Sideline Stories: Adam Platz, Baxter Outdoors + Baxter Brewing
Whether you grew up in Maine, are from away, or have visited, there is a good chance you’ve experienced one of Maine’s State Parks during your time here.
My foray into the state parks began at a young age, and was typically tied to public school field trips. I have vivid childhood memories splashing around in the shallows of Range Pond, unearthing horseshoe crabs at Reid State Park, or adventuring out to Fox Island at Popham Beach during low tide. The Maine State Parks have always been a part of my life.
As a kid…
When I was about 12 years old, I spent my final summer (of 5) as a camper at Camp Chewonki in Wiscasset. I remember loving the place for its mandatory wilderness excursions that took me to some of Maine’s most treasured places: Attean Pond, the Saddleback traverse, and, in that final summer, on an epic circumnavigation of the Flagstaff/Bigelow Preserve. The parcel is one of the state’s most magnificent tracts; a 32 sq. mile lake flanked by the 4000+ ft Bigelow Range. I still remember waking up at Round Barn campsite one morning with butterflies in my stomach thinking to myself, “how the hell am I gonna get my ass up this mountain?” Every step seemed miles from the end, and each one was harder than the last. Except the final step…When I took that last step and touched the summit sign at Avery Peak the most profound sense of satisfaction, confidence, and pride swept through my body like nothing I’d ever felt before. That summer, the State Parks taught me what it meant to experience accomplishment.
Moving away…
Like many, I took time away from Maine after high school. One year while living in Vermont, I decided to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. The 5-month endeavor was life changing. Among many things, I personally cherished the experience of traversing entire ecosystems on foot, seeing tree cover, topography, and watersheds go by and change at the pace of human foot travel. It put nature’s scale in perspective. No region is more distinct in its topography than Maine and by the time that we got up north the general consensus from my fellow thru-hikers was that Maine is pretty amazing. They couldn’t believe, as they crawled through the boulders of Mahoosuc Notch (Mahoosuc Public Lands), up Old Speck (Grafton Notch SP) and Bigelow Mountain (Bigelow Preserve), that these areas were all controlled by the State, when most of the other postcard-worthy mountains and regions on the AT are owned federally. That summer, the State Parks taught me to be thankful.
Coming home…
Now in my 30’s and back in Maine, I am fortunate to work for a company that prioritizes the protection of Maine’s public spaces. In my capacity at Baxter Brewing Co., I head up a two-pronged effort to support the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands by (1) producing unique events (trail runs, mountain bike races, etc.) within Maine’s State Parks to draw attention to our public lands and their many uses, and (2) managing the State Parks’ beer partnership. Twice a year, Baxter produces a State Parks themed beer, showcasing one of the many State Parks with a portion of profits going back to the parks. Our first SP Series beer was the Popham Beach honey blonde, released July 2020. This summer, the State Parks taught me to give back.
I am happy to be home, and thankful to be able to support and have Maine’s State Parks at my doorstep.