No really, I did. It was a backpacking dream of course or I wouldn’t be talking about it here most likely 🙂 Any time a person can dream about being the in the woods and climbing mountains it is a good thing I’d say. This one got me thinking which is even better.
This dream was really just two short scenes. The first was in camp getting ready to head out in the early morning light and looking up at the mountain overhead. The other was on top of the mountain looking down at the still mostly dark camp where I’d started. Not much narrative here in these bits of dream, but both had a well developed sense of feeling to them. Good feelings to be sure!
After waking up and thinking about it, two separate trains of thought came to mind. The obvious one is that I wanted to load up my pack and head out immediately. The other came more slowly as I noticed what wasn’t included in this dream; the climbing part. There was the anticipation of the climb before and the satisfaction of the climb in the end, but nothing of the climb itself.
As happens in my mind all too often this led me off on another couple of thoughts. First I laughed at how it made for a nice dream to skip the hard work and sweat that go into jumping out of the tent and hitting the first peak while the rest of the world is still eating breakfast. Only in dreams, or perhaps in campfire stories, can we leave out the hard parts and just focus on the idealized parts of an adventure. In reality just getting out of the tent before dawn can be an epic struggle, not to mention slipping into trail clothes that didn’t quite dry overnight without shrieking and waking up those sleeping around you.
Then I got to thinking about how my dream resembled how a lot of folks seem to see time on the trail. There are start and end points to be focused on, but the majority of the trip, the actual traveling part, gets glossed over in a haze of making miles. Their stories are often of how far they’ve come rather than what they’ve seen along the way.
Other folks you meet along the trail during the day do have time to chat. These are the people who will tell you of the ice cold spring they found off the trail on a hot day by following the faint sound of trickling water, warn you about the upcoming overgrown vista with no view or the secret camp site they’d enjoyed the night before hidden from the trail by thick bushes along the shore of a pond. Mostly I value the smiling faces rather than what was discussed because these are happy people sharing a moment on the trail with a random stranger.
Nothing wrong with being focused on goals, but there is a fair amount of joy and relaxation to be found in something more of a meander. Sort of like this post that started out with a dream about two moments and somehow ended up being about a whole lot of other moments. Just like a day on trail, it isn’t all about where you start and finish. What you find along the way between the two matters as much if not more.
Now I’m going snowshoeing before this snow melts again. Get out if you can, when you can and if you can’t then you’ll have to hope for good dreams.
Mercifully the trail was well broken out with only one set of postholes marring the way. I wasn’t sure what I’d find up there and wasn’t looking forward to wayfinding if I had to break trail. White blazes in the snow can pose a challenge and I know this section isn’t heavily blazed to begin with.
Instead I was able to focus on enjoying the climb. It was a warm day for this time of year so I kept my pace leisurely to avoid getting too sweaty. That gave me plenty of time to take pics and marvel at the light on the snow filled birch stands.
I did have to break out majority of the short trail up to the Baldpate Shelter as no one had made the effort recently. There was several feet of fluffy powder so it was good fun, but I’m glad I didn’t have to do the whole trail like that.
While the Winter had been somewhat mild with rain and melting at times there had been a recent dump of snow a week or so prior to this trip. This campsite looked better to me covered in snow than it had on previous trips. It sees a lot of use during the other seasons but with a white blanket it looked pristine.
There are other reasons they build latrines up on high platforms, but making them stick out of the deep snow is a benefit. I had my shovel along if I needed to dig it out but the door opened easily enough.
The brook that acts as water source for the shelter was totally buried. No idea if there was flowing water or just ice down below but rather than dig to find out I opted to melt snow. Of course with the sunshine there was melt coming off the metal roof of the shelter so I collected what I could during the afternoon. I put my kettle in a spot catching two drips and my as yet clean garbage bag in a spot catching three. Managed to get over a liter this way which cut down on how much snow I had to melt.
I had several hours of wonderful sunshine in the snow to enjoy with a dead calm the entire time. Weather like that made me wish my wife had been able to come along. I’d hate to put her through some of the stuff I endure, but this was pure pleasure.
With the sun dipping low the melt on the roof slowed quite a bit. Time to start melting some snow! The shelter clearing had a nice blanket of clean snow from the big storm. Often what looks clean is really layers of debris once you dig into it, but as I peeled off layers with my shovel I found almost nothing but snow. With the warm weather I had a canister stove and kettle instead of the usual white gas Whisperlite and a bigger pot. It worked well enough and since the trip was cut short the next day I didn’t have to worry about running out of fuel. With the warm weather I opted to run the final product through my filter rather than do an extended boil to purify it.
Still not a puff of wind as the sun dipped into the trees. The quiet was overwhelming whenever I stopped to notice it. As night fell I heard what sounded like a coyote sound off twice and then again a bit later. After dark as I lay reading in my tent I heard a tree crash somewhere. With the quiet it was hard to tell just how far off it was, but it was probably a lot louder up close!
Morning dawned mostly clear which might seem good, but worried me because that was not the forecast. I’d expected some clouds with rain late in the afternoon. Seemed like a good time to fire up the inReach and get a new forecast. Sure enough things had changed. Today was going to be nicer, but the following day they expected rain early and often. Part of me kept staring at the mountain wanting to hit the peaks, but the smarter part kept pointing out that would mean going down in the rain the next day.
It really would have been a great morning to hit one or both summits and even when I left camp I wasn’t sure the less smart part of me would turn left instead of right when I got back to the AT.
Since plans had changed I now was in no hurry to leave camp. It was still very calm where I was, but the clouds up above were flying past at a good clip. I spent some time making movie clips which went into 
The morning light up there was amazing. Another good excuse to take too many pics. The total for the two day trip was 101 shots 🙂 Having grown up on film cameras I love the ability in the digital age to shoot without worrying about expense. Now that memory has gotten so cheap I don’t worry about storage space either.
It was a great morning for sunlight on trees. The pictures do little to capture what I could see. Perhaps more skilled photographers could bring it out better, but these are good enough to at least remind me of how beautiful these two days in the snow were.
I did manage to turn left and started my descent back to the highway on the AT. On the way up I did my best to clean up the postholes of the guy I was following up. Now on the way down I worked on his descending postholes. Near the road I met a guy going up in just spikes and realized that my efforts were probably pointless. 
No time to be grumpy about postholes when you’ve got a sunny morning to enjoy. Sun on birches is always nice, but in the snow with good morning light you can’t help but feel happy to be there.
Sun through the pines is pretty darn nice too! It was such a great day I was a bit bummed I wasn’t hitting the peaks, but it was too nice to be grumpy about it.
When the leaves are on the trees this route has very few views until you get to the top. This time of year there were chances to glimpse peaks in various directions at times.
Pretty certain I stop and take pictures of Hedgehog Hill every time I pass through this spot. I know I did in both directions this time. Just something about the perspective looking through the stand of dead birch trees.
Bit of the Mahoosucs poking through the trees. Think that is Old Speck on the left side but hard to tell with those pretty birches in the way.
I was totally overheating by this point even though I was going downhill. I was down to my lightest base layer, but should have been in a tank top heh. Warm weather in Winter is really hard to adjust to after you’ve gotten used to really cold stuff. Once I got back to the car I stripped down and put on dry stuff. Then I broke out the sausage and cheese for a lunch feast before heading home.
Snowshoeing with my sweetie is one of my favorite parts of Winter. Another sad year of most every snow being followed by rain and warm weather we had only been out once all year so far.
Thankfully a Nor’easter dropped close to two feet on us last week and then a follow up storm brought a few more inches. We’ve managed several trips around the golf course in the last few days and have a pretty good trail broken out now. Of course it is going to be warm all next week, but at least we had some fun out there.
Hope you’ve been getting out and enjoying whatever your world has been offering you. I’m working out plans for at least a few days in the mountains next week if real life doesn’t intrude. Enjoy the season while you can because it will be time for mud before you know. With the snow we’ve had in the mountains should be a real mud season this year. I hate being stuck on sidewalks for a few weeks so I hope it doesn’t stretch into a month heh. I have places to go!
My previous two training trips to this area in August were launched from the state park lot where the AT crosses the highway that bisects Grafton Notch. When I make what has been my annual pilgrimage to head up and try to do the entire loop I prefer to park at the quieter loop trail head lot found on the southern end of the notch. From there I like to do the short road walk and cross the private lands that lead to where the trail heads up towards Bald Mtn for those heading clockwise around the loop.
Normally it is also a wet walk with lots of little creek crossings, but this year it was quite dry. I was hoping the water sources were running again as there had been some rain. The empty channels down below made me wonder what I’d find on the other side of the day’s mountains.
The AMC handles the trails on the west side of the notch and they have built some nice, terrain saving, steps in a few spots. These things really keep hikers from tearing up the ground which lets the rain and snow melt quickly dig down to the rock below. They also make a great spot to sit down and have a snack on a wet day. Climbing up into the clouds I reached the point where everything was wet including me and wished I’d brought my OR Crocs along.
This quick picture of a hiker disappearing up the steps is my only way to know that I didn’t imagine the encounter. I have almost never met anyone on this loop other than on the AT section. We chatted for a bit before he headed on and he mentioned he was planning on camping at either the Slide or Bull Run sites. I never saw him again, but finding this pic on my camera at least reassured me that he wasn’t just a figment of my imagination heh.
Bald Mtn is not as bald as it once was, but it does provide the first hints of the views to come. It also has some wonderful alpine lichen patches. This means we’re getting up into the sensitive area and its time to start being really careful where we put our feet.
Left untrampled this stuff can have the time it needs to grow which it does very, very slowly. It is great to see a small patch, but when you find yourself in an area with large patches of it all around it starts to feel really magical. To me it signals the entry to the summit areas above the trees and it always brings a smile to my face.
So did the views starting to open out in the space between the clouds just above and the trees below. There were hints of sun sneaking in from somewhere. I was just happy the clouds had lifted enough to be over my head as I was a bit wet from climbing up through them earlier.
The colors were a bit muted by the hazy air, but those glints of sun were giving me hope things might still clear up before I finished crossing Sunday River Whitecap. Coming up out of these trees on to the summit is one of my favorite bit of trail ever. The views suddenly begin to open up to the horizon which on a clear day can be quite far indeed.
This was a different experience. Interesting in a different way with the muted light and shorter horizon the clouds were creating. So long as the clouds stayed up I was fine with it all. Don’t fall on me…
Stopping for a break near the end of the summit area I discovered that my legs had something they wanted to say about taking over a month off and then climbing up this mountain with a full pack. What they had to say was, “You will pay for this!!” as I felt the first twinges of cramps tightening up the lower front of my quads. Having expected trouble and well supplied from the aborted LT trip I had some Gatorade pouches along and mixed up a double batch while I was here.
Then it was time to head down the steep pitches that would lead me around Slide Mountain first far off to the right of this view and then across towards the sunlit area to the left of Slide Mtn. This area is relatively casual trail once you get down from the summit, but by this point my legs are always a bit tired. On this trip they weren’t feeling tired, they still were strong from the long summer of training. What they were was angry!! Not only did they start to cramp up in the front of the quads, but I found out that there is a spot in the back of the quad that can cramp up too. Astoundingly painful and a total surprise after a lifetime of football, surfing, cycling and backpacking. I had no idea that was even an option let alone how much it could hurt heh.
As usual when I camp on this side of the mountain it was a windy night. There were a few branches I heard crashing down in the dark, but the platform was a safe enough spot. It was a bit wet by dawn though with the trees scraping the clouds over night. I was up early that day so only have this quick flash picture before I left camp.
The climb up to Old Speck from this side is much easier than either of the other two approaches via the Appalachian Trail. There is dirt under foot in many places on this side while the huge number of hikers have worn the other routes down to the rock in many places. There are also found here a thing rarely seen in Maine; Switchbacks! The trail really could have gone straight up as it doesn’t seem that steep. I’m guessing they wanted to protect the ground and avoid the deep erosion found on the other side of the mountain.
It was a great morning for climbing with cool, damp air. I did stop and take some pictures along the way, but didn’t linger long. The fog in the valleys below certainly was tempting though.
Neat to be in the sun up above looking down on this stuff on such a scale. I was soaked and dripping just like the trees so I really appreciated the open summit.
So tempting to just sit here and watch the day go by from this magical viewpoint, but I knew I had the worst of the notch ahead of me so didn’t dare get too comfortable.
My goal for the day was to get a few miles beyond East Baldpate, the exposed ridge on the left. Not so far as the crow flies, but as seen on the previous trips to this area, the steep notch makes it interesting to say the least.
I had my second breakfast with most of my trail clothes laid out in the sun in hopes of drying a bit. That was about as futile as me climbing this dang tower’s ladder or finishing this loop for that matter heh. Still, you have to keep trying. I focused on eating and taking pics rather than wasting any time on the tower this trip.
It looked like it was a perfect day to be up there on that ridge. Actually it was a pretty good day to be anywhere with a view. Just enough clouds in the distance to make things look picturesque and plenty of blue up above.
A few last looks before heading down into the notch.
Well, OK, a few more. Just an amazing day to be out there!
Making my way down towards the bottom but still a long ways to go. This section seems short on the map, less than four miles. The steep, rocky areas combined with some rolling PUD combine to make it both time consuming and tiring.
Thankfully there are a few viewpoints that open up on the way down. Color was a bit low as far as the leaves were concerned. Still it gives a person an excuse to stand still for a moment and remember why you put in all the effort.
There were a few fiery red maples sprinkled throughout the canopy. I appreciated what I found as I’d come with low expectations due to the dry year.
On the way down I was treated to this sight at the upper intersection with the Table Rock viewpoint trail. These folks seem to have just dropped their packs in the middle of the trail and ran off to see the view. Well, either that or it was some sort of mini Rapture, but either way it seemed a bit odd.
Plenty of other nice things to be seen though. It was a beautiful morning in the forest and I was headed down hill on some steep, but well maintained trail.
Yup, plenty of time to enjoy the colors and the smells of Fall.
After my relaxing walk down the mountain I had a wonderful second breakfast at the parking area. While there I exchanged my mud splattered hiking pants for a clean pair of hitchhiking pants heh. Having traveled this highway before I knew I’d stand a better chance of getting a ride if I made the effort.
I made it a ways down the road, maybe a mile or two, before a state park ranger stopped his truck and gave me a lift back to my scoot. Time enough to get a few more shots of the leaves. Failing to do this loop had never felt so good! My legs got over their anger for the most part after the first day. I’d been eating like a king since I had LT supplies to use up. Plus the sun was shining and I didn’t have to pay for a tow truck ride home 🙂
I was glad to see there was still at least some water running down this rocky bed. Most years this is a nicely babbling brook, but with the dry Summer I wasn’t sure what I’d find. Seeing water here reassured me that I’d probably find water on the other side of the mountain where I needed it to be.
This waterfall looks totally different when the flow is higher. I think this version is actually prettier to look at, but seeing the lack of water always sets off alarms in my head. Water sources are very important to steam engines like me so as much as I hate walking in mud a dry year leaves me nervous.
This first view towards the West always marks the beginning of the actual climb in my mind. It is the first chance to see the terrain starting to open up. I can’t find a name for this mountain on my maps but the farther section is listed as Red Ridge.
Gaining a bit more altitude and crossing to the other side of the ridge affords a peek at the Baldpates. From here it is easy to trace the route of previous trips, 
My nemesis, the tower on top of Old Speck. I can climb mountains with little thought of fear, but ladders and even some old rusty staircases on the mountaintop towers I come across can really freak me out. I’ve been trying to get to the top of this tower for years and almost made it this time 🙂 Transitioning from the top of the ladder to the tiny wooden platform proved to be too much, but I was trying to get in shape for the towers of the LT so figured I at least got some practice being afraid.
Even from the foot of the tower the view was pretty nice. Looking North the eyes were torn between the mountains fading into the distance and the nature of the gathering clouds. There was some chance of rain in the forecast, but knowing these mountains this sky said it was a pretty sure thing.
For now though there was sun and I was off to explore a new stretch of trail I’d never seen other than on the maps. Heading to the South on the AT I broke out of the scrub onto a rocky, open area that showed me a whole new view of the world. Then I heard the tell tale shuffling and puffing of a hiker coming up the ridge a few moments before he popped into view.
Looking out into the Mahoosucs from up here was amazing. I’d seen this area from farther away and a different angle on my trips up Sunday River Whitecap, but now they seemed so close.
Some haze in the air limited the views, but considering that Success Pond in the middle of this shot is in New Hampshire and the distant profile of Mansfield and Camels Hump on the LT in Vermont were easy enough to make out I didn’t exactly feel like I’d been cheated out of much.
The clouds continued to gather, but I was content to take my time and soak up the amazing views. I knew I didn’t have far to go to reach Speck Pond so stayed up above the trees while I had the chance. The late Summer light on the forests below was making me very happy I’d gone to the trouble of climbing up there.
Now was time for climbing down though. Looking back up one last time before sinking into the trees I could see the rocky spots I’d stopped at earlier up near the top. This section was filled with very steep, rock wall bits of trail. The sort you need hands to climb up and tend to slide down on your butt either on purpose or by surprise.
As much as I looked forward to getting to camp I hated to go back into the trees. Even with the hazy sky, being above the trees and being able to see the world out there is always such an amazing experience. It sort of seems that way even if you drive to the top of a mountain, but the slow process of climbing up there enhances the experience in my mind. You get to see the world from angles that folks stuck on the roads never will too, making the views and the memories of them more personal.
By the time I reached Speck Pond the overcast had pretty much filled in. Looking at the water made me wonder if there was a spring at the camp. Filtering pond water is usually a pain, often requiring a backflush on the filter to clear out the scum that builds up from the particles in the water. Turns out there was a spring and it was even running. The downside was that a recent hard rain had washed a heavy load of tannin into the source and it was coming out on the brown side. Tasted fine enough once filtered, but pouring brown water down your throat tends to set off instinctive warnings in the brain, at least for the first day or two.
I found this lovely tent pad available and set up to one side in case things filled up and I was asked to share. Easier to plan ahead than move everything later is what I’ve found when staying at the AMC sites. On this night I had the spot to myself, though nearby neighboring pads were all filled up. Oddly enough the two guys camping next to me were also carrying MSR Hubbas. We all had the older, green, preNX model and had arrived from our various directions in this one tiny spot in the Maine woods at the same time.
Despite the forecast and looming skies there was only a single woman who chose to stay in the shelter that night with the rest of us choosing to tent. She was the only one who packed up a dry camp in the morning as the rain finally started about 3am and came in waves throughout the early morning. I’ve heard this shelter has been entirely dismantled and a new one built on this spot just recently. After all these years of wondering what it was like down there at Speck Pond and finally getting a chance to see I now find I have to go back because it has changed. I’m OK with that 🙂
Looking out across the pond I was surprised that I kept hearing people talking. It seemed like such a peaceful spot, yet these voices kept intruding. My natural instinct when I’m in the woods is to whisper or speak in very quiet tones. Hearing these people, wherever they were, reinforced that philosophy as wise. I’d hate to be the person responsible for disrupting someone’s peace and quiet.
Thanks to the new camera I was able to figure out where all the noise was coming from 🙂 These hikers had opted to camp next to the pond on the far shore rather than pay the fee to stay at the AMC site. Scroll back and look at the previous picture, they were camped where the treeline comes down to a V, way across the pond. Voices carry.
The next day started out wet and stayed that way all the way back down to the scoot. The only pictures I took were of this Spruce Grouse which seemed to have staked out a natural hiker resting rock as a begging spot. Beautiful bird, but a shame that people feed the wildlife and change its behavior.
Unloading in the Grafton Notch State Park lot I was excited to be getting back out on trail. Early August was devoted to family stuff but now I was ready to spend some time going up and down some mountains to see how strong the legs really were. At this point I was just a few weeks from starting the Long Trail with bags and boxes of food piling up at home. It seemed a good idea to make sure to spend some time keeping the legs warmed up too.
This good sized snake had apparently hitched a ride all the way up there inside my rolled up motorcycle cover. Near as I can tell he must have gotten in there at some point in the garage trying to peel off that old skin and ended up bungee corded to the back of my scoot for a ride across the state of Maine.
He headed off into the woods to the south while I crossed the highway towards the woods on the other side. The well marked and groomed trail head usually makes me giggle a bit. It seems like a baited trap if you know what follows. 
On a warm August day the shadows of the forest were welcome, though they do hold back any sort of breeze. The first part of the trail climbs a bit, then rolls for a while before reaching the Baldpate shelter.
I had never taken the time to visit the shelter before despite hiking past the sign for it many times. I stopped in to eat lunch and do some exploring since I wasn’t in any hurry on this trip. The metal roof was noisy, but it seemed a nice enough spot. The stream behind the shelter was running nicely thanks to some recent rain.
Then it was time to start the actual climb of West Baldpate. Right past the shelter turn off the trail starts a series of stony ascents.
Thanks to the efforts of some dedicated trail workers these stones have been organized in many places to create a staircase affect.
Perfect trail for testing out the legs. This sort of climbing requires high knee lifting and taking on challenging foot placements without losing stride. Thankfully I’ve done this climb enough to know how short it is because on a hot day it is definitely one to get on top of and put behind you.
Breaking out of the trees near the summit meant losing the shadows but gaining a nice breeze.
Also some nice views of the mountains ahead for those staying on the AT. Pretty sure I could see at least as far as the section I’d done back in June. A view like that makes a person want to just keep walking to reach that horizon.
One step at a time though, so first it would be time to traverse the shallow col and head up the exposed side of East Baldpate. Again having done this route before I know how much fun that will be rather than being concerned about how big it looks. The first time I stood here I was a bit nervous about it, but the slabs make an easy ramp compared to the rock pile trails I’m used to.
The col is a neat alpine bog and thankfully most folks are pretty good about sticking to the trail. The rock bowl here traps water keeping the ground wet even in a dry year such as this one. I always get a kick out of passing through alpine bogs just because it seems strange to have wetlands on top of a mountain.
Soon enough it was time for second lunch on top of the slabs. The actual summit is a bit farther down the trail, but the big open ledge at the top is a great spot to take in the views to the west and south. Here you can see the west peak where I stood earlier with Old Speck rising up behind.
Looking to the south where the mountains give way to rolling hills of farms and forests. Just a great day to be on top of a mountain with no place to rush off to.
The northwest view towards NH and VT. With the LT trip on my mind I recall looking at the shape of the mountains on the horizon and trying to match what I saw with the elevation profile in my head.
Then it was time to head down the back side of the mountain onto the Grafton Loop. Once you leave the Appalachian Trail on top of East Baldpate things change quickly. With little foot traffic the ground under foot is actually ground in many places, rather than rock. 
The view from the top of this rock is hard to capture on a camera, but when you stand there in person you can see just how far down you are heading. I’m glad the trail maintainers saw fit to build the rungs into the rock to encourage folks to take the direct route. This is just the sort of spot folks will do a lot of damage to trying to find easier ways around.
The view from the bottom gives you a better perspective on what a person would face without those rungs there. Not the worst notch I’ve ever had to wedge myself into to climb, but coming down would be dicey, especially when wet.
My usual spot at the East Baldpate campsite which despite the name is well over two miles from the summit. The sites on this side of the loop are under the care of the MATC and only lightly improved. There is a latrine and a network of paths leading to some open spots for making camp. No fires are allowed anywhere on the Grafton Loop so be sure to bring a stove if you come here.
After a peaceful night it was time to head back up to see what the morning views looked like.
It was a bit hazy so the horizon was a bit closer than the day before, but it was a beautiful morning indeed.
Up top at the east summit the wind was blowing strong. I’d worked up a bit of a sweat steaming my way to the top and despite the views didn’t stay long in fear of freezing to death.
Heading back up from the col to the West Baldpate summit taking advantage of another nice ladder. This spot had some moisture on the rocks and would be quite treacherous without the aid. I take on whatever I find on trail, but always appreciate the effort when someone builds me an easier way.
One last view before heading down into the trees. Yup, it might be a lot of work to climb up to these places, but worth it to have moments like these.
But let’s start at the beginning, loading up in the parking lot. Once a year the boys from Texas fly up to Maine to eat lobstahs and allow me to drag their butts through some mud or over a mountain or two. Like our previous attempt we were headed counter clockwise around the loop, but this time Frost Pond would be our last night rather than our first so we were starting from a different spot in the Trout Brook area.
This trip was a month later in the year and we were hopeful the weather would be kinder as the forecast called for little chance of rain during the week. It was warm and a bit humid, but we had only five or six miles of relatively flat trail for the first day.
On our previous visit to the Little East campsite we’d had wonderful luck pulling dinner out of the brook before the storm hit. We all broke out our rods and got busy soon after reaching camp in hopes of a repeat performance.
Sadly we were only getting hits from undersized fish for the most part, though my nephew did manage to find a couple of keepers to have for a snack. I felt bad about torturing the little ones that kept taking my lures and decided I’d settle for eating out of my food bag and sleeping better instead.
The brook was running quite a bit lower than normal as the Summer had been pretty dry. Certainly a far cry from the muddy and foaming flood that was pouring through here on our way out last time.
The confluence of the Little East Branch of the Penobscot and Webster Brook was peaceful as evening came on. After a first day of easy trails everyone was feeling pretty good, but I could tell the horrors of the previous trip had left a mark on everyone, leaving us all a bit nervous despite the lack of reason for concern. I knew once we made it to camp the next day that would all be gone.
The peaceful sunset continued as sunsets do and we passed a relatively peaceful night. There was a brief shower and the patter of rain on the shelter roof was enough to make us all sleep a bit less easy. Thankfully the morning dawned clear and we were on our way up the brook.
Having been here just a few years ago the trail seemed familiar, yet very different since it was so dry. Last time the rain had been coming down for more than twelve hours by the time we were in this spot and trail was puddling heavily already. 
The brook was flowing well enough as it is fed from Webster Lake via an outlet near our next campsite. Last time it had seemed like it wanted to eat us, but now it looked like a relaxing spot to camp.
We stopped for lunch where the old Webster Stream LT used to be. I’m pretty certain it stood somewhere right about here. Not sure if they helicoptered out the debris, but the site restoration was so well done that we weren’t really sure if this was the exact spot. I did find a tiny piece of roof shingle to verify it had been here close by.
It really was a pretty spot and I’d imagine early in the year the fishing might be good as there is a deep channel here. The boys headed down to filter some water rather than fish as we still had some miles to go that afternoon.
We passed through this area filled with raspberry bushes and I was grateful to find they weren’t quite ripe yet. I have a feeling this spot is bear central once those berries turn red. As much as I like eating those wild berries I don’t want to have to wrassle a bear over them.
Ahhhh, camp. We found the newly created bypass trail to be an amazing bit of work. Shortly after the flood we enjoyed there followed a tornado that toppled a huge swath of trees. That one two punch left a mess easier bypassed than recovered so a couple of miles of new trail were created from scratch. When we crossed over Hudson Brook it was so tiny we didn’t even realize what it was at the time, but we were moving along quickly in anticipation of finding our campsite.
Once we found it we were a bit less enthused heh. Clearly this site being so far from the park road and accessible via means other than walking (boat & snowmobile) meant it saw a lot of use and some of it by folks not too concerned with being good neighbors. Most sites with canoes will have a bunch of life vests and certainly more than just one paddle. On the other hand this site came with an old burnt up pan and a latrine filled to the top with trash so there was a trade off, though not in our favor.
It did also come with some great views. Right on the lake it was exposed to the wind, but there was full sun and lot of beauty to soak up.
The LT here is pretty small, but this site is also a tent site which is rare, allowing a total of twelve in a party. The boys decided they would set up their tents on the grass to enjoy the breeze leaving me the lean to all to myself. Well except for a shelter mouse heh.
There were two different looking snakes living in the rocks around the fire ring. They would come out to sun themselves, only withdrawing into the rocks if we walked too close. I was hopeful at this point that they had eaten all of the shelter mice since they looked to be fat and happy snakes.
Speaking of fat and happy, this flock of geese swam right through our front yard later in the afternoon. There were also some loons and at least one bald eagle working the edge of the lake.
The boys decided to see if they could hang their food bags which made for good entertainment. They each took a shot at it and in the end settled for what they could make of the situation. Since mice and chipmunks were our biggest threat they did just fine, but I think a smarter than average bear might have gotten their bags.
The campsite may have had a bit of a dumpy feel to it, but there was a lot of good to be seen here as well. There was a great moon to enjoy once the sun set, but we were sleepy campers and missed it for the most part.
Packing up in the morning I’d survived my night with the shelter mouse. He survived too, but not unscathed. At one point, a particularly bad point for him, he jumped up onto the side of my tent that I’d pitched to keep him at bay. I happened to be sitting in just the right spot that the instant he hit the tent my hand instinctively slapped him off. He flew into the night and didn’t return 🙂
Leaving Webster Lake in the morning headed towards Hudson Pond we found ourselves crossing Hudson Brook again. It was hard not to giggle at the thought that this tiny creek had given birth to the raging flood we found ourselves trapped by on the last trip. Of course that was the nervous giggle that only a man whose found himself thigh deep with a rising flood roaring all around him knows isn’t all that funny, but still, this seemed impossibly small.
Heading up the hill towards Hudson Pond we entered the Forest Science area of Baxter State Park. First we passed through an area that had been logged some years before. The trail there was very hard to follow at times with few blazes and little in terms of an obvious treadway. Some trees had been cut about ten feet up leaving a tall stump with a blaze on it, but there were areas where we had to really pick our path carefully while avoiding both mud pits and fallen branches hidden under deep grass.
You can just make out the tail end of his tracked vehicle rounding the corner with a full load. The experience of watching and listening to this mechanical beast after several days on trail was most odd. Even stranger than the feeling one gets watching cars zip by at the average road crossing. Soon enough we were out of sight, but we would hear this man working for the rest of the afternoon.
We arrived at Hudson Pond early enough in the day for some exploration, though it was a bit hot for hiking much more.
Thankfully this site not only came with a canoe, but two paddles. We took turns paddling with just two going out at a time to avoid overloading the canoe. There was a pretty stiff breeze out on the water though we were able to head up wind first and then coast home.
I took a series of wild, over the shoulder, no look shots of my brother with the rest coming out worse than this. Managing a camera and a paddle while bobbing up and down in a canoe is not an exact science so I was happy to have him actually in one of the shots.
Later he headed out with his son who is studying aquatic bugs and turned our trip into a collecting expedition as well. He brought along numerous containers and a net for hunting down specimens. He also used his collection skills to wipe out a lot of deer flies which never seemed to end up in a collection jar so I’m guessing that was just personal.
The next day we had a lot of miles to cover to reach our last campsite. We got an early start and soon were passing through a day use area where the forestry people have an open shelter and a privy. Once we passed this road we were back into the Baxter we know and love so well with lots of boggy sections.
This crossing was one of the best parts of the trip. The trail just ended in this swampy pool being held back by a naturally formed debris wall. The murky water was about a foot deep with no clue as to how deep the mud below might be. The boys started talking about taking off their boots for a water crossing when I spotted the debris just down stream. Walking quickly as my feet were sinking in with each step, I carefully worked my way across. Seeing me on the other side is all it took to inspire them to follow quickly behind and I just barely managed to get my camera out for this shot. I think that is my nephew behind the tree, but it is hard to tell. I do know they both got their feet a bit wet but at least no one got sucked down into a mud pit.
Gathering our courage for the big climb ahead of us. Well not a really big climb, but the only real mountain we’d see the entire trip. Hot and low on water due to nothing but swamps along the trail all day it was a bit of a struggle to the top.
There was a bit of a view from some open rocky areas near the summit and we stopped for lunch. It was hot in the sun and the low water supplies kept us from staying here too long. The boys were very dry by the time we reach our final campsite at Frost Pond and while I drank the last of my water soon before finding the camp I too was ready to soak up a couple of liters of Gatorade.
I was astounded to see this fancy new privy on the hill above camp. On our previous visit here the latrine was an open metal cage with a toilet seat bolted over a hole on top. This beauty smelled of fresh cedar and the boys kept saying it smelled like the lumber store. So in two days we went from one of the worst latrines I’ve ever seen to this brand new marvel. I feel bad for anyone doing the loop in the other direction. This is the sort of privy that spoils a person.
This relaxing late afternoon down by the pond cost me a few bug bites, but it was totally worth it. The canoes here were locked up, perhaps because they are closer to the trailhead. We were content to soak up water, then some dinner and then more water with no need for a paddle around the lake. I have heard good things about the fishing here though and would like to come back next Spring just after the season opens and spend some time with my pole here and at Little East.
It was a great last night on the trail and with only a few miles back to the car our confidence of surviving this adventure was growing. Of course once you’ve survived everything seems easier and there had been some struggles along the way. Still it was nice to think we’d finally complete the loop that had eluded us.
It was warm and steamy, but nothing was going to keep us from finishing the next morning. We all had our thoughts on the cheeseburgers we knew we’d find down the road once we reached the car. The boys were moving right along considering they were on day five of what for them is a rare chance to get out on trail. I’m thinking next year we need to find something with a real mountain in it or they are going to get soft on me. This was a great relaxer of a trip though and I always look forward to getting out on trail with the boys from Texas.
Less traveled by 