8/31/10

Another hot day (90's) . Kelley got to go for a short walk with a neighbor and then a new neighbor came by with a chocolate lab about Kelley's size and we let them play for awhile. She wants to return so the dogs can play together more and I, of course, agreed. This made Kelley happy in spite of the heat.

I grow peppers as a hobby ( I've grown several hundred varieties) and usually take pictures to document the flowers and pods, and sometimes the plants. This year I cut back and concentrated on sweet peppers and mildly hot peppers like Jalapeno and Serrano. What with all the hiking I am way behind in documenting this years peppers so this seemed to be a good time to start catching up. The first two are from Serbia

Soroksari

.Smederevka


And the next two from Spain

Jaranda
Pimiento de Gernika

8/30/10 day Four

To the doctor today to get a cast. I chose blue but could have had camo, stripes and stars, fluorescent orange, etc. Bad news -no weight on leg for 5 weeks and then x-ray to see where we go from there. Good news was that it could have been a lot worse. He was impressed I walked two miles on it and said that was a good sign re: other damage.



Kelley is starting to be less spooked by the crutches and a neighbor she likes has been taking her on short walks in the morning. When she sees him coming up the drive she gets very happy. It's been very hot ( 90's) so not good hiking weather anyway I tell myself. Mary will take her to the nursing home Thursday and Friday so that will give her a break from lying around the house with me.

8/29/10

Day three of enforced inactivity. I was not going to make posts during this time but a good friend suggested I do so. I thought about it and decided continuing the blog might help me through this period of recovery ( I'm already getting antsy) . The next question was what to post and I will start with some pictures from hikes prior to starting the blog and hope you will indulge me. These ( the very first hiking pictures) were taken at Acadia 3/28/09 and as you can see there was still plenty of snow. I don't remember the particulars but since there is a picture from the far side of Eagle Lake I would guess we hiked the carriage roads that circle that lake.



Thank you, John for fixing the extreme contrast in this one.


Eagle Lake

8/26/10 Kebo and Dorr Mountains

We stayed home Wednesday because it rained all day. Supposed to clear today but still raining when we started from the loop road up Kebo Mountain .

Kelley was happy because there were puddles everywhere.


Kebo summit


Down the other side toward Dorr


It was a slow hike as the rocks were slippery and the footing was poor


Part way up Dorr it stopped raining and looked like it was clearing but when we reached the summit it was still foggy




As we started down the Shiff Path I slipped and twisted my ankle. We continued down and were even slower because my ankle was quite painful. When we reached the bottom we took the Stratheden back to our car. When we got home I put ice on my ankle. Mary and a friend ( a PA) came by and thought I should get an x-ray. I thought it couldn't be broken because I had hiked almost two miles on it. I gave in and an x-ray revealed a fractured bone ( fibula?). I have a boot on it now and will get a real cast on Monday. Dr. said probably 4-6 weeks of no weight bearing. Not our best hike 3-/12 hours

8/24/10 Dodge Point

This is another of the Maine Public Reserved Lands and was a new hike for us. Dodge point is also the northern terminus of the new River Link Trail which when completed will link the Damariscotta and Sheepscot rivers. In addition to most of the Dodge Point Trails we hiked down the River Link about 50 minutes before returning to Dodge Point. All of the trails were well marked and maintained and it was a very pleasant hike.

Ice Pond

The Ravine Trail-Kelley likes to lead


The Shore Trail


Another section of the Shore Trail


The Damariscotta River-Kelley really liked all that water




4-1/4 hours

8/23/10 Catherine and Tunk Mountains

A mix of sun and clouds with temps in the 70's- good hiking weather. We had done Catherine Mountain before but not by this trail which starts on Hwy 182. It begins ,briefly, as a woods road


which quickly turns into a nice trail.


As you rise you begin to get views from ledges.


Kelley contemplating her next move.




We hiked beyond our highest point but turned back to return the way we had come. On the way back we took a short side trail to the Catherine Cliffs and these views.




A nice hike but only 1-3/4 hours so we decided to do Tunk Mountain from a nearby trail head.


We had done this hike before and were pleased to see that some trail maintenance had been done and trees that were across the trail on our previous hike had been cleared.

Kelley taking advantage of Salmon Pond


Mud Pond


Once you pass the ponds the trail becomes fairly steep with some rocky sections ( at one spot Kelley needed a boost which she does not care for) and you earn the views you get.




We hiked a ways past the summit but then turned and retraced our route in. I would like to say we did this so Kelley could have another crack at the ponds but the truth is that since we didn't plan to do Tunk, I had not brought those maps and didn't remember where the trail led ( it would have taken us back to near the start of the trail) .

Kelley did get one more swim in Salmon Pond


Another nice, but more tiring, hike. 2-1/2 hours

8/21/10 Day Mountain - Hunters Brook

We started from the Day Mountain trail head on Rte. 3 and hiked over the mountain to the carriage road on the north side.


Hot and dry again so Kelley is having a rest.


There is a large rock face along the carriage road that contained another example of life starting in inhospitable places.


I neglected to take a wider view but have one from an earlier hike.


From the carriage road we took the Triad/Hunters Brook or Triad Pass Trail rather than the Parkman Trail which I knew would be dry and didn't remember this one and so hoped for water. There was none. The trail is steep in parts but has some nice views.




From the Triad we hiked down to the Hunters Brook Trail, which runs along the brook ( happy Kelley) and then took the road to the Hunters Beach Trail and down to the beach and more water.

A wet Kelley waiting for me to unpack lunch.


After lunch we took the trail that looped back to where we had started. This trail is not part of park property and I don't know it's name. After it crosses the road it has a sign saying 'Lower Day Mountain' and takes you to the parking lot. 3-3/4 hours

8/19/10 Parkman Mountain Loop

We started from The Parkman Mtn. parking lot rather than our usual start across from the Norumbega parking area which meant a short walk on the carriage road to the Parkman Mtn. Trail. This trail is a little harder for Kelley than our usual route but she figured out all her own bushwhacks. A hot day and it's been really dry so all the small streams Kelley uses to cool off in are dry ( I carry water for her to drink) .

Here she finds a little shade





Approaching the Parkman summit.


We looked across to Bald Peak and saw another hiker.


Upper Hadlock Pond from Parkman


We continued on the Parkman trail down to the Grandgent and up that to Gilmore Peak where we shared an apple. As we were resting the hiker from Bald Peak caught up with us. We had an interesting chat as he is also interested in the old trials and has found some of the same ones we have found.


He hiked with us down to the intersection with the Maple Spring Trail where he continued on Grandgent to Sargent and we took Maple Spring up to Sargent S. Ridge, to Hadlock Brook, then back over to Maple Spring and back to the carriage road and our starting point.

Maple Spring Trail

A good hike in spite of the heat. Once we got on Hadlock Brook and Maple Spring there was water for Kelley to cool off in and she had also met several friendly dogs. 3-3/4 hours