Here, it is somewhat difficult for me to imagine the predicted tourist crowds my fellow media writers can’t stop talking about to countries like Spain, Greece, and Italy for the remainder of the year. That’s because there is practically no one here at my present location in an extremely isolated corner of the United States. Tourists coming to Maine tend to favor the coastline or the beautiful mountain ski resorts further southwest towards New Hampshire in the winter. I am working remotely at our annual winter retreat here in the far northern reaches of Aroostook County 330 miles north of Maine’s main economic hub, Portland. We sit on a birch and evergreen crowned bluff overlooking the snow-covered 13-mile Long Lake, which I refer to as “my reverse retreat,” as most people having a choice would opt for warm winter destinations. The location is only miles from the northernmost US-Canadian border, which one can drive to without leaving the country. Only the Alaska-Canada border at Poker Creek–Little Gold Creek Border Crossing on the Alaska Highway is further North but has no direct US land connection with the rest of mainland USA.
The border line stretches from the Atlantic coast in Maine over 5,500 miles across to the West Coast of the United States and thus is the world’s longest land border.
Ice fishing huts and trucks on the lake.
Russia is the largest country in the world, almost twice the size of Canada and immediately followed by the United States and China both of which are quite a bit smaller. The long border presents challenges of security and control. According to a spokesman of the Maine border patrol, illegal vehicle crossings have increased a worrisome 250% over the last two years. Because of the remoteness of the Maine-Canada border, it is a logical target for drug smugglers, and Homeland Security must face possible entry of terrorists here. This is the stark reality in contrast with the natural beauty, a place far removed from the big cities along the East Coast of the United States. It is a place where time seems to stand still and the small communities are supported mainly by potato growing and its support businesses here.
Many of my fellow southwest Floridians think I am crazy and don’t understand my attraction to the winter cold here. The January 50-degree weather at home was cold enough for most. It is snowing, and the forecasted windchill for the next days is predicted to go down to a tooth-rattling minus thirty-five degrees. At such temperatures, hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin could happen within ten minutes. So, what am I doing up here? It is a combination of my adventurous spirit in traveling to places where few people go and relaxing in front of a cozy fireplace while watching giant snowflakes dance outside. It is a diversion from traveling to the most well-known tourist areas of the world I do often. I have, since my youth, sought the thrill of travel as well as extremes and worked in practically every facet of the industry in numerous countries.
Some ice fishing huts offer elaborate facilities.
Nothing beats the mood of a fireplace combined with the snow outside.
During our recent winter visit, we experienced the annual event of the International Ice Fishing Derby taking place in front of our cottage on the lake. A short time whereby the quiet atmosphere of serene stillness was shattered by people from countries all over the world vying to cash in on the prize monies by catching the largest fish or the most fish from small temporary ice huts or more recently, bright blue and red pop-up winterized tents. And a few hardy fishermen simply fish from an open hole in the ice. Records stand at a 29-pound Muskie and over 1,000-pound Perch by one angler.
Large pick-up trucks drive all over the lake as daredevil snowmobiles race around for the fun of it. The vast whiteness of the normally still snow-covered lake has become a beehive of colorful activity for the two-day event. According to the organizers, the attendance of 2,200 paid registrations blew away the record of 1,852 registrations from last year.
This is the same lake where, according to the Guinness Book of Records, a couple of local guys broke the record for the largest moving ice circle in the world with a block of ice cut out of the lake with chain saws with a diameter of almost 1,800 feet and 146,000 tons of weight. The contraption was made to move with homemade motors to get the carousel of ice to turn. After the weekend of all the action, the area returned to the spectacular stillness during the winter months, normally stretching well into Spring. These are the sounds of silence, only disturbed by the bellowing of a nearby moose or the howling of coyotes in the surrounding woods.
I totally understand that most readers enjoy the usual warmth of southwest Florida,
Our “reverse retreat” on the lake.
I certainly would not wish to stay here all winter, spoiled by Florida weather, but a two to three-week visit, knowing I can return to warm Florida, is a perfect combination. And after a few weeks of experiencing Maine’s “Siberia,” we appreciate returning to our routine of early morning beach walks on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Even after over forty years on Marco Island, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Ewout Rijk de Vries and his wife, Jill, brought America Travel Arrangements to Marco Island 40 years ago. They specialize in high-end adventure tours and small safari groups for clientele all over the world but also are experts on high-end cruises with the help of longtime assistant and friend, Michelle Wegman. In combination with his writing and photography, Ewout has visited over 100 countries. Please direct your comments or questions to ewout@coastalbreezenews.com as he likes to hear from readers.