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So as not to repeat myself excessively, I am reducing the amount of description of trails that have already been posted. Please use the search function ( upper left) to find older posts which have more detailed trail descriptions and pictures. You can also use this to find specific hikes either by trail or mountain.



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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

7/30/13 Sheepscot Headwaters Trails



Cloudy with a chance of rain at home so we headed for Montville ( partly cloudy- no mention of rain) about 50 miles away. The plan was to do Frye Mountain but as we drove down the access road looking for the trail head ( it's hard to see until you are directly in front of it) deer flies began collecting on the windshield and side view mirrors - kind of like in a horror movie. We didn't bother getting out of the car but drove to the Whitten Hill trailhead to do the Northern Headwaters Trail. This is another part of the network of trails we did part of a few days ago. We got out of the car and - no deer flies- this is about 2  1/2 miles ( as the crow flies) from where we were. I can't explain it.

We did the short climb up to the Northern Headwaters Trail . This trail is mostly a walk in the woods but a very pleasant woods. Kelley was happy to be in the woods and was her usual enthusiastic self.


This fungus was at least 12 inches across


It is not unusual, in this area,  to come across old stone walls


There was no water for Kelley to get into on the first part of the hike so we did a section of the Goose Ridge Trail where I remembered a stream crossing the trail a couple of times.

Wet dog after the stream



Not long after the stream crossings we came to a small pond with an old stone structure at it's end.


It had been breached and rather than figure a way around we turned  and went back to the Northern Headwaters Trail via the Mink Run Trail.

At one point the trail passes near the Sheepscot River



Another view of the trail as we climb back up the hill- only a small effort



A new trail- not on the map- signs warning of poison ivy



We completed the loop and dropped back down to our car. a nice hike, a pretty day, Kelley her old self again. 2  1/2 hours

Monday, July 29, 2013

7/29/13 Kenduskeag Stream Trail

Gray dreary day with a chance of rain. I wasn't up for a long drive so we went to the nearby Kenduskeag. Kelley, of course, went into the water


but as we started walking she lagged behind and showed no enthusiasm - unusual for her. We continued a short distance- another spot to get in the stream- but she still didn't seem interested in walking. When I turned to head back she immediately caught up with me and seemed happy to be going back. Not hot and  no bugs so I don't know what got into her.

This Queen Anne's Lace seemed to be made up of smaller than usual flowers



We spent the rest of the day at home with Kelley outside all day. She seems fine and apparently just wasn't up for it. The girl does have a mind of her own.

7/28/13 Marsh Island Natural Area


Rain predicted so we went to the nearby  Marsh Island area. We started from Hillside so Kelley would have the pond at both ends of the hike. Temps in the 70's and the deer flies again in far fewer numbers. The middle section of the hike as depicted above is a guess as the multiple trails ( not shown on the map) once again confused us. I wanted to check out the large fields of milkweed near the river which often have Monarchs but the blossoms were done and pods forming. No butterflies. We met three nice people on bikes which was unusual as we have only met people a couple of times on these trails. They made a fuss over Kelley and she liked that.

Some of the creatures


 a Cabbage White


 I think this is one of the Skippers- pretty beat up


Don't know this guy


Looks like a hoverfly but I have never seen one so fat or with the spiky bristles on it's back



A pretty good two hour outing.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

7/27/13 City Forest




Finally stopped raining- it rained continually the whole day yesterday and part of the night. We parked at the end of Kittredge Rd. and walked down to the beaver pond ( Kelley then gets the pond at the end of the hike too) and then took the West Trail to it's end. Back on the rail bed to an unnamed trail that took us back to the West Trail to make our loop. Lots of water for Kelly to get into but we met few people. The deer flies were a lot less numerous and perhaps are about through their season.

Lots of wee creatures about, some of which I managed to get in focus.














This is a tiny hoverfly. The whole blossom it is in the center of was only about an inch across.


Still quite of few of the moths still about



Turned out to be a pleasant 1  3/4 hours even though things were pretty wet and I ended up with pants soaked to above the knees. Kelley was happy to be out after spending most of yesterday in the house.

Friday, July 26, 2013

7/25/13 Sheepscot Headwaters




Great day for a hike- mix of sun and clouds- lower 60's when we started and upper 60's at the end. Though most of the hike was on Sheepscot Headwaters Trails- maintained by the Sheepscot Wellspring Land Alliance , the Hogback loop is part of the Georges Highland Path and maintained by the Georges River land Trust. We started from the relatively new parking lot on Halldale Rd.-   most other trail heads you have to park beside the road which is  not always easy.

Kelley was eager to hike and liked being in the woods and the cooler temperatures. Most of the hike was in fairly dense woods so there were not a lot of opportunities for pictures -the  forest floor has mostly ferns and mosses. There were very few deer flies except for the open sunny area on the Mountain Rd. section of the Hogback loop. Once we left that there were again few of them and they were not bothering Kelley. There was enough water in small streams for Kelley to drink and at times lay down in it.

The Hogback overlook offers views through the trees


I know neither the flower nor the fly





It was such a nice day( and rain is predicted next few days)  that when we got back to the Bog Brook Trail we decided to continue the loop rather than go straight back. The hike took us 3  3/4 hours and we both enjoyed it.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

7/24/13 Bangor

Yesterday it rained all day. We took a friend to Augusta and walked around in the rain a bit while we waited for her. Today more rain is forecast but this morning it's sun and clouds, warmer, and more humid. We decided to go downtown  before it started to rain again. We parked near the river and walked along it. There are a couple of places Kelley can get to the water. One of them is a high steep gravel bank that she traverses at an angle.



The other is under the bridge and easier to get to the water


a little closer shot



On the rocks next to where Kelley went in the water was this toy- with no children about ???


Kelley was happy for the chances to get in the water but wasn't very enthusiastic about walking so we cut it short at an hour. It did rain more once we got home.

Monday, July 22, 2013

7/22/13 Bernard Mountain



Another nice day with temperatures in the 70's and a mix of sun and clouds. I couldn't remember a bad experience with deer flies at Bernard so that's where we headed. The plan was to do the West Ledge Trail because, unlike most Western Mountain Trails,  it has views from the ledges on it's  lower part. We seldom see anyone in this area and it is not as well used as the eastern part of the park. There is parking area for only three cars and today it was full. Finding no other spot to park nearby we drove to Mill Field and took the South Face Trail up instead. This is a steady climb through woods. No deer flies.


There was no water for Kelley on the trail and when we reached the junction with the West Ledge Trail we stopped to have some. She usually passes on my water, preferring to find her own, but she drank it today.

The summit is wooded and has no views. Two deer flies appeared, one landing on each of us. They both met the same fate. We saw no others the rest of the hike.


A short ways further on the trail is a sign for an overlook. This is the view.


At Little Notch we started down on the Sluiceway Trail. This is steeper than the trail up and has some work arounds for Kelley( all of which she managed without my help) but runs along a stream at times. Today it appeared to be completely dry and I was disappointed for Kelley's sake. Then she went ahead and out of sight and I heard splashing. When I caught up  she was in a small pool she had found beside the trail.


When we reached Mill Field we walked over to the reservoir for lunch and a swim for Kelley.



It's quite small and old. It has a 10 foot wide stone dam and sluiceway at it's end, with water tickling over it. . It seemed much to small as a drinking water source and  I tried to find more information about it but there was not much available.  It was perhaps a fire reservoir or "pumper chance" .

A good hike with nice weather. It took us two hours and was more strenuous than  the flat hiking we had been doing during the hot spell and that felt good.


7/21/13 Partridge and Ducktail Ponds.



A beautiful day and the heat has left us- supposed to only reach the 70's today. We went to the ponds with a new hiking friend and her two dogs, Gus and Roxie. The dogs got along well and they all behaved when we met two women with five dogs. Roxie was very energetic and likes water like Kelley does- Gus only went a step or two into the water. There were a few deer flies on the trails but a lot of them when we reached the ponds. I talked too much and so only took a few pictures.

When I processed the panoramic of Partridge I found that it was almost identical with the one a took the last time we were there so rather than post it ....

Partridge from the last visit-  click for large version


Partridge Pond  7-5-13


Ducktail   -  click for the large version

Ducktail Pond   7-21-13

Water lilies - did not see any blooms



A very nice two hour outing. Such a beautiful day that even the deer flies could not ruin it.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

7/20/13 City Forest

Headed for 90 again today- but supposed to be much cooler tomorrow. We got an early start and managed an hour and three quarters in spite of the weather and the deer flies. Kelley was happy to be out after spending yesterday laying around the yard after  showing no interest in a walk around the neighborhood.


This fungus was 4 or 5 inches across



A hungry wasp



A Yellow-collared Scape Moth - there were a lot of them about which was interesting as I have only ever seen one other and it was in a different area.


I took a picture of this chicory because it was not the typical blue color and only later saw all of the insects



Last leg of the hike and Kelley makes do with a puddle in the trail


but we had parked at the end of Kittredge Rd. so she got to finish with the beaver pond which is deep enough to actually swim.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

7/17/13 Hunters Brook and The Triad



Still very hot here ( supposed to go to 90 again) but the forecast for Acadia was quite a bit cooler so , somewhat sceptically , we headed for the island. Decided on Hunters Brook because of the water for Kelley and the beauty of it. We parked on Rte. 3 and walked down to the park loop road and the nearby trail head. At 9:15 it was 72 degrees- not bad- and no deer flies.

The first part of the trail closely follows the stream - the water was fairly low



and then turns west away from the stream, crosses a carriage road, and climbs, fairly steeply, to the trail to the Triad.


a panoramic view from the Triad - click for the large version

Triad View  7-17-13

After we reached the Triad and had our apple break we headed back the way we had come. Kelley was happy when we reached the stream part of the trail again and entered it several times. Even with the low water level there were plenty of pools deep enough to satisfy Kelley.


The hike took us 2  1/2 hours and when we finished the temperature was only 76.  A good hike on a pretty day.