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Cross-Country Ski at Notchview Reservation in the Berkshires, Massachusetts

Last Friday, my wife and I headed to the Berkshires in the western part of Massachusetts to check out the incredibly detailed 500 year-old prints of Albrecht Durer at the Clark Art Museum and the wildly inventive bird and flower sculptures of Petah Coyne at Mass MoCA. The highlight of our trip, however, was cross-country skiing on the grounds of the exquisite Notchview in Windsor. Run by the Trustees of Reservations, Notchview’s trails were groomed with a fresh layer of powder when we arrived. We went counter-clockwise on the Circuit Trail, passing meadows and skiing under a tunnel of snowed-under pines. The web of white branches kept us snug within the forest, protecting us from any wind. After passing a small shelter, we turned onto the Whitestone Trail and entered a winter wonderland of uprooted trees and branches arching over the serpentine path. A downhill run brought us back to the main lodge, invigorated by the fresh smell of pine and the exercise. To top it off, we went to the Old Creamery in Cummington, a favorite local haunt that features homemade soups, grilled panini sandwiches, salads, and pies. The perfect ending to a perfect outing.
 

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Sample Winter Adventure Montana-Style at Triple Creek Ranch

Voted the finest small lodge in America by Travel & Leisure magazine, Triple Creek Ranch is located in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. It’s the ideal terrain to go fly-fishing, horseback riding, and hiking, then return to one of 23 cozy cabins and get a ready for a Relais & Châteaux-designated dinner. Thankfully, the fun doesn’t end in autumn. The lodging is also known for its exciting winter sports. This includes skijoring, where a cross-country skier is pulled by a cowboy on horseback; and dogsledding with 13-time Iditarod finisher, Jessie Royer. Other adventures include winter horseback riding, cross-country skiing on the Continental Divide, downhill skiing at nearby Lost Trail Powder Mountain, and snowmobiling. Triple Creek Ranch has thrown together a Big Sky Big Five Snow Package that includes all these activities, 5 nights lodging, meals, wine and spirits, and a one-hour massage in your log cabin. Cost is $7,635 per couple and the package is available January 17 to February 29. 

 
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Skiers Should Purchase Their Epic Pass Now

Earlier this year, Vail Resorts added an additional five Northeastern ski areas to its portfolio of resorts. In addition to Stowe, Okemo and Mount Sunapee, the Epic Pass now provides unlimited, unrestricted access to Mount Snow in Vermont; Hunter Mountain in New York; and Attitash Mountain Resort, Wildcat Mountain and Crotched Mountain in New Hampshire. Add one trip out West to either Vail, Park City, or Whistler, and it’s worth the money. Sunday, November 24th is the last chance to purchase the Epic Pass and the entire suite of Epic Pass products for the 2019-20 season. Look through the options and see which one is best for you, including a new Epic Day Pass, with discounts of up to 50% off lift ticket window prices. The Northeast College Pass is $409 for the season with unlimited access to Stowe (except for the Holidays), Okemo, and Sunapee. 

 
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Acadia National Park Week: Sea Kayaking Frenchman Bay

The first time I ever stepped into a sea skirt and tried a sport I now cherish called sea kayaking, I was in Bar Harbor researching my first book, Outside Magazine’s Adventure Guide to New England. Learning to sea kayak at Acadia National Park is like learning to scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef. Give it a try here and you’ll be hooked for life like I was. One of the finest ways to see Acadia’s mountains is from a distance, with your head and feet only inches away from the water line. 20 years later, I returned to the same outfitter, Coastal Kayaking, for another paddle on Frenchman Bay. 
 
Our guide, Jared, fit us for life jackets and sea skirts at their store on Cottage Street and then drove us to the bar of Bar Harbor, a sand spit that juts out of town and connects to an adjacent island, Bar Island, at low tide. When we returned after our 4-hour paddle, people were actually driving on that spit of sand all the way over to the island. Jared unloaded the kayaks and passed out paddles, teaching us some basic strokes. We then got acclimated to our cubby holes, threw on our gear, and set off on the wild blue yonder. In a double kayak, Jeff and I found our rhythm as we made our way around the northern shores of Bar Island on soft rolling swells. As we continued around the rock ledges of Sheep Porcupine Island, we spotted the unmistakable white head of a bald eagle atop a tall pine. Minutes later we would find a seal in the wake of a lobster boat picking up traps and then porpoises gliding through the unusually calm waters of the bay.  
 
We stopped for a 20-minute break on a sandy section of Long Porcupine Island, just enough time to eat the incredibly addictive kale salad from our favorite pitstop in town, A&B Naturals. On our return trip, we would spot loons and black guillemots, a cross between a puffin and a duck, divebombing their plump bodies into the waters around us.  Jared pointed to a speck of an island called Rum Key and told us how Canadian rum runners provided the Rockefellers and their affluent friends with scotch and rum during prohibition and used this island as their holdout. The ridge of mountains—Champlain, Dorr, and Cadillac—rose above the town of Bar Harbor, inspiring awe. Yes, the paddle was just as memorable as the first time. 
 
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Top 5 Paddling Spots in America, Allagash River, Maine

Maine’s rivers have attained near-celebrity status from paddlers nationwide. Mention the Allagash River to a canoeist and his eyes suddenly become moist and dreamy as he inevitably responds, “Yeah, I’d like to go there someday.” The river has somehow attained legendary stature. Perhaps it’s the way the blue streak of water slips off the map of America’s northern fringes, remote and isolated, hundreds of miles from the nearest metropolis. Or maybe it’s the legacy of writer, philosopher, and inveterate traveler Henry David Thoreau, who ventured down the waterway a mere 140 years ago, waxing lyrically about the last great frontier in the East in his book, The Maine Woods. Whatever the reason, the 92-mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway continues to lure 10,000-plus paddlers to its shores every summer, turning farfetched dreams into reality. Go with a trusted guide like Mahoosuc Guide Service, who led me down the West Branch of the Penobscot River in Maine last fall. That led to an article in this month’s Sierra Magazine.
 

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Top 5 Dream Days in 2016, Savoring the Art Scene in Cape Town

Frankly, every day we spent in Cape Town in September was a dream, from strolling the magnificent gardens of Kirstenbosch to sampling the wines of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek to biking the Cape of Good Hope. But it’s hard to top the first day in Cape Town, waking up to a gluttonous feast at the classic Mount Nelson Hotel and then being escorted to the top art studios in town by local bead merchant, Stephen Long. The Gallery Shop, on bustling Church Street (48), is a gem of a small store selling colorfully beaded jewelry, sculpture, wall hangings, pillowcases, and more. Owner Lorin Strieman used to run the gift shop at the National Gallery and she has a great eye for contemporary South African craft. It’s hard not to purchase all the whimsical beaded animals at Monkeybiz. It was wonderful to walk upstairs and see the artists sitting together and laughing while creating art. Just as alluring was the work at Streetwires, where sculpture of all sizes is created by wire and bead. Bags in hand from all the goods we purchased, we visited the colorful houses and mosques found in the Bo-Kaap neighborhood still home to a large Cape Malay population. That evening, we were back in the center of town for First Thursday Art Walk, a great opportunity to see all the art galleries on Church Street with a glass of Stellenbosch pinotage in hand. That’s what I call a Dream Day! 
 
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Adventures in the Florida Keys, Stand-Up Paddleboarding in Islamorada

Pull over at Marker 88 in Islamorada on the bay side of the Keys and you’ll find a van. This is the home of Annette Robertson, the premier stand-up paddleboarding instructor and guide in the region. Miami Dolphins great Jason Taylor and his family are just one of the many clientele who regularly make the 90-minute trek south of Miami to spend the day on the bay paddleboarding. While I’ve seen my kids play around with paddleboards, I’ve never tried it until now. Annette was the perfect instructor, showing me how to balance and find my sweet spot on the board before we started on our merry way. We paddled along the shoreline on the calm waters, looking below to find fish. Annette has seen turtles and sharks on her numerous jaunts to the nearby mangroves. Rent paddleboards from her and go out as long as you like. It’s a great workout for your core. In fact, Annette has started to offer pilates and yoga classes atop the boards. So be sure to ask. 

 

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