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Every year I try to make a pilgrimage to the North Woods of Maine. Since 2008 I have been visiting this region of Maine and have developed a deep love for this true wilderness. Most of this area is well out of cell phone service, and once you venture off the beaten path, there are very few people. You cannot realize the significance of this until you have experienced it for yourself. Without connectivity with the rest of the world you quickly settle into an inner calmness and with clarity can focus on the moment, on the natural surroundings. All anxiety drains as the troubles of everyday life fade into the past. The relief is so powerful that even as I type these words, bombarded by the sounds of church bells, cars, sirens, the whine of the computer, the throb of the air conditioner, the airplanes approaching a nearby airport, the chime of an email on my smartphone, I am able to pause, close my eyes and image myself drifting silently in my kayak urged on only by a gentle breeze, and feel my stress and anxiety instantly diminish.

Over the next couple of weeks I will share with you some of the images of this amazing region, of which I have only begun to scratch the surface with my exploration. On this particular trip, My father-in-law, Lee Cordner, and I joined good friend Jim Borden to spend four nights off the grid at a secluded and remote North Maine Woods location.  All of the following Panoramas were created by combining multiple exposures of 5 to 17 images that are stitched together to reveal a perspective that cannot be captured with a single exposure.

Whenever I visit the North Woods, I always make a point to stop in at Baxter State Park.  Baxter State Park encompasses over 200,000 acres of true wilderness of North Central Maine, encompassing (Mount) Katahdin and the outlying foothills, lakes, streams and ponds.  The park is made up of land donations from 1931 to 1962 made by former Maine Governor, Percival Baxter.  It is a wonderful natural preserved ecosystem for wildlife with public access for people to be able to experience the wilderness.  While this trip only allowed me a few hours to reacquaint myself with the park, I was able to enjoy some of my favorite views of Katahdin.

The remote pond in the Maine North Woods at which we camped is set in the heart of a large wilderness miles and miles from the nearest town or cell phone reception.  Every morning we awoke to a beautiful misty scene and every evening we were treated to stunning sunsets.  For four days and nights were able to share this idyllic setting with the wildlife that calls it home, exploring the complex network of marsh and ponds.

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