3/16/13 Long Pond , Harbor Brook, Eliot Mountain

A reminder that clicking the pictures gives you a larger view.

Cold again with mixed sun and clouds. The plan was to do the carriage road loop around Witch Hole Pond but when we got to the parking lot there was a cable across the entrance and a notice that the roads were closed for the spring thaw.  We drove to The Little Long Pond parking lot to ad lib a hike from there. The carriage roads were in pretty good shape with clear sections and patches of snow or ice. We followed them to the Asticou, deciding to check out the Harbor Brook Trail.

Bridge over the brook

and the brook

The trail had not bad footing and we decided to do at last the first part- the other end has iffy footing even in good weather.

The trail closely follows the brook and gives Kelley lots of opportunity to get in the water

We decide we would walk to the trail up Eliot Mountain and see if that was passable.

It was also in pretty good shape so we climbed up the small mountain. Even at this low elevation there was more ice as we climbed.

There is no view from the summit but we stopped to share an apple before descending toward the Asticou trail

There is a little peak of a view along the semi open ridge but there was also much more ice to navigate around.

Once down to the Asticou we walked back to the carriage road to continue the loop around the pond. Pretty clear here but icier as we neared the Cobblestone Bridge.

Jordan Stream from the bridge

We had met no one until we start down the east side of the pond and we met several people and several dogs. Foe awhile Kelley joined three women and their four dogs who were walking ahead of me.

Back at the end of the pond

There was a thawed area at the corner of the pond

We climbed the Friends Path back to the parking lot. The last time we were on this trail it was treacherous with ice on these steps.

A pretty good hike with less ice to deal with than two days ago. 3  1/2 hours