Hothole Pond Trail (Orland)

Friends and I hiked to Hothole Pond from the north gate of the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands this afternoon.   On the way to the pond, we stopped at the Baker Brook Campsite.

The trip to the pond was mostly downhill, a fact we hadn't noticed until the return trip.   It was a fun trip nonetheless, as the recent extreme cold temperatures made the 26 degree day feel warm.  Here is a map of our hike.  

Otter Point Conservation Area (Hudson)

A friend and I went snowshoeing at Otter Point Conservation Area in Hudson this afternoon.   The property is administered by the Orono Land Trust and has a loop trail leading through forested habitats.   We enjoyed the hike, and noted that, despite it being a few days since it last snowed, there were no other human tracks in the preserve.  Here is a map of our trek.  

Icy Waterfalls at Papermill Park (Hampden)

It's been very cold this weekend, reaching a low of -6 degrees last night.  A friend and I visited Papermill Park this afternoon to view the frozen waterfalls and do a quick 0.75 mile hike.   

Smelt Brook Preserve (York)

Smelt Brook Preserve is a 300+ acre property owned by the York Land Trust.  A 1.4 mile loop trail through a mature forest of hickory and oak trees leads to views of salt marshes and the York River.  Parking for the preserve is across the street in a lot shared with the Highland Farm Preserve, another York Land Trust property.

I was on my way home from Massachusetts and needed a break from driving so picked the preserve due to its close proximity to I-95.  It was a good choice, scenic and long enough to stretch my legs.

Here is a map of my hike.  For more information about the preserve visit the York Land Trust's website.

Snowshoeing Ecotat (Hermon)

Busy day today so did a quick 1.5 mile snowshoe hike at Ecotat.  

Snowshoeing Baxter State Park, Foss and Knowlton Trail (Abol to Foss and Knowlton Pond)

The Foss and Knowlton Trail is located in the southwest corner of Baxter State Park, branching off from the Appalachian Trail shortly after Abol Bridge.   

We snowshoed 6.4 miles round-trip to Foss Knowlton Pond from Abol Bridge.  The hike started mostly flat, mildly undulating for the first half of the hike, then gradually ascended to the pond, gaining 400 feet of elevation over the final 1.5 miles.  

This was a great hike through Baxter's forested landscape.  The trail had been hard-packed from previous travelers, making hiking relatively easy.   On a clear day the shoreline of Foss and Knowlton Pond provides excellent views of Mt. Katahdin.  Today was cloudy, however, and it started snowing as we approached the pond.  We enjoyed the limited views anyway, stopping to heat up lunch and relax before journeying back.  

Our trail guide (the excellent Katahdin: A Guide to Baxter State Park) noted that we would cross two streams during our hike, including one requiring a ford.  A deep layer of snow and ice covered the portion that would have required fording, and a bridge crossed the second stream.  

A 45 acre area near the trail had burned in a May 2020 wildfire, and it was interesting to observe the impact of the fire and the regenerative growth that has occurred since.    

Here is a map of our hike. 

 

Reynolds Forest (Sidney)

Reynolds Forest is a 35 acre preserve managed by the Kennebec Land Trust.  The preserve features a short lollipop hiking trail leading through woods to a waterfall and historic foundation.  More information on the property can be found at the Trust's website.

We had an appointment in August this morning so made a brief stop and hiked the preserve's 3/4 mile trail.