Well it is a cruel reality of mine that the time of the year I want most to be outside is the time of year that it is worst for me to be outside. My allergies have been killing me this year. I long to hike but the winter was so cold and snowy and icy, the spring so rainy, and now, POLLEN. It's simply impossible to hike when you can't breathe. So I've been inside. With the windows shut against the warm spring breezes. *sigh*
The past few weeks I've had a horrible cough and couldn't breathe, but after 2 weeks i broke down and got the antibiotics and I don't know if it's them or just time but things are improving, and rapidly. Today I went down to the park and walked around and came back, which is 2 miles and felt fine, very little coughing, and not the hacking I've done for the past 2 weeks. But of course this weekend is supposed to be rainy. Hopefully I can get out there sooner rather than later!
May 14, 2011
October 10, 2010
Hacklebarney State Park
I went to Hacklebarney twice - the first time was in Mid September. Many people had recommended this as a great place to hike, so I was really looking forward to it. The weather that weekend was great! Perfect early fall weather, foliage was starting to turn. I took my faithful HP Photosmart camera, which took some great pics. We had a wonderful time - followed the main trail then branched off to the yellow trail, followed that till it met back up with the white and red trails, then took the red back. When I got home, I went to upload the pics - and somehow lost them all. There was only one showing and it was corrupted. I tried testing my camera again and this time it was acting strange - turning off (not shutting down but just blacking out) after a few seconds. I sadly realized that it was time to get a new camera.
After a bit of research and looking at prices, I headed off to Best Buy and returned with a Sony Cybershot. I took it out the next day when we went to Hacklebarney again. The pictures weren't nearly as good as the ones with the old camera, in my opinion. You can see for yourself. They were very dark, and blurry.
Hacklebarney has some paved paths, and other more "rustic" paths that are for more of a "hiking" experience, but none of the trails are particularly difficult. If you want a nice nature walk with beautiful scenery, without worrying about tripping over roots and rocks, come here.
We followed the red trail, which follows the Black River, first taking the upper trail, then the lower trail back to the parking lot. The lower red trail was part of what we did the last time.
Here you can see the wide, paved paths.
Beautiful, but not much of a workout!! Though we did get a good 3 mile walk or so. Just not many hills or anything. After the hike in September I stopped at the Hacklebarney Cider Mill and got some delicious cider and donuts! I wanted to stop there again, but didn't because it was crazy crowded! They were having some sort of shindig there.
After a bit of research and looking at prices, I headed off to Best Buy and returned with a Sony Cybershot. I took it out the next day when we went to Hacklebarney again. The pictures weren't nearly as good as the ones with the old camera, in my opinion. You can see for yourself. They were very dark, and blurry.
Beautiful, but not much of a workout!! Though we did get a good 3 mile walk or so. Just not many hills or anything. After the hike in September I stopped at the Hacklebarney Cider Mill and got some delicious cider and donuts! I wanted to stop there again, but didn't because it was crazy crowded! They were having some sort of shindig there.
September 10, 2010
Washington Valley Park - Yellow Trail
A few days later we headed back to Washington Valley Park. With the park map now in hand, it was much easier to find my way into the other side's parking lot. The Orange trail connects only to the road and not the parking lot, so I avoided it because I didn't want to walk along the road, nor park off the side of it. So we explored the Yellow trail.
The first thing we did was head down towards the hawk watch. There were several people there. It over looked a noisy stone quarry. If it had been on the weekend, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad. But it was not really relaxing, so we left quickly. I could also tell some of the people on the platform did not like having Sammy around.
There was a little waterfall, but I couldn't get a good angle on it.
We walked along the river for a time.
The hiking was mostly fairly easy, slightly rocky near the river but not too bad. Then it went upwards and through forest. It was quiet - not many animals like last time. Pleasant.
We did see a deer on our way out though! He was making lunch out of someone's lawn.
The first thing we did was head down towards the hawk watch. There were several people there. It over looked a noisy stone quarry. If it had been on the weekend, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad. But it was not really relaxing, so we left quickly. I could also tell some of the people on the platform did not like having Sammy around.
There was a little waterfall, but I couldn't get a good angle on it.
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| Above the falls |
The hiking was mostly fairly easy, slightly rocky near the river but not too bad. Then it went upwards and through forest. It was quiet - not many animals like last time. Pleasant.
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| Along the river |
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| Right near here, we saw a pair of heron. So beautiful! They were flying though, and I didn't get my camera out fast enough. |
September 5, 2010
Washington Valley Park - Red & White trails
Heard about this park on njhiking.com, as part of their short hikes section. It was nearby, so I figured it was perfect for us. It was a bit hard to find! But eventually we managed to get in.
Washington Valley Park is shaped sort of like a butterfly. I had intended on going to the east "wing" but ended up in the western one instead. The west "wing" has 3 trails - Red, White and Blue. The east "wing" has Yellow and Orange. The west side at least is very popular with mountain bikers, so if you plan to hike there be aware of them. The trails can be a bit confusing because there are "perimiter" trails and "interior" trails. One is marked with square blazes, the other with circles.
We asked a biker in the parking lot which trail he thought was best, he basically indicated the blue or red trails. I headed out on Red. This trail follows the resevoir for a bit, then curves up and through the forest.
Going uphill, we saw this in the "valley" below the trail.
Sammy and I stopped to watch some hawks soar over the quarry.
Most of this was just dense forest. Quiet away from the parking lot, though we did see other people.
We crossed the little bridge and kept going onto the White trail. On the White trail we saw a LOT of wildlife, including many deer! I had seen a 2 snakes (one of whom was eating a frog) on the Red trail, but this was really nice. I got quite close to a couple of them, and twice a group of them came out of the woods to jump over the trail about 20-30 feet in front of us. My cell phone camera is crap though, so sadly I didn't get any good pics.
Length: ?? Can't seem to find any listings. Elevation: Minimal.
Washington Valley Park is shaped sort of like a butterfly. I had intended on going to the east "wing" but ended up in the western one instead. The west "wing" has 3 trails - Red, White and Blue. The east "wing" has Yellow and Orange. The west side at least is very popular with mountain bikers, so if you plan to hike there be aware of them. The trails can be a bit confusing because there are "perimiter" trails and "interior" trails. One is marked with square blazes, the other with circles.
We crossed the little bridge and kept going onto the White trail. On the White trail we saw a LOT of wildlife, including many deer! I had seen a 2 snakes (one of whom was eating a frog) on the Red trail, but this was really nice. I got quite close to a couple of them, and twice a group of them came out of the woods to jump over the trail about 20-30 feet in front of us. My cell phone camera is crap though, so sadly I didn't get any good pics.
Length: ?? Can't seem to find any listings. Elevation: Minimal.
August 20, 2010
Maine Hiking - Schoodic Mountain
A week after Blue Hill, we tackled another mountain. This time we went east instead of south, to the Donnell Pond preserve. It was a bit hard to find, and once I finally found the road in I wasn't aware of just how long you had to go on this narrow dirt road, when large dump trucks would come flying out from nowhere. It was a bit nerveracking and I almost turned around, but just when I thought I should go back, a parking lot came into view! There were 12 or 18 cars there, and an outhouse (yay!) and kiosk. I put on my boots and after Sammy had done his thing, headed down the trail to the beach.
The beach was GORGEOUS. It was a beautiful day, absolutely perfect. There were a few families/groups on the beach, maybe 4 or 5, but it was quiet except for a couple kids playing. I ate my PB&J and enjoyed the view while Sammy lay in the sand. I was surprised it was so sandy. I got out my camera to take some pics and found that the new rechargeable batteries my mother had bought were crap. They'd been charging several days and let me take 3 pictures before they died. Lesson learned: always pack extra batteries.
We then walked up the beach and headed toward the trail that went up Schoodic Mtn. It was easy enough at first, and beautiful. It was by far my favorite place to hike in Maine (so far) but hey, I haven't been that many places. It got a bit steeper and I just took it slow. There seemed to be a lot of people coming down. Several of them seemed to have nothing but flip flops on. I was shocked. The older folks seemed to be huffing and puffing, the kids acting like they were taking a sunday stroll.
We climbed and climbed, eventually coming to a point where we were climbing over boulders. We met the lady we had talked to the the parking lot, who didn't seem all that friendly then but did now. She told me it was 10 or 15 more minutes. 10 or 15 minutes later we met another couple, who insisted it was only 10 or 15 more minutes. Climbed for another while. We then met a third group, a family that also had a dog, who also said it was 10 or 15 minutes. Jeepers.
Eventually we got there, it actually was I think, less difficult to get up than Blue Hill, the last part of it anyway, though it was much longer. The first lady, the parking lot lady, when I told her I'd come up from the beach said "Oh yeah, that way's brutal." Great. I seem to have a knack for picking out the worst trails.
The summit (this time I was sure it was the summit!) was worth it. It was spectacular. I am angry still that I had to take my pictures of it with my cell phone camera.
The trail back to the parking lot was much easier I must say, though to be honest I prefer going up the hard way. My fear of heights makes it difficult to stomach scampering down piles of rocks on the side of a mountain.
Length: Aprox 3 miles. Elevation: About 1000 feet.
The beach was GORGEOUS. It was a beautiful day, absolutely perfect. There were a few families/groups on the beach, maybe 4 or 5, but it was quiet except for a couple kids playing. I ate my PB&J and enjoyed the view while Sammy lay in the sand. I was surprised it was so sandy. I got out my camera to take some pics and found that the new rechargeable batteries my mother had bought were crap. They'd been charging several days and let me take 3 pictures before they died. Lesson learned: always pack extra batteries.
We then walked up the beach and headed toward the trail that went up Schoodic Mtn. It was easy enough at first, and beautiful. It was by far my favorite place to hike in Maine (so far) but hey, I haven't been that many places. It got a bit steeper and I just took it slow. There seemed to be a lot of people coming down. Several of them seemed to have nothing but flip flops on. I was shocked. The older folks seemed to be huffing and puffing, the kids acting like they were taking a sunday stroll.
We climbed and climbed, eventually coming to a point where we were climbing over boulders. We met the lady we had talked to the the parking lot, who didn't seem all that friendly then but did now. She told me it was 10 or 15 more minutes. 10 or 15 minutes later we met another couple, who insisted it was only 10 or 15 more minutes. Climbed for another while. We then met a third group, a family that also had a dog, who also said it was 10 or 15 minutes. Jeepers.
Eventually we got there, it actually was I think, less difficult to get up than Blue Hill, the last part of it anyway, though it was much longer. The first lady, the parking lot lady, when I told her I'd come up from the beach said "Oh yeah, that way's brutal." Great. I seem to have a knack for picking out the worst trails.
The summit (this time I was sure it was the summit!) was worth it. It was spectacular. I am angry still that I had to take my pictures of it with my cell phone camera.
The trail back to the parking lot was much easier I must say, though to be honest I prefer going up the hard way. My fear of heights makes it difficult to stomach scampering down piles of rocks on the side of a mountain.
Length: Aprox 3 miles. Elevation: About 1000 feet.
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| Schoodic Mtn Hike - Aug 20 2010 |
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