Maine Huts & Trails
Maine Huts & Trails is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Kingfield, the halfway point between Farmington and Carrabassett Valley, near the Sugarloaf Ski Resort.
MH&T manages four huts and over 80 miles of four-season trails for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing near Flagstaff Lake and the Bigelow Mountain range.
Read about our trip at:
Stratton Brook Hut Maine Huts and Trails Lodge
A short video showcasing the Stratton Brook Hut and the trails leading there.
Part of the Maine Huts and Trails system near Sugarloaf and the Bigelow Preserve.
Mainehuts.org
Music: Exit Glaciers - Your Eyes
facebook.com/exitglaciers
Cross Country Skiing on Maine Huts & Trails Day 1
Day 1 of our cross country skiing adventure in Kingfield Maine on the Maine Huts & Trails. We escaped the Blizzard of 2015 in CT and got to ski on fresh powder up in Maine. Day 1 we were shuttled to the Flagstaff trailhead by Greg from All Points Transportation. We skied to the Flagstaff Hut for the first night and were treated to a tour of the hut's sustainable energy sources and waste composting.
Check out Maine Huts & Trails
Music: Rameses B - Memoirs
Camera: Sony Action Cam HDR-AS30v, Canon G7X
Cross Country Skiing on Maine Huts & Trails Day 2
Day 2 of our journey on the Maine Huts & Trails in Kingfield Maine started with a gourmet breakfast cooked by the caretakers at the Flagstaff hut and then lots of fresh powder on the pristine trails. Our luggage was transported to the Poplar hut by snowmobile and we even got to make a fire at the halfway yurt to warm up from the freezing temperatures.
Check out Maine Huts & Trails
Music: Melvv - Glide
Melvv - Hopeful
Melvv - Neon
Camera: Sony Action Cam HDR-AS30v, Canon G7X
Maine Huts & Trails and Great Maine Outdoor Weekend
Cayce Frigon of Maine Huts & Trails talks about why you should take part in the next Great Maine Outdoor Weekend!
Learn more at
Driving Through Kingfield, Maine
Please excuse the dashboard. First time using a very WIDE angled GoPro. Enjoy the long drive through Kingfield, Maine on a nice, sunny day.
Hiking Bigelow Mountain in Kingfield, Maine
A few video clips taken while hiking the Fire Warden's trail of Bigelow Mountain on November 12, 2011. Kingfield Miane.
Feel like buying me a coffee? Click here!
A ride into Kingfield, Maine
A beautiful view of the mountains as you come over the top of this hill on Rt. 16.
Man walking on stilts in Kingfield, Maine parade 2011
Kingfield Days Parade in Maine.
Easy-Access Camping: Flagstaff Lake, Maine
Trail parking shown in this video is located on E Flagstaff Road in Northwest Somerset, Maine, and can be found via these coordinates:
45.134820, -70.171303
Download a trail map via this link:
Watercraft are allowed on this lake. A non-motorized watercraft launch is located on Bog Brook Road, which is very close to the parking lot shown in this video.
Music Credits
BOUNCE by Evan Schaeffer
Birds Flying High by MOWE
Vocal sample by Nina Simone - Feeling good
Produced by MÖWE & Nikodem Milewski
Mixdown and Mastering by Nikodem Milewski
facebook.com/MixedbyNikodemMilewski
facebook.com/MOEWEmusic
youtube.com/user/Moeweofficial
instagram.com/mowemusic
twitter.com/MOWEmusic
Episode 53: Russell Walters, President at Northern Outdoors
About the episode:
Born in the U.K., Walters has been involved in the outdoor industry since the early 1980s. A registered Maine guide, Walters has experience on the east and west coasts of the U.S., including a four-year term as general manager for O.A.R.S. in Angels Camp, California. Walters returned to Maine in 2000 to become president of Northern Outdoors, a four-season adventure resort located in The Forks.
Walters serves on a number of local, regional and state organizations, including as a board member of Maine Huts & Trails and as the current chair of the Maine Sports Commission. Walters also serves as regional director, North America, for the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA). His work for the ATTA takes him the length and breadth of the U.S. and abroad, working with destinations, tour operators, agents and guides to promote the economic and conservation benefits of adventure-based travel.
In the episode:
1:59 – Russell shares how he grew up in England kayaking and, while looking for a place to train and run river, found the Kennebec River.
5:18 – Russell shares how he now lives in Kingfield, Maine, and runs Northern Outdoors.
6:31 – Nancy shares how she and Russell met as Nancy acquired Northern Outdoors as a client and agreed to become a rafting guide.
8:45 – Russell doesn’t think he would change much about his career or the operation of Northern Outdoors.
10:30 – Nancy points out Northern Outdoors’ ideal location.
11:53 – Russell and Nancy discuss the start of Northern Outdoors as a cross between terror and exhilaration.
14:02 – Russell shares how Northern Outdoors has evolved over the past 30 years.
15:35 – Russell talks about how PR and marketing have changed at Northern Outdoors, including a focus on customer experience and becoming more open to review sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp.
20:09 – Russell shares how technology, seasonality and staffing are obstacles to success and how he has overcome these obstacles, including being part of creating a new reservation system.
26:30 – Russell talks about his involvement in the ATTA.
27:39 – Russell admires how collaborative the Brewer’s Guild is compared to other aspects of tourism.
33:05 – Russell shares how Northern Outdoors focuses on engagement when measuring success.
34:03 – Nancy mentions how Matt Ginn’s way off measuring success could relate to the outdoor business, as well.
34:47 – Russell describes how he prefers to make connections through the phone, video chatting, rather than online.
39:30 – Some resources that Russell uses include podcasts and the book The Customer Comes Second as resources.
42:09 – Russell encourages people starting their careers to find something they love, do lots of research, and stick with it or fail fast.
Quote:
On operating Northern Outdoors: I think we've, all of us, learned to adapt and to evolve and not remain stagnant. I think that's part of the joy of being up here. — Russell Walters, President at Northern Outdoors
Links:
Hug Your Haters by Jay Baer
The Customer Comes Second by Hal Rosenbluth
Looking to connect:
Email: russell@northernoutdoors.com
LinkedIn:
Northern Outdoors:
Phone: (207) 663-4466 or 1-800-765-7238
Flagstaff Lake, Maine
Ride Report here:
quick view from a pull off, looking south at the Lake and Eustis, Maine
The Rack BBQ Carrabassett Valley, Maine
Check out the Rack's new smokehouse and smoker!
The Chain of Ponds
This is a video Scenic video of western mountains of Maine And thanks mom for helping me with the footage your the best :D
Nathan Provost
Bigelow Basin
Mountain biking along Bigelow Basin (Bigelow Mountain, Stratton Brook Pond, Fire Warden Trail) Maine. Met some great kids with great smiles on the way back.
Hey Kids-- Let me know if you found the video OK. God Bless! Kevin
Sunrise on Flagstaff Lake Maine
Early morning view of the sunrise on Flagstaff Lake in the Bigelow Preserve, Maine
Bigelow Mountain
Waiting for the sun on top of Southern Horn Peak at Bigelow Mountain.
Bigelow Hike
Nice hike with Keith and Billy in the Bigelow preserve, State of Maine. Mountain Jam by The Allman Brothers Band plays along nicely