Editor’s Note: From Sept. 1 to 15 Beth Wheatley of Augusta, woods project coordinator for RESTORE: The North Woods, rode her bicycle 500 miles from Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Park of New York to Moosehead Lake in Maine to raise awareness about RESTORE’s proposal for a North Woods Park and to talk with people about a public studyof that proposal. The following contains entries from her journal of that trip and her thoughts about why she made the trip.

Sept. 15 – Day 15, Kenduskeag to Moosehead Lake

My hands are chilled to the bone. I cycle slowly along Route 15 north and look for the Piscataquis River, a sign that I am arriving in Maine’s north woods. I cannot see more than several hundred feet in front of me. The fog quickly envelops speeding cars and trucks behind curtains of white. My grandfather would have said, “this fog is thicker than butter.” Such a comment would be his way of saying that it is not safe to be traveling.

My cycling companion and I pull off Route 15 and stare at the white blanket in front of us. It is not safe to be traveling, especially by bicycle. But it is nearly 9 a.m. and we are more than 45 miles south of our final destination. We are determined to arrive at the southern shore of Moosehead Lake, before the predicted afternoon storm arrives.

I can think of no better place to end this northern forest bicycle journey to raise awareness of the proposed Maine Woods National Park than Moosehead Lake. A massive body of water stretching from the town of Greenville north toward the West Branch of the Penobscot, Moosehead Lake is a symbol of the beauty and expansiveness of Maine’s great north woods. For me, Moosehead Lake’s open water is also a symbol of the open, undetermined future of Maine’s north woods.

An 18-wheeler carrying logs south on Route 15 catches my attention and pulls me back to present happenings in Maines north woods. The truck quickly fades into the fog and I cannot see where it is heading. I pull out my topographic maps with a vague notion that I will somehow be able to chart a new course around the fog. In the weeks before leaving for this journey, I spent hours studying these maps. We would have to go miles out of our way to take another route and even then, we could not be sure that we would not run into fog.

My cycling companion and I look at one another with the realization that we are going to proceed onward. Her expression then changes as if to ask, “What motivates you to cycle 500 miles for Maine’s north woods?” Without any words, we cover ourselves with our bright yellow and orange clothing. I turn on my bicycle lights. We climb back onto our bikes, more willing to brave the fog than the expected rain.

I slowly begin pedaling toward Moosehead Lake with thoughts about the future of Maine’s north woods in my mind.

From Sept. 1 to 15, I lived on my bicycle. Grease and grit were trapped under my fingernails, my face was sunburned and sweaty, and the muscles in my legs and neck were stiff and tight. But with the exception of some steep uphill climbs, I was enjoying myself. My journey took me through the most amazing landscape in the Northeast, the northern forest. I cycled from Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Park of New York to Moosehead Lake in Maine where the proposed Maine Woods National Park could one day be. This ride took me on mountainous, rural roads from the Adirondacks, through the Green and White mountains, to Maine’s north woods. I pedaled more than 500 miles.

As you saw from my journal entry, people often wondered “What motivates you to cycle 500 miles?” For me, this was a loaded question. I could have simply said the physical challenge motivates me. I could have said the desire to catch cyclist Lance Armstrong’s attention motivates me. I could have said the need to see the Northern Forest motivates me and explained that cycling is my mode of travel because it forces me to slow down and truly experience the landscape. These are all true. But there is another reason I chose to cycle through the Northern Forest and end my ride in Maine’s north woods.

There are changes taking place throughout the northern forest and nowhere are these changes more evident than in the easternmost portion of the forest, in Maine’s north woods. Millions of acres of Maine’s north woods have changed hands within the past two years and millions more will likely change hands in the future. With these changes in ownership comes uncertainty about the future of this unique landscape. For example, will the forest continue to be logged unsustainably? Will it be developed? Or will it be protected as public land? Will moose and bald eagles be driven out or will they continue to live in the area? Will there be “no tespassing” signs or will we continue to have access to the land?

No map exists that will lead us to the answers to these questions. The answers have yet to be fully determined.

What motivated me to cycle more than 500 miles through the northern forest? It was the determination to raise awareness of our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to decide the future of Maine’s north woods. It was the determination to talk with people about the need to speak up for a full public study of the Maine Woods National Park proposal and other possibilities before making that decision.

During the bicycle journey, I, along with many other people supporting a park study, was able to reach out to numerous citizens through the media, the distribution of park literature, and public presentations. But unfortunately we lost the opportunity to have honest, respectful discussions with many other citizens. Due to threats of disruption and concerns about public safety, we had to cancel several meetings. I believe a public study would shed light on the park proposal and help to create a safer atmosphere in which we can all discuss the future of Maines North Woods.

The Maine Woods National Park proposal is the only proposal on the table that could permanently protect the native wildlife and ecosystems of Maine’s North Woods, guarantee public access, safeguard and tell the story of the cultural heritage of the area and provide a solid foundation for a healthy northern Maine economy. With this knowledge in hand, how can we speed into the future and not take the time to truly study the Maine Woods National Park proposal? Would it not be best to slow down, let the fog created by all of the changes in Maine’s North Woods lift and take the time to really look at the Maine Woods National Park proposal?

Sept. 15 – Day 15, Moosehead Lake

It is almost 2:36 p.m., and I am standing atop Indian Hill with several friends looking across Moosehead Lake. I made it, but there were some close calls as trucks barely scraped by us. And it is still foggy and I am soaked and cold from the rain. If I were caught in a blanket of fog again while cycling, I would not speed forward. I would slow down, maybe even stop, and wait for the fog to lift. I want to see the details of the route before deciding to move forward. And I want a clear vision of my destination.

Beth Wheatley can be reached at 626 or by e-mail at beth@restore.org.