12/31/09 A Mixed Bag

We wanted to get in a good hike today because there is a big storm, with lots of snow, predicted for the next two or three days. Today was warmer with little wind but also cloudy. We decided to try some different trails to see which were hikeable and which not. We started on the Canon Brook Trail from Rte. 3 ( an easy mostly flat walk) and took it to the Dorr Mtn. S. Ridge Trail. We didn't expect to be able to make it all the way up but would go as far as we could. The higher we got the icier the trail became until it was too risky and we turned back. Near the junction we met a woman coming up and she was also checking it out. She made Kelley happy and Kelley briefly thought maybe she would hike with her. We returned to the Canon Brook Trail and took that right to the A Murray Young Trail. Again we did not expect to do the whole trail as there is a section of huge boulders that you have to scramble over that Kelley had trouble with on a previous hike. The challenge on this trail was crossing a few small streams where the stepping stones were covered with shiny ice. Even Kelley did not care for this. We made it to the large boulder area and turned back the way we had come. Back at the Canon Brook junction we had lunch and then headed back down that trail. Instead of turning to go back to the parking area we continued on the Kane Path (a short easy walk) to the Tarn before turning around and going back to the Canon Brook junction and to the car. The section from this junction to the road contains an elevated split wood walkway over the water and in the past Kelley has chosen to walk in the water but today she was content to stay above the water with me. 3 1/2 hours


Dorr Mtn. S. Ridge Trail

A Murray Young Trail




Junction of Canon Brook and A Murray Young Trails

Kelley After Lunch

12/30/09 Eagle Lake Loop

This was a 5.8 mile loop around Eagle Lake starting at the parking lot on Rte 233. A beautiful bright clear day but very cold and windy. Wind chills were below zero when we started and the temperature got to 4 degrees by the time we finished. We went in spite of the temperatures because Kelley was tired of the short walks around town the past two days. The park got less snow(about 3 inches)than we did in Bangor so walking was easy. Surprisingly we met several other walkers braving the cold and wind. One couple had two part lab pups and we let them all off leash to play for a bit. This made Kelley very happy. Only took a couple of pictures as it was painful without gloves and the camera protested by beeping madly. 2 hours

12/28/09 Newport-Dover-Foxcroft Rail Trail

This is a 26.5 mile rail trail that runs from Newport to Dover-FoxCroft. Back in May we had done a few miles from the Newport end of the trail and today began at the other end from Route 6 in Dover-Foxcroft. The section we did was mostly woods with a few marshy areas. There had been a lot of snowmobile use (we didn't see any today)so the snow was well packed and made for easy walking. A short section runs near Highway 7 but the rest was a nice quiet walk in the woods. We walked to where the trail crosses Shaw Road and then returned. 3 1/2 hours


The Rail Trail



Piscataquis River

12/26/09 Kebo Mtn. and Some Other Trails

Cloudy but low 30's and little wind so pretty good hiking weather. The little foray on the Sgt. Mtn. Trail went well yesterday so decided to try another smaller mountain today. We parked at the gate at the end of Kebo St. in Bar Harbor and walked to the loop road and followed that the short distance to the Kebo Mtn. Trail. This trail was a little more difficult than yesterday because it was rockier and, being more open, snowier but we took our time and had no problems. We continued down the trail to the Dorr Mtn./ Hemlock Trail junction. We were tempted to try going up Dorr but decide against and took the Hemlock Trail across to Hemlock Road and the Jesup Path to the Tarn. We then backtracked to the Strath Eden and took that back to the loop road and that to the other end of the Jesup Path which we took back to the previous section of the Jesup and then returned to the loop road and back to the car. All of these trails flat and easy. A nice hike with lots of variety. 3 hours


From the Loop Road
Kebo Mtn. Trail



The Tarn

Along the Jesup Path

12/25/09 Asticou and Sargent S. Ridge

This was an attempt to locate the connector trail that we could not find on the 12/21/hike. This time we started on the Asticou Trail from Jordan Pond end. There were several inches of snow but others had preceded us in past days so the walking was easy at first. Eventually there were only animal tracks and the hiking was a little harder but still good. The prediction was for sun but there was none but in the words of Frost the woods were "lovely, dark, and deep". When we approached the area where the connector was supposed to be we still couldn't find it so turned back toward the pond. We came to the intersection with the Sargent Mountain S. Ridge Trail and Kelley wanted to make the turn so we decided to give it a try. In the last couple of days someone had snowshoed up which made the walking fairly easy and we got some nice views from the trail ( one of my favorite trails but I had never hiked it in winter). About a half hour in the snowshoer had turned around and we now had an unbroken trail ahead of us which was much more difficult. We went another 10 minutes and then turned back ourselves. We saw no one on the trails but one skier on a carriage road we crossed near the end of the hike.Kelley greeted her excitedly and she nicely stopped to say hi to her. 3 1/2 hours



Asticou Trail


Sargent Mountain S. Ridge Trail
















Lunch View

12/24/09 Another Caribou Bog Ski Trail

Late start again-this time because of driveways to shovel- so we returned to the Orono Land Trust area to do a different trail. This one was more difficult as it was narrower and had been little used and because it's warmer there were wet spots. On the eastern side of the loop there were junctions not on the map but we still managed to end up where we planned. There were some pretty areas in this section. 2 hours

12/23/09 Walden Parke Preserve

Cold gray day but no wind. We were supposed to get major snow last night but got a light dusting.This trail starts 4 miles from home at the end of Tamarack Trail. There is a loop that starts here but we chose to explore several side trails. Some of them lead off the land trust property and to snowmobile trails--good walking because the sleds pack down the snow. None of these trails seems to be named and there is not a map of them so it was an interesting hike. 3 1/4 hours






In answer to John below. A bit complicated. The trails are not in the trees pictured above-that is part of the Bangor Forest which abuts this parcel and does not allow snowmobiles. We started at the parking area on the blue trail ( no snowmobiles) but took a side trail over to the snowmobile trail on the left.took a couple of side trails further left from there-one used by snowmobiles the other not. We backtracked to the blue trail for awhile and then took another side trail which joined another snowmobile trail which ran to the rail bed which is used by snowmobiles on the lower part but not where it coincides with the blue trail. East of the railroad bed is the Bangor Forest.



Rough approximation of our route (in red)

12-22-09 Caribou Bog Ski Trail

This trail,one of several, is a project of the Orono Land Trust.I had an appointment this morning so we couldn't get our usual early start and decided to stay close to home. This is only 7 miles from the house. There are trails for skiing, hiking, and snowshoeing. The trail was well packed with good footing and meanders through woods and wetlands. A pleasant walk and Kelley liked it because it was new. 1 1/2 hours

12/21/09 Park Loop Road

A cold gray day. We intended to take a new (to us) route to the Asticou Trail from the Brown Mountain Gate House but when we arrived we found about 6 inches of new snow (we didn't get any in Bangor last night). We attempted to find the trail anyway--Kelley just loves fresh new snow and romped around delightedly- but we couldn't find the trail and my boots were filling with snow-in future I will keep my snowshoes in the car. Decide to drive over to the section of the Park Loop Road that is kept open in winter and walk on the plowed road. We started from near the Otter Cliffs parking lot (end of the open section) and walked to the entrance station ( other end of open section) and then returned to where we started but walked on to Otter Point and a little beyond-this part closed to cars and not plowed. 1 3/4 hours not counting the 20 minutes hunting for the connector trail.


Trees Near Brown Mountain Gatehouse

Park Loop Road


Trees Near Entrance Station
Otter Point


Abandoned House on the Way Home

12/19/09 Cadillac Mountain Auto Road

Another cold sunny day but with little wind. We started at the closed park entrance on route 233 and walked to the auto road and began climbing. The road started out in woods but soon rose above the trees and we got sun and very nice views. I had done the various trails up Cadillac but had not walked the road. The footing varied- snow,icy patches,and clear road but the ice was easily avoided and I did not need the ice grippers I had in my pack. A little more wind at the summit made it feel colder and we stayed only long enough to share an apple and then headed back down. 3 1/2 hours