1/30/15 Newport Dover-Foxcroft Trail

Snowing ( lightly )  and 20's with 12 to 16 inches of snow predicted. We headed back to Dover-Foxcroft because we thought the trail would be groomed and we could get in a hike before conditions deteriorated. The roads were in poor conditions on the way over and I thought they would only get worse. No map because I couldn't  find one that showed the features I wanted.

We started, as usual from the Irving parking lot and noted several snowmobile trailers so knew we would be sharing the trail.

The Pascataquis River near the start

Very soon we came to a side trail Kelley wanted to take- we had never been on it. It was not part of the ITS trail system so was not groomed and had had only a snowmobile on it a couple of days ago. Looking back- so our tracks

Started out in woods

then crossed a meadow

 before returning to the woods

 down a hill to follow the river. We walked it for awhile but it did not seem to be headed toward the woods but toward town so we turned around

and returned to the main trail

We met two groups of snowmobilers but mostly it was quiet and pretty and we got in two hours before heading home. Slower drive home as the road conditions had worsened - there was a car of the road and people were driving more carefully