12/25/13 Park Loop Rd. and Hunters Brook

Beautiful sunny day with the icy trees sparkling with the sunshine on the drive over. Temperature when we started was 16 degrees with a strong wind, and 17 degrees when  we finished. Most of the time we were protected from the wind by the trees. Which did not have ice.

Worst wind was in the open area at Otter Cove.

This is a very nice section of the road because much of it is very close to the shore. Last time we tried it we were stopped by the deep snow that no one had packed down. Today there had been both snowmobile and foot traffic ( though not in the last day or two) and a thick crust that supported me even where there had been no traffic- easy walking.

Some of the ice on the rock wall near the start

Some views

We followed the road to just past where it passes under Rte. 3 to the Hunters Brook Trail Head. No one had been on it and I was thinking about it -Kelley likes this trail and had already decided but waited for me.

I decided to do a part of it.

Hunters Brook

 Kelley , of course, got into the stream but then had a hard time getting out because of the ice

We did a nice piece of the trail but then turned back. I was concerned that Kelley would get herself into the water where I would end up breaking ice to help her out- it's happened before

Back on the Loop Rd.

Almost back

It had been a nice hike. Pretty and quiet ( we met no one the whole hike)  and mostly we were out of the wind. 3  1/4 hours