Hiking with L.L. Bean

As cliché as it is to say, I don’t think I truly appreciated my home state of Maine until I was gone. Growing up I despised that I did not live in a city and that it felt like nothing exciting ever happened. I so badly craved to be somewhere with more hustle and bustle. Now after living in three cities, I’ve come to appreciate how laid-back Maine is. Also beyond anything else, I value the many opportunities there are to venture into nature.

The other weekend when we were staying at Northern Outdoors we hiked to the scenic Moxie Falls. The three of us girls had woke up early, dressed warmly, and made our way to the woods. It had snowed first thing that morning so the trees were covered with flecks of white. The sun shined bright in the sky and the air was crisp, yet not too chilly. It was a perfect day to be outside.

“I felt like lying down by the side of the trail and remembering it all. The woods do that to you, they always look familiar, long lost, like the face of a long-dead relative, like an old dream, like a piece of forgotten song drifting across the water, most of all like golden eternities of past childhood or past manhood and all the living and the dying and the heartbreak that went on a million years ago and the clouds as they pass overhead seem to testify (by their own lonesome familiarity) to this feeling.”

—Jack Kerouac

There’s something innately beautiful about being in nature. Perhaps it’s that you feel a connectedness to something much greater than yourself, or that there is absolutely no pressure to be anything other than who you are. Whatever it is, we sure need a lot more of it in our daily lives.

How beautiful it is to feel so at peace in your very soul.

What I love about Maine is that even after growing up here and living here most of my life, there is still so much left to discover. For instance, I had never been to The Forks area and had I not been offered a stay with Northern Outdoors, I would never have found this overlooked treasure. Moxie Falls is one of the highest falls in New England and seeing it in the early spring with the snow still on the ground was absolutely breathtaking.

For our hike, we opted for a Maine staple: L.L. Bean. Designed and manufactured almost entirely in Maine, L.L. Bean is meant to inspire, motivate, and keep you cool and comfortable. Perhaps this is my Maine roots talking, but what I’m most drawn to is their timeless style and practicality. Our L.L. Bean boots were not only fashionable but kept our feet dry through the copious amount of snow we walked through.

When we returned to the car from our hike each of us was quiet for a few minutes. The walk in the woods had done us all well. Our souls were at peace and our minds were at ease. Taking time to reflect and unplug is one of life’s simplest gifts. After our trip, each of us vowed to prioritize time spent in nature.