Pocket guides handy for traveling on MDI> Tips aimed at hikers, bikers and paddlers

A POCKET GUIDE TO HIKING ON MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, and A POCKET GUIDE TO PADDLING THE WATERS OF MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, by Earl D. Brechlin. A POCKET GUIDE TO BIKING ON MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, by Audrey Minutolo. Down East Books, Camden, 1996. Paperback, $7.95 each.

The best thing about pocket guides for outdoorsy vacationers is the fact that they fit in a pocket. The same could be said of Down East Books’ three new publications on Mount Desert Island. They fit nicely in small spaces. Luckily, these little books also have a lot to say about outdoor activities on Maine’s most popular island.

Two of the books are by Earl Brechlin, editor of Bar Harbor Times and a registered Maine Guide who has lived on MDI for 20 years. “Hiking on Mount Desert Island” and “Paddling the Waters of Mount Desert Island” offer an insider’s view of these beloved summertime activities.

In an inelegant style that includes bits of local lore and legend, Brechlin maps out 16 hikes and 17 paddling trips around the island. He knows where to go to listen to coyotes or to see loons or to dip a line in for brook trout. As with all good guides, he gives useful instructions on how to behave sensibly and sensitively in an outdoor setting.

Similarly, Audrey Minutolo knows when to look left and when to look right to get the best view from a bicycle. Her family owns Bar Harbor Bike Shop, which is a hopping joint for islanders and island visitors, so her descriptions come from being on the road and sending others down the road.

The 18 routes she recommends cover carriage roads, paved roads and a combination of the two. She breaks the rides into categories of easy, moderate and difficult, plus makes suggestions on which rides are best for families and which might offer camping opportunities.

A page of information and resources about MDI, bicycles and campsites is particularly useful.

For those who have regularly visited Mount Desert Island and its treasures, or for those who live there, these books don’t offer much new information. But for the first-time visitor, these pocket guides are a handy way to begin a good relationship with Vacationland’s summer hot spot.