I’m not sure if it was the combination of the colors on the patch, or the aura of the guys that wore one.  But what I am certain of, is that as a kid from New York who vacationed with his grandparents every summer for a week in the great state of Maine, the patch was cool.  And I wanted to wear one…

Fast forward about thirty-five years.  I’m sitting on a bench in Lincolnville Beach, taking in the sights, smells and sounds of Penobscot Bay.  This is, without argument, one of my favorite things to do.  It’s October and there are few, if any, tourists around; traffic on Route 1 is minimal and therefore quiet.  I’m watching seagulls hunt mussels at low tide, picking them up with their beaks, flying nearly straight up in the air, and then dropping them not just anywhere, but knowingly on the rocky portion of the beach, shattering the shell so they can gain easy access to the sweet meat inside.  Mother Nature once again has my rapt attention…

I’m relaxing here with a feeling of accomplishment.  Today, I passed the Registered Maine Guide exam in the classifications of Hunting and Recreation.  Fishing, then Sea Kayaking, are the next designations in my sights…

Back in July, while spending a long weekend in midcoast Maine with my family, my oldest son Trevor and I were invited by our friend Thor Emory of Thorfinn Expeditions to join him for a sail on Penobscot Bay in his brand new Presto 30.  After a terrific couple of hours on the bay, Thor and I struck up a conversation about certifications and outdoor adventures in the state of Maine.  I mentioned that I had always wanted to become a Maine guide and he informed me that there was a school based right here in Lincolnville Beach to prep folks wanting to take the exams.  After returning home to New York, I found John and Tammi Rogers’ internet home at Maine’s Outdoor Learning Center.  After a few e mails, I was signed up for a four day prep course they were giving at the Cabela’s store in Scarborough.

John does the majority of the teaching and he prepares you well for the exam.  The test itself consists of a an approximately ninety minute oral exam followed by a written exam.  The oral exam is broken down into three parts: Map & Compass, Lost Person Scenario and then questions related to your specific classification.  The written portion of the exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions, mostly directed at your chosen classification.  If I were to give one piece of advice regarding the overall testing process, it would be to NOT take the exam the following morning after the four day prep course.  There’s a lot of info to absorb, especially if you’re testing for two classifications at once as I did (Hunting & Recreation).  Take a week or two to review the material covered in John and Tammi’s class.  If you have the time, take the weeklong hands-on course they offer.

I drove from Portland to Lincolnville Beach after the course ended on Sunday afternoon.  I was to be at DIF&W offices in Augusta by nine o’clock the next morning to begin the exam.  One evening of studying is not nearly enough time to take one exam, let alone two, and I proceeded to fail the Map & Compass portion of the oral exam which is, in my opinion, the easiest part of the test.  If you fail one part of the exam, it’s over for that day.  By 9:10 am, I was driving back to Lincolnville Beach…

Today proved differently though and I left Augusta as a Registered Maine Guide in Hunting and Recreation.  Maybe that’s why I’m sitting here thinking that the beach seems more peaceful, the sky looks a little bluer and undoubtedly, the salt air smells sweeter and stronger.

As they say in Maine, “I got my patch.”