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