2/28/12 Hidden Ponds

A couple more inches of snow this morning so after clearing drives we headed for the Hidden Ponds. We would not do the Tunk trails because they have some difficult sections for Kelley even under good conditions. We parked at the new parking lot and headed off. Kelley excited by the new powdery snow and being on the trails. The footing was good and the walking easy. No one had preceded us and the snow unbroken except for ( I think) coyote tracks for a long ways. We bypassed the turn for the new loop trail and continued on the old trail. There is a sign saying it is 'no longer maintained' but it's in good condition and you would not think it neglected. The trail runs along the side of a ridge for awhile and the drops down to run along the side of the pond before petering out. We did a bit of exploring and found a wide trail marked with orange tape and followed that for awhile and then another trail off that but they were taking us in the wrong direction ( we had hoped for something going around Tilden) and we left them to explore on another day.

We backtracked to the loop trail and took that back to the main trail near Salmon Pond where we stopped and had our lunch before walking back out. A very pleasant outing with the feeling we had it all to ourselves. 2 1/2 hours.

No pictures today because I forgot to put a memory card in the camera. An older post shows the area but under different conditions in May
http://hikinginmainewithkelley.blogspot.com/2010/05/51610-hidden-ponds-and-tunk-mountain.html

2/27/12 Walden Area

I just didn't feel like driving this morning-or actually leaving the house but we needed to get out so some place close was in order. I don't have a map that covers this area. The West Penjajawoc Grasslands are only about 3 miles from home at the end of Fox Hollow road. From there there is a snowmobile trail that leads to the utility easement that runs along side Walden and beyond.




From there you can go for miles on the trails. Someone had been on the trail since the last snow which made for easy walking . At the fork we turned left and followed his track to the old rail bed, along that for awhile and then back into the woods on a trail we had not been on before that took us back to the easement. We continued to follow his track until he turned back into the woods toward where we had begun. We continued on the unbroken easement until Kelley wanted to try another side trail ( I think she was tired of breaking her own trail) which led us into Walden and then back out to the easement. Still no sleds had been on the trail but we trudged ahead anyway. Until I went through some hidden ice and into water up to my knee. That's when we turned back. Still we saw some interesting things , the temperatures were mild, and Kelley was enjoying herself.




Along the trail we had not been on before were two very large wood piles. No house in sight.










Another side trail Kelley wanted to try led us to this - Kelley can't read
But I can and decided to turn back. She was a little disappointed.


An interesting hike. 2 1/4 hours

2/26/12 Sheepscot Headwaters

Sunny but windy with single digit wind chills predicted so we didn't want open ridges today. Montville and the Sheepscot Headwaters Trails was our choice - these trails are almost all woods. We also did not know, since there had been some melting yesterday, what the trail conditions would be.

We started from the Whitten Hill trail head and walked toward the Bog Brook loop. No one had been on these trails since the last snow, except for one small section of the loop, but the trails are well blazed and easy to follow. There was a thin crust on the snow but no ice and the footing was good. Kelley was her usually happy self when on the trails.



We added the Big Pines Trail and in addition to typical big trees there were several of these multi-trunk types.


This trail ends at the meadow ahead and we turned back and continued the loop trail back to the Whitten Hill and to our start.

We decide to continue on up the hill and find a spot for lunch

Which we did and then returned to our car. Good hike - peaceful and quite - with only a taste of the wind at a couple of spots. 2 1/2 hours

2/25/12 Walden

Snow! Started last night. Kelley woke me about 1:30 by shaking her head to rattle her tags ( this is only the second or third time she has done this) I assumed she needed to do her business and discovered the snow when I opened the door. Off she went and did not return ( also rare) - I guess the excitement of the snow was too much of a temptation. I got dressed and got a flashlight and followed her tracks through peoples yards to the end of the street where I found her brought her in and returned to bed.

In the morning we had 3 or 4 inches of wet heavy snow and we were anxious to get out before it fell off the trees. I had two driveways to clear first so we got a bit of a late start and also not knowing how the trails would be went to Walden which is only about 4 miles from home.

We were the first on the trail and it was wonderful. There was just enough snow to negate the slipperiness of the ice beneath but not enough to make for hard walking. Kelley surveyed the scene and then began doing lots of running back and forth- she loves snow and was very excited.



We met a skier and his dog and he thought the conditions very good for skiing too. The rest of the hike we only met two walkers and one other skier and couldn't understand why more people weren't taking advantage of this day. We did trails in Walden, the old rail bed, West Trail in City Forest, and a connector trail to get us back to the rail bed and all were very good walking.

The fresh snow made a nice background for pictures of both nature and Kelley.


Waiting patiently for me to catch up.

2/24/12 Boyd Path/Road

Yesterday it rained all day and we only did short walks , in the rain, downtown and around the neighborhood. The forecast for today is rain and snow later with more the next couple of days. Not raining yet so we headed for Acadia to try and get in a good hike today before the rain.

The Boyd Path starts as a park service road ( gated) on Rte 3 that leads past their gun range ( not in use today) and that was pretty icy but we were able to walk beside the road.
A bad omen.



Once past the gun range you come to a small clearing and the road ends. The trail starts on the left side of this area. The first part was quite icy but we could walk beside the path.


After we crossed the first stream ( not frozen to Kelley's delight) conditions got better with patches rather than continuous ice.


We found some pretty fungus along the way and this section of the trail was pretty good .





When we reached the Pond Trail intersection the whole area was like a large ice rink and instead of continuing we took the Pond Trail to the carriage road thinking it would be less icy. We started north toward Bubble Pond but it was so icy we turned back and headed south. Still icy but we wanted to return on the Hunters Brook Trail so we continued.


Hunters Brook Trail was also very icy but at least we could bushwhack around the worse sections and the brook was not ice covered so Kelley got in lots of water time.

Reddest fungus I have seen.


Hunters Brook took us to the loop road and a short walk from Rte. 3 where we were parked. Lots of ice made parts of this hike uncomfortable but it was still pretty and Kelley was happy to be on the trails. 3 hours

2/22/12 Downtown Bangor

A half inch of snow on the ground when we got up. Just enough to hide any icy patches on the trails. Rain is also forecast so this became a day for errands and a small walk around downtown in the drizzle. Kelley, of course, doesn't mind the wet but we were both glad to not have ice to deal with. Also not much of a day for pictures.

2/21/12 Dorr Mountain

Dorr Mountain is not where we planned to hike. A nice sunny day and we decided on Acadia- still concerned about ice so decided we would walk the ( closed) road up Cadillac Mtn. But during the drive over this seemed less interesting so we changed plans. We would do parts of several trails. Canon Brook to the intersection of A. Murray Young is mostly flat and usually pretty good. The extension off Dorr South Ridge would also be easy. In addition we would do the first part of A. Murray Young ( which we never complete because of a section too difficult for Kelley) and the first part of Dorr which we thought would also get hairy. All together this would make a descent hike.

We started from Rte. 3 and the trail was good - some small ice patches easily got around.

The pond at the start of Canon Brook Trail



Next we did the extension off Dorr and it was also easy. This is part of an abandoned trail that leads to the Pothole Trail but we only went as far as Otter Creek and then turned back and continued on Canon Brook.



A cairn someone had placed since our last visit

Next was the A. Murray Young and that was fairly difficult from the start with lots of ice. As we climbed it became snow but then reverted to even worse ice and we turned back.


Point at which the trail crosses the stream


We head back down the Canon Brook to try Dorr S. Ridge. There were some small patches of ice at the start but then we found ourselves on a trail with neither ice nor snow. A big surprise.



We did not expect this to last but it did so we continued up the mountain. As we neared the summit there were some small patches of ice and snow but even at the summit it was mostly clear.



We had our lunch on the summit and headed back down to the Canon Brook and that back to our start.




A beautiful day and a good hike with a mountain we didn't expect to get. 4 hours

2/20/12 Walden and Beyond

The ice problem continues with days above freezing with melting and then very cold nights which refreeze creating more ice. Walden has been fairly good but today it was really treacherous too. We did manage to go out the RR bed and find the trail we lost yesterday and follow it to Forest Ave ( see yesterday's map). We found where we had gone astray. We also checked out a couple of trials the led off the rail bed but found nothing worth pursuing. Even with the ice it was a beautiful sunny day and we got in a 3 hour hike. I took few pictures as I was looking where I was stepping rather than at what was around me.

Start of the rail bed that is usually under water in summer.

2/19/12 Caribou Bog

This was an opportunity to hike some trails not available in summer because of the fragile vegetation and in winter the skiers don't like you walking in the tracks.

We first checked out the trail south of Forest Ave. hoping to find where it connected with the Veazie RR Bed. This trail was in bad shape with no apparent use and I guess no maintenance because there has been such poor ski conditions. It became increasing difficult to follow until we gave up and turned around.

The Caribou Bog Ski Trail has sections that go through both bog and woods. There were some patches of ice but they were easily got around and mostly the footing was good.







The two large ponds along Taylor Road used to be used for raising bait fish. This old truck was apparently part of the operation.



An unusual bush I was not familiar with

We met a couple of bikers at the parking area and they gave us information about trails to get back to our car without following the road. That part of the hike is, on the map, a guess on my part. A beautiful day and Kelley seemed to be quite happy with this hike. 2 3/4 hours