Episode 8:
WeGo host Kat Englishman spent some time with local researchers and conservationists to learn what our communities are doing to monitor and protect Maine’s natural resources. Bring your birding binoculars—we’ve got some fowl to count!

WeGo is an episodic video series that showcases some of Maine’s most unique pursuits, from its outdoor opportunities to its bustling cultural scene.

Check out Episode 7 to go hiking with Kat and Carolyn on the Appalachian Trail!

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Episode 7:
WeGo hosts Kat Englishman and Carolyn Brady take a trip to western Maine to trek a portion of the Appalachian Trail, and they meet some thru-hikers along the way. Lace up your hiking boots—we’re venturing into the great outdoors!

WeGo is an episodic video series that showcases some of Maine’s most unique pursuits, from its outdoor opportunities to its bustling cultural scene.

Check out Episode 6 to go backstage at the City Theater in Biddeford with Kat and Carolyn!

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Episode 6:
WeGo hosts Kat Englishman and Carolyn Brady take a trip to the City Theater in Biddeford to learn what it takes to put together a community theater production. Please silence your phones, and remember, no flash photography—it’s showtime!

WeGo is an episodic video series that showcases some of Maine’s most unique pursuits, from its outdoor opportunities to its bustling cultural scene.

Check out Episode 5 to watch Carolyn harvest hops and brew some beer!

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Episode 5:
WeGo host and former Miss Maine Carolyn Brady visits a local hop farm, then heads to the Pub at Baxter Brewing Company to learn about Maine’s fast-growing beer industry. Crack open a cold one, and kick up your feet—it’s time to brew!

WeGo is an episodic video series that showcases some of Maine’s most unique pursuits, from its outdoor opportunities to its bustling cultural scene.

Check out Episode 4 to watch Kat and Carolyn harvest kelp off the coast!

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Episode 4:
Kat and Carolyn head out on the water to learn about Maine’s fastest-growing crop: kelp. Grab your fishing bibs and hop on board!

WeGo is an episodic video series that showcases some of Maine’s most unique pursuits, from its outdoor opportunities to its bustling cultural scene.

Check out Episode 3 to watch Kat learn about the sugaring process on a maple farm!

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Episode 3:
Host Kat Englishman heads to Maple Moon Farm in Lebanon to try her hand at turning maple sap into delicious syrup. Plus, Carolyn Brady hosts a cooking segment to share a recipe for another Maine favorite: whoopie pies, with a maple syrup twist!

WeGo is an episodic video series that showcases some of Maine’s most unique pursuits, from its outdoor opportunities to its bustling cultural scene.

Check out Episode 2 to watch Kat and Carolyn go snowmobiling and ice fishing in Millinocket!

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Episode 2:
Hosts Kat Englishman and Carolyn Brady head north to the New England Outdoor Center for a weekend of snowmobiling and ice fishing on the shores of Millinocket Lake.

WeGo is an episodic video series that showcases some of Maine’s most unique pursuits, from its outdoor opportunities to its bustling cultural scene.

Check out Episode 1 to watch Kat and Carolyn go dogsledding in Carrabassett Valley!

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After dog sledding through Carrabassett Valley in the first episode of WeGo, hosts Kat Englishman and Carolyn Brady head north to Millinocket to learn to ice fish and snowmobile. The second episode of Maine magazine’s new video series will take Englishman and Brady to the New England Outdoor Center (NEOC) on the shores of Millinocket Lake. NEOC is open year-round and offers lakeside cabins, a restaurant, guided trips, and access to trails for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat-tire biking.

We spoke with Matt Polstein, owner of NEOC, about what to do when visiting the Katahdin region in late winter. You can watch the second episode of WeGo when it’s released in March at themainemag.com and on our social media channels.

What can people do if they visit the New England Outdoor Center and the region in March and April?

We definitely snowmobile into early April. We’ve got rentals and guided rides and launching for snowmobiling. We have cross-country skiing often into the middle of April. That really will depend on what our snowpack and the spring weather is like. Fat biking on the ski trails and on the bike trails that we’ve been building can be great in March, especially early in the morning, where you get more melting and freezing. As long as the ice is safe, you can continue to ice fish here into April. All of those things, I find, are as fun or more fun to do in March when the sun is higher and it’s warmer and nicer weather.

Do you go ice fishing much yourself?

I tend to do it with my children, who love to do it. They’ve got traps and augers. At the New England Outdoor Center, we also do it as a service. We have guided ice fishing, where we provide the equipment. But I do like to ice fish. Especially on those sunny March days.

When it’s really cold, it can be less fun to just stand outside in the middle of the ice.

Exactly. There are remote ponds around here that have great fishing that are fun to snowmobile or hike into, snowshoe into, bring your gear and again, when the days are warming up in the spring, it can be fun, even when it’s cold. We have portable soft-sided ice fishing shacks now that we can use. It can get you out of the wind, and you can light a fire next to them. It can be pretty comfortable.

Do you have any favorite places to go?

Well, you know how ice fishermen are—we don’t like to publicize our favorite places. We do have favorite places. But I don’t know that I want to see them in print. I don’t think I’d be giving anything away to say Millinocket Lake, right in front of Twin Pines at the New England Outdoor Center, is one of my favorite places. Not because the fishing is necessarily unique or exceptional, but because you can fish in the shadow of Katahdin, and it’s just so beautiful. For those remote ponds, come on up, and we’ll point you in the right direction.

The Millinocket region is obviously popular in the warmer months, but how does the winter compare?

Many people, I think, would be surprised to find out how busy the Katahdin region is in the winter, with people coming in and climbing Katahdin in the spring, camping up at Chimney Pond, and doing ice climbing and skiing. We’ve got 16 miles of cross-country ski trail here, right at Twin Pines. You’ve got all those wonderful trails over on the East Branch at Penobscot River Trails. They’re all open and maintained. It’s all available for the public to use it, no charge. In addition to those facilities, you’ve got significant facilities run by the Northern Timber Cruisers snowmobile club for cross-country skiing, and also the East Branch Sno-Rovers groom for cross-country skiing in East Millinocket. There’s a real range of sites that you can go to, and facilities that you can enjoy for skiing. We’ve developed ice skating here [at NEOC]. And we’re in the process of building a mile-long loop out on the Millinocket Lake that people can skate. Again, that’ll be available to the public at no charge.

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We Go is Maine magazine’s new episodic video series that showcases some of the Pine Tree State’s most unique pursuits, from its backwoods to its bustling arts and culture scene. Each episode will feature individuals trying their hand at a new activity, with guidance from an expert. Episode one follows Maine magazine contributor Kat Englishman and Miss Maine 2019/2020 Carolyn Brady as they learn how to dogsled. In advance of the debut, we spoke with Kat and Carolyn about what brought them to Maine, where their favorite places are to visit, and what’s on their Maine bucket list.

Watch the first episode of WeGo here.

Kat Englishman

What brought you to Maine?

My cousin who had just graduated from Colby College and was spending the summer in Portland told me and my husband that we would love it here, so we came to scope it out and fell hard. It had all the things we were looking for in a new home base: easy access to the outdoors (including the ocean—we are big water people), great quality of life, and a creative community. Plus, the food and beer scene is next-level, to say the least. We’ve made some amazing friends here, and now it just feels like home.

Where is your favorite place in Maine to visit?

I feel very spoiled to live here because of all the places that there are to visit, which makes it tough to pick just one. Carrabassett Valley is pretty incredible, and there’s nothing quite like a stay at Hostel of Maine when you ski at Sugarloaf. The owners there have created a truly awesome spot that feels cozy, inspires adventure, and makes you feel part of a community of people with the same vibe. Closer to home, my go-to is always Higgins Beach. 

What are you most excited for with WeGo?

Well, just about everything. Not only do we have a stellar crew who is putting this together but also a really exciting lineup of activities to do here in Maine that runs the gamut from outdoor adventure to segments that focus on the small and simple pleasures. At the end of the day, I think the beauty of Maine is best enjoyed with good company, which we have in spades, so we want viewers to feel and experience that with us.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Kat is a freelance writer who now calls Maine home. She loves to spend time outdoors among Maine’s mountains, trails, and coastline and is passionate about sharing this lifestyle with others through writing and creative projects. 

Carolyn Brady

What brought you to Maine?

While I was raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I came to Maine to attend Bowdoin College. My father is a Maine college transplant as well, so I have been coming to the state for various events since I was a little girl. It has always felt like a second home to me!

What are you most excited for with WeGo?

I am really excited to highlight Maine’s hidden treasures. There is so much beauty in simplicity, especially in these uncertain times, and Maine has endless opportunities for adventure. I can’t wait to explore those opportunities alongside the best possible partner in crime, Kat! 

What activity is on your Maine bucket list?

I would love to go on a moose safari. However, I am also deathly afraid of large animals, so that would be interesting. But in the spirit of We Go, I’m always up for trying new things and hoping for the best. 

A native of Pennsylvania, Carolyn came to Maine to pursue her undergraduate degree. She later earned the title of Miss Maine 2019/2020, went on to represent Maine at the Miss America Competition, and serves as Maine’s COVID-19 Recovery AmeriCorps Volunteer. 

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WeGo is an episodic video series that will showcase some of Maine’s most unique pursuits, from its outdoor opportunities to its bustling arts and culture scene. Each episode will feature individuals trying their hand at new activities, with guidance from an expert. This episode follows Maine magazine contributor Kat Englishman and Miss Maine 2019/2020, Carolyn Brady, as they go on a dogsledding adventure!

Episode 1: Miss Maine Goes Dogsledding 
Experience dogsledding in Maine! WeGo hosts Kat Englishman and Miss Maine Carolyn Brady head off on an adventure into the woodlands of Carrabassett Valley with Dogsled Maine.

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Meet the Hosts

Kat is a freelance writer who calls Maine her home.  She loves to spend time outdoors among Maine’s mountains, trails, and coastline and is passionate about sharing this lifestyle with others through writing and creative projects.

Carolyn earned the title of Miss Maine 2019/2020, and went on to represent Maine at the Miss America Competition. In her current role as Maine’s COVID-19  Recovery America Corps volunteer, she works to continue serving the state she loves so deeply. 

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