10/30/09 Ragged Mtn. From Thorndike Brook

This is the third trail we have done up Ragged and, I think, the nicest. It starts out through pretty woods and rises gradually and then a little more steeply to meet the trail from Barnestown. From this point the trail again rises gradually to near the summit where it becomes more steep. Only one spot where Kelley needed a boost. From the summit we returned the way we had come. A beautiful sunny day with temperatures about 50 but no wind. About 3 hours

10/29/09 Thomaston Town Forest/ Oyster River Bog

We had previously started this trail at the Route 90/Oyster River Bog end of the trail. I think that end is nicer. This time we started from the Thomaston Town Forest end at the water treatment plant. The trail was quite wet and muddy and noisy for the first half hour. It improved a bit after that but there were still many muddy sections. Kelley thought the trail was just fine. Once we crossed onto the Oyster River Bog section we started to gain a little elevation and conditions improved. We hiked to a somewhat open area just before the power lines on the map and returned the way we had come. 3 1/2 hours


Kelley having some apple at Split Rock

10/27/09 Challenging Hike

This hike turned out to be a bit of a challenge though we had done parts of it before and knew some of what we were getting into. We started at the Canon Brook trailhead on Route 3. The first part of this trail is easy and pleasant. After it turns toward Cadillac Mtn. it becomes steep with large boulders to get over. Kelley was not able to manage this section so we did a moderate bushwack around them. The trail then turns into sheets of granite with water running down them. A footing challenge for me but easy for Kelley. We met the Cadillac S. Ridge Trail and took that to the summit ( a bit cold and windy but no technical challenges) and down the trail toward Dorr Mtn. This trail is short but steep and also has huge boulders. More Kelley finding ways around or being lifted by me ( she doe not like that). At the bottom we took the A. Murray Young Trail south. This trail has one section of huge boulders but once past those mostly follows the stream and is pleasant-especially for Kelley who likes all the water. Near the intersection of the A. Murray Young and Canon Brook is a nice spot for lunch ( first picture taken from there) and then we took Canon Brook back to the car. A walk in the park. A little over 4 hours


Canon Brook Trail

10/26/09 -Tumbledown Mtn. Attempt

We tried to do Tumbledown Mtn. today--it was another glorious day. We started on the Brook Trail which one of my books said was the easiest and "more appropriate for children and casual hikers" thinking it would be better for Kelley. The trail was beautiful with woods and the water streaming down the mountain but then very large boulders. Kelley was able to find a way around a couple of these tough spots-even crossing a stream, traveling the other side and then recrossing- but eventually neither of us could find a way around. We also went up the road and did a half hour of the loop trail but it also got very steep and looked like more of the same was coming so we had lunch and returned.

Brook Trail before we got into the big boulders

Looking down the Loop Traill

Bernard Mtn. - Seal Cove Marsh Fire Road

A glorious day after a dark cold rainy yesterday. We started at the West Ledge trail head on the Western Mountain Road and climbed to the summit of Bernard. This trail has several open ledges, as well as dense woods, giving more views than most of the trails in this part of the park. It was quite wet because of all the rain but we expected wet feet and Kelley loved it. From Bernard we dropped steeply down to Little Notch and took the Sluiceway Trail down to Mill Field. Again very wet and slippery. From Mill Field we took the Bernard South Face Trail back to the intersection with the Ledge Trail-this amounted to re-climbing a good deal of Bernard. From there we returned to the trail head. 3 hours.

I had read about a fire road that was reported as a nice walk and since it was near ( off Seal Cove Road) we went there for lunch. The road is mostly grass and goes through woods and marsh to end at a stream 1 - 1/2 miles from the road. Very pleasant with the only sound the wind in the
pines.



From Bernard West Ledge Trail




Bernard Mountain Trail

Seal Cove Marsh Fire Road

10/23/09 Varied Loop

Windy and cold but mostly sunny. We started at Jordan Pond and hiked the Asticou to the newly reopened Penobscot Mtn. Trail ( the old one is now the Spring Trail) to the summit, over, and down Deer Brook to Jordan Pond. Deer Brook was a pretty trail but a portion of it was difficult for Kelley. We hiked along Jordan Pond to the Pond Trail and took that to the Triad Trail which we ascended and had lunch. We decended on the trail to Pemetic back to the Pond Trail which took us back to Jordan Pond. Four and one half hours.



From Penobscot Trail

Looking down the Penobscot Trail

Jordan pond from Penobscot Trail

From Penobscot

Deer Brook Trail Lunch view the Triad

10/21/09 Pleasant Mtn.

This was a new mountain for us . Here is a link to the trail map http://loonecholandtrust.org/LELT_PLEASANT_MTN_MAP_final_2009.pdf

We started at the Ledges trail head and hiked to the summit through woods and open ledges with fantastic views. From there we hiked the Bald Peak Trail over that and the North Ridge Trail but it seemed to peter out as it approached Sue's Way and we couldn't find the trial. We stopped on a nice ledge, had lunch, and then retraced our steps. A very nice hike with no problems for Kelley except she would have like more water to get into. 4 hours


From the Ledges Trail

Kelley Bald Peak

Mt. Washington from Bald Peak

10/20 Acadia hike

We started at Bubble Rock parking and hiked the N. Bubble Trail over N. Bubble and Conners Nubble to the Eagle Lake Trail. We followed that to it's end and then doubled back to the Jordan Carry Trail back to the parking lot. This was a nice hike with open vistas, woods, and the edge of Eagle Lake. The views coming down from N. Bubble are especially nice. Kelley had problems with a couple of spots going up to and coming down from Conners Nubble. She also had some problems along Eagle Lake in the sections with huge jumbled boulders ( even though she did this before in the other direction without problems). But there was lots of water for her to get into and a class of students from College of the Atlantic for her to meet so she was quite happy. The hike took just under 3 hours

Jordan Pond from N. Bubble Trail



Eagle Lake from N. Bubble Trail


Eagle Lake


Kelley Eagle Lake

Pictures from 10/17 hike-Champlain Mtn. S. Ridge Trail

This is a trail we like quite a bit even though some sections are a little difficult for Kelley. She manages to find alternate routes or grudgingly accepts a boost. We started from the Sand Beach parking area and hiked to the bowl where we started the Champlain S. Ridge Trail. After reaching the summit we back tracked to the Gorham Mtn. Trail which runs from the Bowl Trail. We crossed over Gorham and descended to the Ocean Path which we took to Otter Cliffs, had lunch, and the returned on the path to Sand Beach parking. 4 hours and 20 minutes.