2/27/15 Snowmobile Trail Near Frye Mountain

A little warmer ( 11 degrees ) but sunny and little wind. This is a trail we had done in the past - both winter and summer but not yet this year. I could not find a map so adapted another to show where we started and where we headed. I could not plot the actual route or how far we got.

We started from the Frye Mt. Game Management parking lot and after a brief section of woods we crossed the road and started up a hill past an apparently abandoned house.

The trail briefly follows an unused logging road and then into the woods

This trail is a real workout with a series of hills and few flat sections

It had been awhile since we did this trail and I thought we had reached the top of something

But the trail swung left and up another hill - looking back down from near the top.

When we reached a point where the trail again dropped down

I decided I did not want to climb back up it  and we turned around. Some shots of sections of the trail on the way back

and the logging road near the end

A beautiful day and mostly peaceful as we were only passed by one pair of snowmobiles and then one was starting out as we came to the end. Kelley seemed happy with the hike and not bothered by the hills- I was tired. 2  1/2 hours 

2/26/15 ITS From Dover-Foxcroft

Five degrees, overcast, and windy. The snowmobile trails seem to be our best bet for descent footing so we returned to Dover-Foxcroft We did the section from the Irving ( parking)  to  where the trail crosses Rte. 15 and back.

The trail starts off across an open boggy area and the wind was brutal.

In addition, Kelley was being oppositional and at the intersections wanted to go a different way. She would sit down and I would stop and wait for her to decide to catch up. Not sure what that was about.

Once we got in the woods we were protected from the wind and the footing was good. The woods were pretty with all the snow

One more open area

One more weed in snow- I had decided I'd done a enough of them but then relented at the end of the hike.

Not a bad outing after we got going. Kelley got over wanting her own way and took the lead as usual.
2  1/2 hours 

2/25/15 Neighborhood

Yesterday we got up to minus 15 degrees and the people from the oil company were to come for furnace repairs that would take all day. Luckily they called to reschedule the repairs because of the extreme cold. We mostly stayed inside but did go out for a brief walk around the neighborhood.

This morning we awoke to another snow storm with several inches already on the ground. So again we just did a couple of walks around the neighborhood. Kelley was, as usual,  excited by the nice fluffy snow.

Coming around the garage

and starting down the drive.

And a couple from the neighborhood

There weren't any people for Kelley to greet this time - people were waiting for the snow to stop before clearing their drives - but it was trash day so there were lots of scents.  In the afternoon the snow stopped and the sun came out. After I cleared the drive I decided we would wait for tomorrow for a hike. 

2/23/15 DeMeritt Forest

A small amount of new snow. Cool - upper teens  - and sunny but temperatures are to drop during the day as the winds pick up. We first went to City Forest but here had not been much trail use and it was a bit of a slog so we gave it up

and went to Demeritt. We usually enter on Logan Rd. but the parking area had not been plowed so we started at Sewall Rd. Not only was the parking area plowed but also the road.

Very nice walking and we met a runner who also appreciated the firm surface, We found that Logan Rd. had also been plowed.

But we reached a point where the plowing stopped

and returned to Sewall Rd. where we met two students who were tracking a snowshoe hare that had a radio collar. After a brief chat we continued to the end of Sewall and then turned back. The side trails had had little or no use until we found this one.

Which didn't last long and we again turned back. After we  left the students I wished I had taken some pictures and when we met them again I asked and they kindly agreed to pose

I liked this but you can't see the antenna very well

 Here you can see the equipment. Kelley thought they were very nice.

They had got there data to locate the hare on a map and walked out with us.

Nice hike - very pretty day, good footing,  and interesting students. I was glad for Kelley to have an easy walking day . 1  1/2 hours

2/22/15 Neighborhood

Fresh snow this morning. Kelley went out to do her business and then would not come back in. She made a spot in the drive and waited for me - a couple of hours . I would check to see if she was ready to come in but she just looked at me

We then went for an hour and a half walk around the neighborhood. Kelley was happy with the new snow and all the people she got to greet as they were clearing their drives Almost everyone stopped to give her a little attention. The we returned home so I could clear our drive,.

I only took a couple of pictures

A pleasant outing - the snow was pretty, the sun was out, and it was in the 20's.

2/21/15 Glenburn Snowmobile Trails

Cold and mostly sunny with no wind, though it did cloud up as we hiked. We wanted to get in a good hike today because we have another storm coming tonight, making tomorrow iffy. We hadn't done this section yet this year as the last time we checked it was very icy. Today the trails had been groomed and used and the walking was easy.

I didn't take many pictures but the terrain  is varied , mostly woods but..

A row of birches along a large field

A section of bog. Today it was solid but we have been on it when the ice did not support us and we got wet feet.

Pushaw Lake

In the past we had not been able to find the route from the lake to the other trail that returns to the trail on which we had come. Today we stopped a snowmobiler and he gave us directions that worked. We also met a skier and her dog that we had met on these trails last winter. Kelley seemed enthusiastic throughout even though this was a 3  3/4 hour hike.

2/19 and 2/20/15 Neighborhood and Trail Along Kenduskeag

Yesterday we had another snow storm - not a lot of snow but when we left to go to the forest we found the roads were very slippery and quickly turned around and came home. We just walked around the neighborhood for an hour.

This morning we got a late start because I drove a friend to an early appointment. It was sunny but 10 degrees and quite windy so we opted for the nearby woodsy trail along the Kenduskeag. There had not been a lot of activity since the last snow but the footing was still  good and the woods were pretty. Kelley was happy to be out again.

2/18/15 Glenburn Snowmobile Trails

Ten degrees but sunny and no wind so not uncomfortable . We had tried this trail awhile back but parts had not been used and were too difficult to walk. Today was much better - this has been a good year for the snowmobilers and their trails have really helped us when other trails were not available.

At the very start there is an old building which was once a school. It's now just full of all kinds of junk.

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The trail starts across a large meadow and the sleds had spread out making it more difficult to find the firmest footing.

Once in the woods the trail narrowed and walking was easy.

When we reached the lake we were surprised that few had been out on it - at least from this point.

Kelley took a break while I got a picture.

One piece of vegetation on the snow - I didn't find much today.

A nice hike on a beautiful day. Kelley was enthusiastic- out ahead of me the whole way. She found the snow off the trail  too soft and deep and stuck to the trails. Mostly we had the trails to ourselves. A pair of snowmobiles passed us on the way out and a group of four on the way back. No walkers or skiers.