8/31/12 Partridge and Ducktail Ponds - Thanks Faith

This was a new one for us - it's part of the Maine Public Reserved Lands and is in Amherst off Route 9 . We started from the Partridge Pond trail head. Cloudy and humid with a few sprinkles but no real rain.

The trail seems to be mostly old abandoned woods road though some parts are narrower trail and there were even a few small sections of ledge in a mostly woods walk.

 Partridge Pond- we did not find the camp site described in the information we found online ( some other information seemed inaccurate) and could not see far up the pond and will do some bushwhacking and more exploring next time.

We backtracked to the intersection with the trail to Ducktail Pond that we had passed on the way in and took the trail to Ducktail.

 Kelley enjoyed the water

The plan had been to follow the trail from Ducktail to that trail head and then walk the road  to our start to complete a loop. We were at the campsite but could not, after much searching, find that trail so we just returned the way we had come.  A pretty good 2 hour hike with no difficulties for Kelley.

8/30/12 Bangor

Didn't feel like driving so we just walked around town for and hour and a quarter. Nice sunny day with a pleasant breeze, friendly people for Kelley to greet, and the river for a swim. Some of the things we saw.

Kenduskeag Stream

 Unopened Sunflower

8/29/12 Ragged Mountain

A really nice day- temps in the 70's, sunny, no bugs. We hadn't done Ragged from Rte. 17 in awhile so that was our choice. At the parking lot we met two men with dogs and ended up hiking up with them ( we offered to let them get ahead of us but they declined as the dogs were enjoying each others company) . 

 Sherman tended to lead our group up the trail

 The three of them

 Kelley and Schooner did a lot more fooling around

Mirror lake from the trail

Click twice for a large view- view from along the trail and then from the summit

 






We had our lunch at the summit and let the others have the hike down to themselves. As we started down we met another man with a dog and ended up doing the whole hike down with them

Mary Ann ( I may have the name wrong) was another nice dog and she and Kelley also got along well. Her owner was involve with the land trust so we talked trails and hiking with dogs.

Kelley enjoying the view on the way down.

A very pleasant hike with lots of play with other dogs for Kelley and conversation for me. 3  1/4 hours

8/27/12 Sunkhaze Wildlife Refuge

I have not been able to find a map of the refuge that includes the loop to the observation deck from Carter Meadow Road so have included both.

We first walked the road to the loop trail and followed that to the platform. From there you see how large the bog area is.




On the way back I spotted this tree struck by sunlight and standing out from the otherwise dark woods

We then drove to the Johnson Brook Trail, taking it first to the beaver pond so Kelley could have a swim and then doing the loop back to the parking area.

A couple of the critters we saw.

An easy pleasant outing which Kelley seemed to enjoy. 2  1/2 hours

8/26/12 Little Long Pond - Harbor Brook

Another beautiful day and a good day for one of Kelley's favorite hikes. This would, perhaps, make up for what I put her through on Black Mountain. We started from the Little Long Pond parking area where we met Toby, an Englishman we had met and talked to several times, with several dogs. We chatted a bit- he is about to return to England- and then took different routes as one of his dogs needed the even surface of the carriage roads.

I got a couple of pictures along the pond, while Kelley got in lots of swimming, but then managed to get the rest of the pictures I took out of focus

As we were hiking the Jordan Stream section of the hike we met a local couple ( they live near Breakneck where we were two days ago) with their two dogs who also love the water. We talked about other areas where you could hike with  dogs off leash while the three dogs tore around the woods and in and out of the stream, having a great time. Kelley said it didn't get much better than that.

At the cobblestone bridge we took the carriage roads and  met more people with  more playful dogs. Lots of folks were taking advantage of the beautiful day. The carriage roads took us to the Asticou and that to Harbor Brook which we followed back to Rte, 3 - lots more water but no more dogs. We then walked along the road the short distance to the parking area. Very nice - day 3 hours

8/25/12 Bangor

Nice day but Kelley did not seem very enthusiastic about a hike so we just went for a short walk downtown. Couldn't go to the river because the folk festival is in progress and they don't want dogs down there. We did meet some nice people for Kelley to interact with so that was good.

Sedum  and a couple of reflections.

8/24/12 Breakneck Road and McFarland Attempt

A beautiful sunny day in the 70s . An easy hike for Kelley who still seems to be a tiny bit lame from our Black Mountain adventure.

The Breakneck is an abandoned road that still belongs to the town of Bar Harbor even though the land on either side is national park. In some places you can see it was once a road but in others it's a single path.

There is a beaver dam betwen the two ponds that can be tricky to navigate but today is was almost dry.

Upper Breakneck Pond

Lower  Breakneck Pond

After we crossed between the ponds we headed off into the woods to once again search for the abandoned McFarland Mtn. Trail.  We have searched  in the past without success and today was no different. You begin on what looks like old trail and follow that until it just peters out and then look around for more of it. After a bit of wandering Kelley looks at me as if to say, "You don't know where you are going do you?" - she is used to following a trail of some sort. We then came back down to the Breakneck and continued on to Rte. 233 , turned around and returned the way we had come.

Back at the pond we stopped for lunch and photos of a couple of creatures. This tiny frog was only a little over an inch long.

As we continued back we met a nice couple from New York who gave Kelley some attention, which made her happy, while we talked about trails.

A very pleasant outing  3 hours

8/22/12 Redmans Beach - Black Mountain

Beautiful day - sunny, 70s, no bugs. Goal was Redmans Beach, avoiding the East Peak of the Mountain which is too difficult for Kelley.

We started from Black Mountain Rd. and the trail throught he woods is  pleasant and easy

but soon becomes rocky and fairly steep as it climbs the mountain- but nothing Kelley couldn't handle.

And then you start to get some nice views as you cross a stretch of granite as you are  going down again toward the Caribou Mtn. Trail

A wind farm I had not noticed before

The Caribou Mtn. Trail is a steep 25 minute drop down to the trail to Redmans Beech which is flat and easy. About half way it begins to follow a stream and Kelley was able to get into the water ( streams to this point had been dry).

When we reached the beach at Donnell Pond Kelley got to have a real swim. There was a family camping with dogs and a couple there by boat and both had dogs which Kelley got to play with while I chatted with the people. 

On the way back I took a wrong turn and we ended up on East Peak with this view. Unfortunately the hike from here to the Black Mountain Trail is extremely difficult with me having to lift Kelley several times.  She does not like to be lifted so she would run off seeking ways around but mostly there were none so there was an unhappy dog having to be lifted over obstacles.  This made for a rather slow descent and we were both glad when we reached the trail down that we had come up on.

So a good hike until I screwed up and overall not that bad once we were down.  5  1/4 hours

8/21/12 Newman Hill-Hinds

Rainy morning so a late start sent us to Orono. Last time we tried this area the deer flies drove us out but there are less in other areas so... We started from the cross country trail head on Forest Ave. and the first part of the trail was very pretty and without deer flies

As we got into the bog area the deer flies found us but not in the numbers we had previously encountered.  This is another of those places with many more trails than those shown on the map and we soon were having to choose at forks in the trail with no indication of where each went. We eventually found a trail that said it led to the parking area and took that to the road.

And the deer flies had disappeared so we walked along that for a bit to give Kelley a chance at the ponds.

Clematis virginiana

Kelley enjoyed the ponds

As she swam I tried to get pictures of the numerous butterflies ( there were some small beauties) and other insects but most were very skittish and this Viceroy was my only success.

 
We then walked back along the roads to our car. But just as we started Kelley spotted a black lab in a yard and went charging over- the dog was friendly as was it's owner and after a brief meet we continued on our way.  1  1/2 hours