Down East Sunrise Trail, Take 2 (Ellsworth to Franklin Crossing)

When I last biked on the Down East Sunrise Trail on April 28th, the trail was muddy and flooded in spots.  It had been ordeal to slog through and I was happy it was over.

Today we returned so my son could run his final 20 mile run before his marathon.  It was like a completely different trail and a pleasure to ride on.  The trail was dry and hard packed.

We started around 7 am and encountered only a few ATV's during the first half of the trip.  On the return trip, many more ATV's were on the trail but most were courteous and respectful.

There was a convenience store at the halfway point. 

Bug spray and sun screen were essential.  Mosquitoes were out in force but fortunately the spray we used worked well.

Here is a trail map.

This beaver didn't stick around long enough for me to take a better picture.

Great views from the trail.

Many turtles, little space.

The 19th mile.