidays and create some new memories.

Until next time,

October 16, 2009

And so, Greenville has had its first snow of the season. The kids were excited to find snow in Greenville after getting off of the morning bus Wednesday. I was traveling home from Bangor Tuesday evening and as I came by the Shirley DOT site, we were hit with some wonderful snow squalls. I hit the dim lights and went back and forth, I was the only one on the road, so my daughter could see the great views of the squalls. The road was pretty warm so there was no fear or white knuckling of sliding into the ditch. If I say so myself, it was very beautiful and reminded me of some fabric I have at the quilt shop in town that reflected exactly what I was seeing.

We have had a hunting party in all week. They had a moose permit and filled it Tuesday morning. The bull was probably 4 years old and weighed in at 830 pounds. It had a really nice rack and looked quite healthy. The party then assisted a group of friends Wednesday morning that were hunting the other side of the lake. A call came in to help drag their moose out of the woods as it was on the back side of a mountain that had received snow the night before. I have yet to get the details on the successful hunt but I should have them soon. The group was also out doing some bird hunting. There are quite a few birds out there and most are quite successful in getting their limit.

On the way to town today, the pond at the bottom of Beaver Cove was frozen over and the trees had a nice coating of frost on them. The pond will be open again before long as the temps will be up into the 40's during the daytime. The low last night was in the mid 20's. It won't be long now, 2 months or so that Moosehead will be frozen over as well. Have you started to think what dates you will be in the area for ice fishing or snowmobiling? The ice fishing derby is still scheduled for January 29-31. A chocolate festival is scheduled for Valentine's Day. And hopefully, every day will be a good day for snowmobiling once the trails are groomed.

Deer hunting is coming soon. We have some availability remaining. And while October comes to a close and November sneaks up on us, why not think about spending Thanksgiving at Beaver Cove Camps. If the snow hasn't fallen by then, you have a couple of days to do some last minute hiking. And if the snow is here, sliding down a hill or snowshoeing will get you out and about. Or a weekend of boardgames with family members is a great way to create lasting memories.

See you in camp!

October 4, 2009

Rainy, foggy, and chilly. Three words describing the past week. But when we can see the clouds with a bit of sunshine peaking through, we have some wonderful colors in the leaves that are holding on. Paper reports that we are between 50 and 57% peak foliage. I would say that is pretty right on. Now if we can keep the winds at bay for a bit longer, the next week should be really beautiful with all the leaves in their complete glory.

There seems to be a lot of traffic in the area early in the mornings the past few days. Seems like the hunters are coming up to scout for their moose or deer while getting in some bird hunting as well. Saw several large bulls going through on trailers last week. That caught me a bit off guard as the districts around the lake only have one week of moose hunting. These bulls were coming down from north of the Golden Road. In another week, we should be seeing a few more coming through.

Columbus Day weekend is coming up. The last 3 day weekend in a while so why not come on up to relax a bit before the snow flies and everyone starts to break out the shovels. We have a few cabins still available. If you come to hike, remember, due to hunting season, you will want to be wearing something in hunter orange coloring.

See you in camp!

September 1, 2009

And so it goes to say, Summer was too short. We had about 2 weeks of little rain and hot temps....if you consider temps in the 80's hot. I'm thinking the 80-90% humidity is what made it hot.

But, alas, summer in the region is quickly coming to an end. The kids are back in school tomorrow. The evening/night temps are in the 40's and 50's. The morning fog on the lake indicates the water temps are cooling off. And, every so often, one will see a leaf that has changed colors already.

Fishing has been great all summer and will continue to be now that the water temps are getting cooler again. I expect lots of fishermen will be happy with what they catch this September.

Hunters are getting ready for their favorite season to begin. Bear season has already begun. And soon, it will be moose season followed by deer. Then we come to Turkey Dinner and gift season. Where does the time fly!

See you in camp.