Welcome to Lukomorye Enterprises

The name comes from Russian folklore. Alexander Pushkin describes it as an enchanted forest where tracks of unseen beasts mark unknown paths; where magic lurks just beyond the myst, with mermaids sitting upon branches and goblins wondering around the trees; where Learned Cat walks along a golden chain wrapped around a mighty oak, telling stories as those come into life. The stories are about Baba Yaga inhabiting a hut standing on giant chicken legs; about an immortal warlock consumed by a boundless treasure locked away in his castle; about thirty scarred warriors cursed to be reborn every morning from the sea; about Gray Wolf bound to serve a princess locked away in a tower...

To be truthful in my advertising, I have to admit that I do not have mermaids and goblins, but forest beasts are fully represented, marking paths in a variety of ways everywhere. The land possesses natural beauty and a pristine environment, befitting of the name. There is a 20 feet waterfall, chained pools and streams of crystal clean water, spectacular forest and mountain views. Elevation ranges from 520 feet to 2130 feet, providing a variety of natural environments and vegetation. A hiking enthusiast may explore for weeks and find a natural wonder daily. Locals are saying that there are gems in this area.

The land is open to on-foot visitors. There is no charge. No appointment is necessary. Check out links on the right for directions and seasonal information.

I am unable to admit vehicles because roads and bridges are in state of disrepair. I am working on it, but have no ETA.

Occasionally, construction work is available. No prior experience is required. See link on the right for more information.

Hospital is 30 mins of driving away, Walmart, public library and laundromat are 25 mins away, convenience store and postal office are 10 mins away. Nearest free wi-fi is at Walmart. There is partial cell coverage.

Sincerely,
Konstantin Aslanidi,
Administrator.

Directions

GPS coordinates of the office are 44 27'50.96"N 70 28'30.15"W.

Alternatively, you can enter the following address to your GPS:

250 Lacroix Rd
Peru, ME 04290

then turn right after the gravel pit and go up for about 100 yards.

The following is a kml file containing GPS coordinates of the boundary:
lukomorye.kml
Load it into Google Earth.

If you are traveling on I-95 in Maine then take exit 75, to Route 4 North.
Travel 25 miles along Route 4 North until intersection with Route 108. Turn left on Route 108 West toward Rumford.
Travel 17 miles along Route 108 West until you see a cemetery on your left, bridge (between Peru and Dixfield) and gas station on your right and a fire station on your 11 o'clock. Turn left to Main Street/Dickvale Rd.
Travel 3 miles until T-intersection with Lacroix Rd. Take Lacroix Rd.
Travel 1.25 miles along Lacroix Rd until you see a sand pit on your right. Do not take the path directly at gravel pit. Instead, turn right on the driveway after the gravel pit and travel another 100 yards to the office.

Contact

The e-mail is kaslanidi@yahoo.com
This is a preferred form of communication. I check it every day in the evening and respond on the same day.

Mail address is:
Konstantin Aslanidi
P.O.Box 152,
Peru, ME 04290

Cell number is 207 487 1032. Do not call me unless it is an emergency and there is no other way.

Seasons

The best time to come is beginning of August to middle of October. This is the time when ticks are gone and there are very few flying insects. Temperature is pleasant with low winds. Blackberries are ripe during this period. Moose are mating in October. They abandon fear and come down from mountains looking for company. They make noises and gather in packs.

The worst time to come is May. During this time insects are coming out in waves. There are always a couple days when black flies are already out but their predators are not out yet. During those days one cannot breathe without swallowing a fly every few minutes. They also bite. This abruptly ends when dragonflies come out.

Wild strawberries are ripe during June. Blueberries are ripe in August. Blackberries start in August and continue until first frost. Wild mushrooms start in June and continue until September.

Ticks are most active in May and June. By mid-August they are almost gone.

Maine is beautiful year-around.

Safety

This place is a wild forest. The law does not require that I would maintain it for safety and I make no attempts to do so.

You are not in any unusual danger if you stay on ATV path. We have several miles of those. However, a tick might still jump on you from a nearby tree.

If you are careful and follow instructions below then hiking here is far safer than driving. Alternatively, if you want to be ignorant or do not have mental discipline to be careful then it is better that you do not come.

Outside of ATV path you need to be careful. Never commit full weight of your body when you step on unfamiliar ground. Move slowly. Do not hike alone and carry a cell phone. Wear sunglasses with protective features. Return before dark. Examine yourself for ticks every five hours.

Every spring, the water makes pot-sized holes in the soil. Then wind covers these holes with leafs and debris. After couple of years such cover turns into soil. The surface would look regular and safe but there is a hole underneath it. Such holes are rare and are usually concentrated in the areas directly adjacent to large stones. If you step on it then your leg might get trapped between stones and, if you also moved quickly and carelessly, then you will break your leg.

Fallen leafs are slippery even when they are dry. Wet stones often have bacteria colonies on top of them. Such colonies are as slippery as oil. The same goes for wet moss.

Riding ATV robs you off experience. You will not see any wild animals from ATV and won't feel the same satisfaction as if you reached a mountaintop on foot. If you still want to do it then it is best to use a light ATV with less power. When it eventually flips over and lands on your chest then you will appreciate the wisdom of such choice.

All animals here avoid people. Mouse is aggressive in October but it has poor vision. You only need to step behind a tree. Based on tracks, there is a bear and a bobcat, but I never saw either. Do not tease a porcupine. Scunk, when feeling endangered, would turn around and lift tail. That would mean it prepares to spray you with shit. You should stay away at least 10 feet. All animals would defend themselves if cornered and there is always a possibility of rabies.

The most dangerous creature around here is tick. About 10% of them carry lime disease bacteria. These are slow creatures with simple programming. It hatches, crawls upward until it reaches an edge, then it waits for heat or vibration and jumps. It needs several hours to find a skin opening, several hours to pearce the skin and several hours to release the bacteria into bloodstream.

If you find a tick bite on your skin then you need to get out of forest immediately and stay out for the rest of the season. Your immune system will shake consequences of one short bite. If you allow a tick to bite you for more than 24 hours or allow several bites then there may be serious damage to your health.

I live in this forest for several years already. Ticks jumped on me hundreds of times, came into skin contact dozens of times but my skin was never penetrated because I follow few simple precautions. Every five hours in the forest I examine myself using two hand mirrors. At the end of the day it is important to wash vigorously to get rid of eggs. Tick eggs are too small to be detected by naked eye. They hatch. I examine myself again before going to sleep to exclude possibility that an egg hatched on me since last examination. Clothes should go into a washer and then into a drier on "high".

It is hard to examine hair. I find that shaving my head for the summer helps a lot. If you do not want to shave your head then wear a hat with flaps.

A couple of chicken hens will insure that your camping site is insect free. During summer you do not need to feed them. They will only need a source of water and a night shelter against fox which could be a tightly closed plastic box with breathing holes. The whole solution won't cost you more than $50.

Construction work

Construction work is occasionally available at the following address:
250 Lacroix Rd
Peru, ME 04290

The rate is $10/hour cash.

The job is operating a shovel, concrete mixer, collecting materials from nearby quarry, simple masonry and carpentry works. I provide training.

It is possible to work 4 hours or 8 hours per day, employee's choice.

It is a simple, stress-free work in a pleasant environment and it brings people into shape.

The requirements are punctuality and being drug-free.

Distribution of work is based on seniority. If I have an opening then I fill it via e-mail correspondence at kaslanidi@yahoo.com. Send me a message if you want to participate.