At this time of year, many Mainers take part in a seasonal ritual that involves heading far off the beaten path in search of new places to fish.

And for many, that means heading into the vast territory of the North Maine Woods.

North Maine Woods (as opposed to the more generic north Maine woods), is a partnership of landowners that control 3.5 million acres of the state’s working forest.

And thanks to that partnership, visitors to the region benefit, accessing the roads of those landowners in order to enjoy their various outdoor pursuits.

On Friday, I received an e-mail from Al Cowperthwaite, the executive director of NMW. His message was simple.

“[We’ve] got problems,” Cowperthwaite began.

As you might expect, after the extreme snow we saw last winter, and after an eventful flood season, some of the roads in the North Maine Woods are a bit torn up.

Equally simple is the message I wanted to pass along today: If you head into certain parts of the NMW, you’re going to have problems, too.

Wasted gas and effort are two of those potential pitfalls, and Cowperthwaite asked me to help him get the word out.

Many of your favorite spots in the North Maine Woods are currently inaccessible, and you may have to wait awhile for conditions to change.

Here’s what Cowperthwaite had to say:

“The rainfall of April 29 combined with melting snow pack caused flooding problems in northern Maine,” Cowperthwaite wrote. “You have read about the damage caused in Fort Kent and other communities. Water runoff also washed out hundreds of culverts and damaged several dozen major bridge crossings on private roads in the forests of northern Maine.”

Cowperthwaite has compiled a list of the affected areas, and passed them along in hopes that BDN readers won’t make plans to travel to areas that aren’t yet accessible.

“Roads were most severely impacted in the region east and west of Oxbow Township extending west to the Allagash River and north to the American Realty Road,” Cowperthwaite wrote. “North of the American Realty Road, damage extended west to the St. John River, east to Route 11 and from there all the way north toward Estcourt, St. Francis and Fort Kent.

“Water crossings at Umsaskis and Henderson Brook on the Allagash River are still under water and indications are the bridges under the water may not be passable for some time. Although roads in the southern parts of North Maine Woods did not receive as much damage, the causeway across the west end of Seboomook Lake is impassable,” he wrote.

“Landowners, members of the Maine Warden Service and Maine Forest Service Rangers have been reporting locations where passage is not possible and, with mapping capabilities provided by Joe Mints of the Maine Forest Service, we are mapping this information as a service to the public. The map will be available on line by the first of next week at www.northmainewoods.org,” Cowpertwaite wrote.

In addition, he said that as conditions change, he will make regular reports that can be accessed at the Web site listed above.

“This is a dynamic situation with road repairs taking place daily so information on the Web site will be updated on Mondays and Fridays until conditions are somewhat back to normal,” he wrote.

“There are significant safety issues related to this event. Water has undermined many roads leaving only the top few inches of road surface remaining. Many bridges have also suffered unnoticeable structural damage,” Cowperthawite wrote. “Passing over these road sections and unstable bridges can cause cave-ins, vehicle damage and serious personal injury.”

Cowperthwaite isn’t exaggerating, and North Maine Woods is shutting down a pair of major road systems in order to protect the public.

“Due to these safety concerns, and to hasten the repair process, we are closing the American Realty Road and Fish River/Big Brook road systems to public travel until at least Memorial weekend,” Cowperthwaite wrote. “Frost is still coming out of the ground causing unstable road surfaces and keeping unnecessary traffic off road systems will allow crews to do their job without interruption. If you have questions about a specific road, please feel welcome to contact us at the info@northmainewoods.org and we will do our best to help you.”

Cowperthwaite said the report on more southerly roads is better, and outdoors enthusiasts may want to target those areas until trouble spots farther north are repaired.

“Forest roads south of the damaged region are in better than average condition for this time of year, so there are still many other opportunities to enjoy the North Maine Woods,” he concluded.

MYFGA holding fishing day

If you’ve been looking to introduce a youngster to fishing but just can’t figure out the best way about it, a local group is ready to help.

Maine’s Youth Fish & Game Association is planning a youth fishing day that will be held on May 18.

The event will run from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., rain or shine, at the MYFGA clubhouse on Pickerel Pond outside of Milford.

The volunteers at the club do a great job, and will offer you as much help as you need.

Fishing rods are available for those who need them, and worms and crawlers will be provided. Anyone who wants instruction can receive it before heading onto the water.

The club has eight canoes and 12 kayaks, as well as life jackets and paddles.

As anglers know, a day of fishing can make a fisherman (or fisherboy, or fishergirl) hungry. Club members have that covered as well: They’ll serve hot dogs, chips and drinks to all participants.

Maine’s Youth Fish & Game Club is located on Stud Mill Road. Go through Milford on Route 2, take County Road to the Stud Mill Road, then turn left. The club is three miles down on your left.

The Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife regularly stocks the pond, and on occasion large retired brood trout have been released there.

In addition, there are numerous warm-water species that may be caught.

If you want more information, go to the club’s Web site at www.maineyouthfishandgame.org.

jholyoke@bangordailynews.net

990-8214