Preview: Winter adventure guide

With nothing to report since the end of August and beginning of September - two weekends spent hiking three coastal mountains in Downeast Maine (Black Mountain and Schoodic Mountain in Hancock County and Pemetic Mountain in Acadia National Park) - it's been a long wait through hunting season in anticipation of the more snowy days of December, January and February.

However, according to the Appalachian Mountain Club, you don't have to wait out hunting season if you want to get out and hike - even if you want to hit the trails with your canine companion whose furry body and/or tail may resemble that of a white-tail deer:

Each year we at the AMC get questions about hiking during hunting season. Many people, especially those unfamiliar with the traditions of hunting, are fearful of venturing into the woods during hunting season.

Caution is certainly advisable, but fear isn't necessary, if you think about where you're going and you prepare properly for your trip. The best form of preparation is in the clothing you wear and the places you choose to go. ...

Read the full article by Rob Burbank, public affairs director for the Appalachian Mountain Club.

This winter, Maine Day Hiker hopes to revisit some familiar trails in the snow, traveling primarily on snowshoes and cross-country skis. We'll also explore the sport of skijoring, which amounts to having a harnessed dog, attached to a belt around your waist by up to a 10-foot towline, help pull you over the trails as you "ride" behind on cross-country skis.

In coming weeks, we'll discuss needed and recommended equipment for winter hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and skijoring; provide names and contact information for local outfitters; and begin gathering information on where to go, how to get there and, if applicable, how much it costs.