The Maine Woods, by Henry David Thoreau (New York: Penguin Nature Classics, 1988)
Even with the changes that have occurred since Henry David Thoreau’s three journeys during the 1840s and 1850s, The Maine Woods remains a worthwhile companion to Mount Katahdin, Moosehead Lake, the West Branch of the Penobscot River, Lake Chesuncook, the Allagash River, and other places along his routes. As always, Thoreau’s curiosity and insights are infectious and wise.
“On the 31st of August, 1846, I left Concord in Massachusetts for Bangor and the backwoods of Maine, by way of the railroad and steamboat, intending to accompany a relative of mine engaged in the lumber-trade in Bangor, as far as a dam on the west branch of the Penobscot, in which property he was interested. From this place, which is about one hundred miles by the river above Bangor, thirty miles from the Houlton military road, and five miles beyond the last log-hut, I proposed to make excursions to Mount Ktaadn, the second highest mountain in New England, about thirty miles distant, and to some of the lakes of the Penobscot, either alone or with such company as I might pick up there.” – from The Maine Woods, by Henry David Thoreau
Links
The Maine Woods – Electronic Text
Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce
Penobscot River Restoration Trust
Thoreau’s Maine Woods (history and links)