While TREW Gear is headquartered in the PNW's Portland, Oregon, a handful of the TREW crew actually call the ice coast home. We are told by the East coast contingent that there is an epic playground in Western Maine encompassing ten of the fourteen, 4,000 ft peaks in the state. Rising 3,000 ft from the valleys below, there is ample opportunity to explore, and be humbled in the mountains there. From icy alpine zones in winter, quiet fern covered forest floors in spring, or the countless lakes and wetlands that dot the landscape in summer, the region beckons to be explored. Few places have such a variety of landscapes in such a small area. 

Customer Service Aficionado, Andrew Gale gives us the lowdown on Maine's High Peaks Region alongside stunning photos below from  Katie Lozancich, Katherine Jondro Donnelly, and Andy Gagne.

Tell us More Andrew: 
With four very distinct seasons, and 6.5 hours of additional sunlight at the summer solstice compared to the winter, there is a certain seasonality that comes with the High Peaks region and fully enjoying this magical space. 

To fully engage with the season’s I choose to watch the water and the sun. From winter’s snow, the spring melt floods the rivers. We turn in our skis for canoes and float the water that carried us as snow all winter long. While the days grow longer entering Summer we spend more time in large lakes that the mountain rivers fill. Whether swimming, paddling, or reading by the water, these long days are to be fully enjoyed outside. By late August there is always a cool breeze that comes from the high peaks, announcing the impending winter. Shortly thereafter the cool mountain air will provide a show of bright red leaves covering entire valley walls.This always feels like a call from the mountains, ensuring we all know that it’s time to shift gears. We’ll take the next month to get in our last swims, a few paddles and hikes, before tuning up our skis to ensure that we’re prepared for the short days and cold weather ahead. 

Wherever you are, and however you enjoy wild spaces, I hope that this year you may be able to look at the light in your landscape, watch the water flowing through it, and fully enjoy the shifting of the seasons. 

April is Earth Month! 

Join us in celebrating Earth Day all month long. We will be donating 10% of all profits from this month back to protecting + advocating for our public lands. Learn more here.

Photos taken by Katie Lozancich, Katherine Jondro Donnelly, and Andy Gagne