Travel bugs galore

As I mentioned in my column this month, the kids love finding travel bugs in geocaches. These travelers go from cache to cache in search of a particular adventure. "Dora the Diner" is still with us after a month (we're getting her into a new cache this weekend) so we took her to another diner; this time Friendly's. Taking pictures of bugs doing silly things is a favorite activity of the kids.

A couple of days ago the travel bug tags I ordered for the kids arrived in the mail. So last night we set out to decide on our traveler's missions.

Here are the ideas (all created by the kids) that made the final cut (and all the figures were found at Goodwill for less than a dime a piece):

Ice Cream Eater. The figure the bug is attached to is a bunny riding on a bike pushing an ice cream stand. The bunny wants to go to ice cream stands across the country.

The Swimmer. The figure is "Lilo" from the Disney movie and she wants to swim in lakes, rivers, streams and oceans everywhere.

Ronny. This is a small plastic Ronald McDonald doll that wants to visits McDonalds and eat french fries across the country.

We'll be hiding our bugs in the next week or so in caches in the greater Portland area. I'll keep you updated on where they are if you want to grab one to host.

Scheduling woes

It always seems the really interesting activities all happen on the same day. And it's usually on a day I already have a commitment I can't change.

Take for instance Saturday, June 18.

The MaineGames Orienteering event at Pineland Farms, one of only a handful of competitive orienteering events in Maine, is coming up. When? June 18.

Then there's a geocachers "get together" in Litchfield to do some chatting about finding caches and having some fun with other people who enjoy the sport. When? June 18.

But we've got a dance recital marathon that weekend (Friday dress rehearsal and then two nights of shows - Saturday, June 18 and Sunday). And then there's G.'s violin recital. When you ask? June 18!

So busy families everywhere - I feel your scheduling pain, especially during the month of June!

Kid Tracks Column: Geocaching: A high-tech treasure hunt for kids of all ages

"I want to find another hidden treasure!" my 7-year-old announces to the family at breakfast.

"Yeah, let's go again mommy. It was so much fuuuuun!" my 9-year-old adds.

"OK," I say, "we'll go again soon."

"Today? Pleeeeeease!?!"

And so continues my family's newest and "most exciting," according to the girls, outdoor hobby to date: Geocaching. We found our first geocache through sheer luck on Rattlesnake Mountain last month and since then, the girls had been itching to find more.

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt using a GPS (global positioning system). The "treasure," called a geocache, is usually hidden behind a rock or next to a tree and typically covered with dead branches or bark. The caches are filled with small toys and a notebook log and are not buried as you might suspect, so there's no digging or tools (other than your GPS unit) required.

The coordinates of caches that people have hidden (there are thousands all over the world, and tons in Maine) are logged on geocaching.com. A person interested in finding a cache logs on to get a cache's coordinates to input into their GPS unit, then sets out to find it.

That part is easy. Purchasing a GPS unit, in my opinion, is the tricky part. I'm a gadget freak but even I was intimidated by the hundreds of options. I questioned several people about what features they liked on their GPS units and what they felt was necessary to geocache. That narrowed the field to less expensive handheld units. I settled on a $170 Garmin eTrex with additional memory and a USB connection to download area maps (sold separately). I've yet to use the map feature; we've found several geocaches without them (we've relied on our Maine Atlas to get us to the various trailheads, however). As it turns out, the $100 unit, without the map storage memory, would have worked for us.

With our gadgets in order, my family set out on a rare, partly sunny afternoon to find geocaches. I added the coordinates of a couple of geocaches that were close to each other to my GPS, figuring that if we had time, we'd look for more than one. The first coordinates took us to a trail along the Presumpscot River in North Windham. The river was overflowing, fast-moving (an impressive sight from the trail) and had washed out the trail in several areas, but we found the well-stocked geocache less than a mile from the trailhead without a problem.

We headed to the Highland Lake public boat launch in Falmouth next to find a geocache without coordinates. The cache owner had decided to give people without a GPS a chance to learn about the sport. The "additional hints" section for this cache, along with a photo of the actual hiding place were necessary, so I had printed out the page. We found the small, round thermos-type geocache without much trouble. The cache in Windham was larger and held more stuff, but this cache was clever in how the log and treasures were stored.

A couple of days later the kids wanted to find another cache (beware, this sport is addictive!). I found coordinates to a cache in Deering Oaks Park described as a "mini-micro cache." My 9-year-old spotted it once we reached the coordinates — impressive since it was the size of a film canister. It took me more than a minute to spot it, even after she pointed it out. After a couple of attempts by the kids to get to the cache, I had to do it. It was the find that will go down in the Almeida family folklore. The kids continue to share — and be thoroughly entertained by — the story of me grabbing the cache. Without giving away the hiding spot of this cache, let's just say I had to do some fancy maneuvering to get my hands on the container so we could sign the log. Putting it back wasn't as easy as retrieving it. You'll have to read the "logged visits" of this cache's log page to learn more about the antics involved in getting to this cache.

The decision of where to find the next geocache fell to my 7-year-old. She wanted to see a waterfall, and after a search of the geocaching web site, we found one in Portland on the Fore River Sanctuary Trail. The kids really liked this trail, with its boardwalks, birds and variety of landscapes (from marsh to woods). That was a good thing, because it was a long hike (more than three miles round trip) to Jewell Falls, where the cache was hidden. We found a nice spot for a snack break at the falls and then my 9-year-old found the cache.

In all of the geocaches we've found (six as of this publishing), I've yet to be the first family member to actually spot it. The kids have found five of the caches we've logged (my husband spotted the first one). Why, you ask, do I not spot them first? Maybe because I'm so caught up with all of the features on my GPS unit that I forget to look for environmental clues that indicate the cache location (i.e., dead tree, stacked branches, etc.). So gadget geeks beware: You have to look around once you've reached the cache's coordinates to actually find it!

My kids think the ultimate treasure to find in a geocache is a Travel Bug. The "bug" is a tag attached to a particular item that is tracked online (at groundspeak.com, which is part of the geocaching web site). The two we've found were attached to small action figures. Usually, but not always, travel bugs have a "mission." The "Homer" bug we found on Rattlesnake Mountain's mission was to visit a city or town called Springfield in every state in the United States. We weren't planning any major trips when we found Homer so we put him in a cache at Wells Reserve and hoped someone else would pick him up to bring him to his desired destination. The bug we found in Windham, "Dora the Diner," wanted to eat at diners across the country. She was a huge hit with the kids. We took her to the Maine Diner in Wells and had so much fun we attracted the attention of several other diners. I very much enjoyed the kids' explanation of geocaching and travel bugs to the over-70 crowd.

Geocaching is a great activity for kids because it offers a chance to enjoy a local hiking trail, get some exercise, learn practical map skills — and have fun with the family. And the stories my children have shared about our adventures finding hidden treasures have been priceless.

If you don't have a GPS unit but your family is interested in giving geocaching a try, I'm going to make it easy for you. The kids and I have hidden a cache at the Lowell Preserve Trail in Windham. The coordinates are logged on the geocaching.com website but I've also provided a treasure map that you can use to find my family's cache without a GPS.

Happy treasure hunting!

Trip: Geocaching
Find Caches: To find coordinates to caches, go to www.geocaching.com
Learn More: Get answers to frequently asked questions about geocaching at www.geocaching.com/faq
Maine Geocaching: To chat about caches or find out more about geocaching in Maine, go to geocachingmaine.org

A few "rules" about finding the Lowell Preserve cache:
1. Please do not move or vandalize the container. And make sure you return the container to its original hiding place. Do not move it to another location because others will not be able to find it.
2. If you want, you can take something. But please also leave something of your own for others to find. And be sure to write your name in the logbook so we can see how many people have visited our cache.
3. And it would be great if you took a photo of yourself and/or family with the cache and uploaded it to our Geocaching photo gallery.

Still not sure about introducing your family to geocaching? Here's a few things my family has really enjoyed about the sport:
1. Discovering a new cache. Every cache we've found has been different in both size and content so we never know exactly what we'll find.
2. Hiking on new trails. There are some really interesting trails in the greater Portland area and the incentive of finding a cache has motivated the kids to want to do more hiking than we have in previous years (even in the rain!).
3. Talking about our finds. The kids have been telling everyone they know (OK, so have I) about geocaching and how much fun it is. It's fun to listen to them explain how to geocache to their friends, and their friends' parents.
4. Developing map reading skills. Geocaching is a really fun way to introduce children to maps. They have a lot of motivation to learn how to read the trail map and GPS unit to find the hidden treasure.

No GPS? No problem. If you don't have a GPS but want to find a geocache, follow this geocache map to find the cache my family has hidden at the Lowell Preserve Trail in Windham. Directions to the trailhead are at the bottom of the map. Don't forget to bring a swap for the cache and HAVE FUN! 

Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram, June 5, 2005

Sharing our stories

One of the reasons I decided to start a blog about my family's outdoor adventures is that more often than not, something funny or unusual happens. We seem a typical family with two elementary school-aged daughters who have a variety of interests, including a real love of nature and animals. But my friends are often entertained with the antics and stories of our family life so it seemed fitting to give this blog a go.

My kids are 4-Hers and one of the projects they are working on this summer is a community mapping project. They are gathering GIS data (global information systems). It sounds a bit ominous but it's pretty simple. The kids have made a list of their favorite places in Maine and now they're in the process of collecting the necessary information to post online so others can learn about each place.

We use our GPS to mark the coordinates of each favorite place and take a photo of it. Then we get the street address and write a few paragraphs about why it's a favorite.

The list the kids have developed is an eclectic mix of hiking trails, beaches, ice cream stores and commercial businesses.

A couple of weeks ago we started the project with stops at Scarborough Marsh, Mackworth Island and Old Orchard Beach (of course we had to get some pier fries and ice cream at the beach; and build a new fairy house at Mackworth).

The other day we headed to Gorham to gather coordinates on Baxter Library and Goodwill. Yeah, Goodwill. The kids love it there - they can buy a lot of stuff for only a couple of dollars (which is all they ever have anyway). While gathering coordinates my 7-year-old spotted Darth Vader on the roof of Burger King. This brought on speculation about the SpongeBob theft and the hopes that Vader didn't suffer the same fate. So she decided she wanted a picture with Vader for posterity "in case he got stolen."

This is very typical Almeida children humor.

Our visit to Old Sturbridge Village

We took Flat Stanley on our trip to Massachusetts to visit Old Sturbridge Village and the kids insisted he be in an every picture with them. The have really been in to Flat Stanley and the silly pictures we can take with him.

Kid Tracks Column: Sometimes togetherness is better goal than summit

I knew Mount Cutler in Hiram did not have a well-marked trail. I had done my research before presenting the option to my family. I also knew from a friend that there were some steep climbs. It was not for the beginner hiker he said. My children and husband said they wanted a challenging adventure so we set out to give Mount Cutler a try.

The driving directions we were able to dig up to the trail head said that it was "at the site of the former Hiram railroad station." That tidbit might have been helpful to people familiar with the area but we were not. So once we got into the general area we stopped and asked for more specific directions. As I've said before about hiking in Maine -- you can't be afraid to ask for directions. We hike a lot and I'd say 6 out of 10 times we have had to stop for directions on the way. I used to think I had a pretty good sense of direction and decent map skills but I've been humbled many a time in this state.

There was a small handwritten sign at the trail head with an arrow pointing along a set of railroad tracks that led to the Mount Cutler trail. Those tracks I later found out, were part of the Mountain Division proposed trail that will someday link a series of trails from Fryeburg to Portland. We hiked the first completed portion of the Mountain Division trail in Standish in January. The kids loved following the railroad tracks on that hike and were no less enthused this time. They ended up finding some deer tracks between the old ties and boasted about their skills in identifying them.

There were some trail markers at the start but then we quickly lost site of them. My husband asked me if I had any ideas about how to procede and I said I didn't. I told him that the research I'd done said the signage was poor and now I could officially confirm the articles I'd read were right. Had we not been prepared for this problem I think we would have had a more colorful conversation. But as it was, we plodded along and tried to find our way.

We ended up walking through a lot of brush but did in fact find the trail again. Then we scaled some steep rocks. My husband led the way and basically pulled the kids along while I guided and pushed them from behind on the steeper slopes.

We reached an area that offered a great view of the valley and surrounding mountains. We took in the sights and then decided to continue climbing. We realized that we were about half way to the top but had again lost site of the trail. After a brief discussion with my husband we decided that we had hiked far enough. The climb we'd done so far had tired out not just the kids but also their parents. And based on our experience with other steep climbs, getting down is more challenging for the kids. The rocky slopes look more intimidating going down that they do climbing up.

So we stopped and ate some snacks to replenish our energy. We also played a couple of games with my daughters' pink bunny toy. That bunny has been on almost every hike with us this past year. And he's been put in some precarious positions along the way. You can visit bunny's photo gallery to see a slide show of his adventures.

The best way we have found to get down a steep grade is to crab walk, or as our family calls it, the "Almeida skooch." Basically we have the kids sit on their bottoms and slowly creep down the steep inclines. It took a long time to make our way back down this trail so we turned it into one of our trail games.

My husband and I know we have to be flexible when we take the kids out on the trail. And we have to use our common sense. We hiked this trail as far as every member of the family felt comfortable going and then turned around and headed home. I know the kids will remember the challenges of Mount Cutler. And I hope when they're older they'll want to give it another try. But doing things as a family is what's important to us, not how many mountains we can summit. So if you decide to head out to Mount Cutler with your children, take it at your own family's pace, know you're not going to find a lot of trail markers and enjoy your outdoor adventure.

A NOTE ABOUT TICKS
Before we headed out on the Mount Cutler trail, we broke out the bug spray for the first time this year. Spring is the season when ticks come out in force and we wanted to minimize our chances of picking up a tick on this wooded trail.

The Maine Medical Center Research Institute's Vector-Borne Disease Lab (formerly called the Lyme Disease Research Lab) tracks the tick population in Maine all year long. This year the lab is reporting that adult deer ticks have been out for about four weeks and that the larger dog ticks (also known as wood ticks) have been out for about two weeks.

Here's a few simple guidelines to prevent tick exposure during warm-weather hikes.

Wear long pants and long-sleeve shirts and be sure to tuck your pant legs into your socks.

Stay on the trail and avoid brush or tall grass, where ticks tend to be in highest concentrations.

Wear light-colored clothing so you can more easily see ticks on your clothing.

Use a repellent containing DEET, paying particular attention to spray your shoes, socks and pant legs. You should spray all your clothing with repellent, but spray exposed skin on children sparingly.

 

There are alternative repellent products that do not contain DEET, but they are effective for a much shorter period of time. You should inspect yourself and your children after your outdoor adventure. Ticks often attach themselves behind the ears and in hair and body folds. It's important to perform a tick check as soon you get indoors. The sooner you find and remove a tick, the less chance you have of contracting Lyme disease. Once a tick is engorged (that takes about 24 to 36 hours) there is a greater chance of developing the disease.

To remove a tick you should:

Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with tweezers.

Pull firmly until the tick lets go.

Apply antiseptic to the bite.

If you are unsure what type of tick you have removed, you can save the tick in a small vial of alcohol and contact the Maine Medical Center Research Institute's Vector-Borne Disease Lab. The lab offers free tick identification to the general public. They do not however test ticks for Lyme disease. Visit their website for more information at zappa.mmcri.mmc.org/lyme/lymehome.html.

Trail Name: Mount Cutler
Nearest Town: Hiram
Region: Western Lakes & Mountains
Length: less than one mile
Difficulty: Intermediate
Elevation: 1,232 feet
Directions: Take Route 113 to Hiram Village. At the intersection of routes 113 and 117 drive over the bridge on Route 113 and take your first left (immediate left after bridge). Then take immediate right onto Mountain View Avenue. The street looks like a driveway but will lead you to the trail head.
Terrain: Heavily wooded with lots of large rocks to climb
Bathrooms: No
Parking: Small parking area for 6-8 cars.
Other: There are some steep, rocky sections on this trail. It's best to wear footwear with a thick tread for traction.
Hazards: There are some steep rocks that should be navigated cautiously with children.
Kid's Review

 Listen to the 8-year old describe her experience on this trail...
(40 seconds, 99k mp3 format)
Listen to the 6-year old describe her experience on this trail...
(50 seconds, 186k mp3 format) Video
Climbing down a steep drop
(45 seconds, 1.2MB)

Bunny has some "fun"
(50 seconds, 1.4MB)

Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram May 9, 2004

Kid Tracks Column: Muddy hike's reward: Warm spring sun

A spring day in Maine can change as quickly as the hours pass. The day we hiked at Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal, we saw a little bit of everything – snow, sunshine and rain.
On the morning of our hike, I received a phone call from a friend who was joining us on the trail. It was snowing, and she was calling to see if we were still planning to head to the mountain. I confirmed that we were. We'd never really hiked in bad weather, so my husband and children thought it would be an adventure. My friend agreed, and we set out on the trail later that morning.

By the time we arrived at Bradbury Mountain, the sun was out and the snow was melting. The kids chose the Summit Trail because they wanted to get to the top as quickly as possible. That trail is only 0.2 mile, but it's a fairly steep climb. Step-like rocks made climbing the rocky trail easier. Everything was slippery because of the melting snow and slush. The kids took a couple of spills, but they were laughing by the time they stood up in their wet, muddy snowpants. Apparently it is really cool to fall in the mud. I told the kids I'd take their word for it and, luckily, was spared the experience myself.

It didn't take long to get to the top of the mountain, and the view was awesome. The sun was out and we could see snow-covered fields, trees and some farmhouses. Fog and clouds in the distance obscured the ocean, but we're told you can see it on a clear day.

We enjoyed a leisurely snack and the girls took some time to explore the area. The rocky top of this mountain reminded us of Jockey Cap in Fryeburg.

It had been a while since we had hiked to the top of a mountain and we had to exercise some caution with the kids. There are some steep drops from the top of Bradbury Mountain, so it's not a place for a young child to wander around without an adult in close proximity.

My 7-year-old decided the sun was "too bright" and pulled out the umbrella we had packed to protect my camera equipment. The adults on this hike, however, tried to soak up as many of the warm rays as possible. You could just feel the heat of the spring sun that day and it felt great to be out on a mountaintop taking it all in.

We decided to head back down via the Northern Loop Trail. The kids chose that trail because it was only a mile back to the trail head and they were tired from jumping around on the rocks and making mud pictures.

Several trails lead hikers off Bradbury's peak, so it took us a minute to get our bearings and find the Northern Loop Trail. We proceeded without being sure if we were on the right trail, but eventually found more trail markers to confirm we were heading in the correct direction.

The Northern Loop Trail was particularly muddy; the warmth of the afternoon was enough to melt the snow into a slushy mess on that trail. Both kids jumped into every gooey puddle they could find. We've got quite a few photos of their jumps with the mud flying everywhere. And as if this would be a suprise to anyone, the jumpers weren't the only ones who got splattered.

Thankfully, everyone in my family had on snowpants and winter boots, so we didn't feel quite so wet and dirty. Our friend's pants and suede boots, however, did not fare as well. We couldn't talk her into wearing her "bulky snowpants" (as she called them) at the outset, and she seemed to have had second thoughts about that decision midway through the hike. Of course she hadn't planned on having two Olympic-style mud puddle jumpers with us either.

We saw lots of other hikers and the trail was quite busy despite the questionable weather and all the mud. I would assume this state park is a busy place on a warm, sunny day.
Just as we started peeling off our muddy boots and snowpants back at the car, it started to rain. We couldn't believe our luck at having picked the best two hours of the day for our hike.

Hiking during this season is messy business. But feeling the spring sun and knowing that the warmer temperatures aren't far behind make a hike during this time of year so much more rewarding.

Trail Name: Bradbury Mountain State Park
Nearest Town: Pownal
Region: Greater Portland
Length: Approximately 6.5 miles
Difficulty: Advanced Beginner
Elevation: 485 feet
Directions: From I-295 in Portland, take Route 9 toward Cumberland Center and Pownal. Signs on Route 9/Hallowell Road in Pownal lead to the park.
Terrain: Some trails are rocky and others are packed dirt.
Bathrooms: Yes
Parking: Large parking area at the trailhead.
Hours: 9 a.m. to sunset year round.
Other: Park admission fee is $3 for adults, $1 for children. Designated trails are open to hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. During the winter, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and cross-country ski trails are open. Forty-one campsites are available as well.
Hazards: There are some steep drops at the top of the mountain so parents should stay close to young children to be sure they don't go too close to the edge.

Kid's Review
Listen to the 7-year old describe her experience on this trail...
(50 seconds, 140k mp3 format)
Listen to the 6-year old describe her experience on this trail...
(50 seconds, 64k mp3 format) Video
Drawing in Mud
(53 seconds, 1.3MB)

Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram April 11, 2004