Call it chauvinism, but I've always been a fan of L.L. Bean. One reason is the generous discount it gives Registered Maine Guides. Another is this cool feature on the Bean Web site. You can literally search the world for parks according to the sort of activity that interests you (from hiking to big game hunting). I just searched Scandinavia for places to fish and discovered Urho Kekkonen National Park in Finland, where 20,000 reindeer graze the windswept tundra. I have no clue whether the fishing is any good in the Finnish part of Lapland, but the thought of all those caribou roaming around under the Northern Lights brought a smile to my face.
Maine Guide Tip
Every week, I'll offer some wood wisdom gleaned from Registered Maine Guides I've known.
Using a Watch As a Compass
In extremis an analog watch can double as a rude compass. Point the hour hand at the sun. Halfway between twelve o'clock and the hour hand will be south, so 180 degrees in the opposite direction is north. Try it with an actual compass (before you're lost). It really does work.
Maine Guide Tip
Every week, I'll offer some wood wisdom gleaned from Registered Maine Guides I've known.
How To Read a Topo Map
Topographical maps — whether downloaded from the Web or the old-style ones printed by the United States Geological Survey — work on the principle of color coding:
Brown — Indicates contour lines, signifying changes in elevation.
Blue — Indicates water, including lakes, rivers, and streams.
Green — Signifies vegetated areas over six feet in elevation.
White — Signifies areas with vegetation under six feet in elevation, such as swamps and bogs.
Black — Is used for man-made features such as buildings and roads.
Red — Marks major highways, although it can also signify the boundaries of public lands.