A Quiet Walk in Evan's Notch

Most walks & hikes in Evan's Notch are quiet! So which one did we take?* Probably a more well known one: Shell Pond Loop. 

*This is a mega flashback to the summer, my picture-taking efforts have been weak!

The trail lies almost entirely on private property but corteous hikers are permitted. Parking is down Stone House Road off of Rt 113 in Evan's Notch and there are a few spots just before the gate - though as we left, vans were lining up along the side of the road as well.  We didn't see a soul until the end of our walk but the lot was full when we returned, though I suspect many were there for other hikes: the property also offers access to Blueberry Mountain, a great little hike with a gorgeous view. 

With the heat, I opted for the much flatter option. All hikers begin by passing the gate and beginning their walk up the dirt road. Shell Pond Loop Trail diverges to the right shortly afterwards. It weaves and winds; my first time almost losing the trail was where it seemed to hook left but there was a bridge straight ahead. Continue over the bridge and then to the left to stick with it. The trail then climbs a bit but there were a few small drinking holes for the girls. The trail follows the shoreline of the pond - but not in the manner I'd hoped. It's never reachable on the south side, as the trail climbs into the woods, creating a steep slide to the water. 

 

The water: so close, yet so far!

As we came around the east side of the pond and started traveling north, we finally got some good wallowing spots, much to the girls' excitement. It also looked like it could get very muddy (it does shortly afterwards)! There is one spot with a nice view of the pond and a stone bench but no easy access. The girls found where wildlife have parted the brush and enjoyed their last dip in the pond before we continued.

Where the loop turns west, there is an intersection with a trail that leads out to Evergreen Valley/Shell Pond Rd - we kept left but apparently there's a fabulous emerald green swimming hole to the right before the road. From here to the grassy fields, I found some difficulty navigating the trail proper, as it was overtaken with water and the grasses had grown wildly tall. Nevertheless, we linked together the obvious sections until we crossed a bridge and arrived in the field where the trail signs eventually picked back up.  

This is where I reeled the girls in from their long lines, as the trail passed by the residences and I wondered if I had erred again. Looking back over the photos, we were on the right track... which also serves as an air strip.  All's well that ends well!

After the pretty but scorching walk through the field, we enjoyed the partial shade of the road and final small stream/water opportunity for the girls before returning to the car, which was no longer alone in the lot; the early bird gets the empty trails - again!. 

Summary

While there's nothing particularly outstanding about Shell Pond, it is an undeniably enjoyable walk in the woods. Different sites put it at 3.4-4.0 miles in length. The trail is wide and easy to maneuver, the girls found ample water to stay hydrated, and there was an intriguingly wild element to navigating the flooded north side of the trail. I recall thinking the loop would be a very nice snowshoeing location - if the road is open in the winter. In the moment, it was also perfect for walking with Arya, who continues to improve in her reactivity but sometimes it's nice for all to simply walk without any triggers or training! Others may use the beginning of the trail as a means to an end (Blueberry Mountain); we were more than satisfied with our walk around the pond and its limited but very Maine-y views. 

Wandering Douglas Mountain, Maine (10/15/2016)

Small hike, big payoff!

A rather un-helpful trail report but in order to chronicle the yearly foliage patterns and make a note of a great little hike that I highly recommend for a fun, easy jaunt with beautiful scenery, I am obliged!

My brother Nate came up from Rhode Island to see some foliage as we were at the very end of peak, if not a hair past in many areas, and I did not want to disappoint.

I had a lot of criteria but was mostly looking for about an hour from home, excellent foliage views, and not too tough.  A co-worker who I'm very fortunate to work with (for more than her shared loved for nature!) recommended Douglas Mountain in Sebago which sounded like a short hike from my limited knowledge of the area and only 50 minutes from home.

The drive up there was gorgeous and I was thrilled there were still plenty of vibrant colors.  We had to backtrack on Douglas Mountain Road; I wasn't expecting a large sign waving in all hikers to a designated lot.  Based on feedback from my coworker (and nothing else; I did no research other than a Google Images search!), I wanted to do the Ledges Trail but the large maps at the trailhead and donation box indicated we'd have to walk the road to get there.  Between that and a lovely-looking trail in front of us, we opted for what was right in front of us.

Quintessentially New England

So Much Orange!

As it turns out, the trail we were on was the primary Eagle Scout Trail.  It was very enjoyable: broad and easy through varied, semi-open woods.  Ty was amped but on her best behavior!

We passed a junction with a snowmobile trail, then a few turns as the trail bordered private property, and then the trail began to ascend.  After such a mellow start, and clearly my body had forgotten about Tuckerman Ravine by then, it felt steep!  If I'm being honest, it wasn't all that steep but a couple brief sections sure felt it and will be a good, short challenge for those who haven't hiked in awhile.  As the trail eased up, we passed under a very large fallen tree and came to an intersection.

Looking down the "steep" ascent (insert snicker here!)

The aforementioned big fallen tree

The trail marker suggested we could take the "Nature Trail Loop" and reach the summit.  We wandered the loop twice, baffled.  Each time took us less than 10 minutes.  It wasn't a large time investment and the brevity of the hike overall made it an easy gamble to take.  While on the second loop around, Nate said he recalled another path at the junction we'd stood at, befuddled, before.

Hopefully Nate forgives the use of his photo.  His expression summarizes
the depth of concentration required of us to find the right trail!

Back at the intersection, he pointed it out. I'd never seen it and was grateful for his keen eye.  It was immediately apparent it was the right path.  Initially rocky, the trail evened out and transitioned to dirt then smooth, exposed stone before reaching the clearing that's considered the summit.  There's an awesome stone tower with a fantastic view.  Nate did the majority of the picture-taking with his Samsung and keen eye.  With a frown, I have to say that said phone was stolen before he got the photos off of it so you'll just have to believe me!

Is it any question why the ladies love him?!

We decided to wander to the other side of the clearing to find a path down.  Afterwards, it was apparent it was the Ledges Trail.  Smooth ledges are my favorite and we enjoyed hiking down, all the while, with Nate showing off the grip on his Salomon trail runners!

The ledges didn't last long; we soon figured out why nearly everybody else that arrived at the top after us came from that direction.  The walk down was only half a mile! We oogled the gorgeous properties than lined the road on the walk down to the lot.

Quick, fun, interesting, and scenic - we will definitely be bringing more visitors to Douglas Mountain!  First, I'll probably return once on my own to get my bearings first; reviewing the map, it's quite straightforward and I'm baffled about our detour.  Not that I wouldn't mind getting lost again; it was a fun walk.  Of note for the dogs: there were a couple good streams along the beginning of the Eagle Scout Trail.  It's a nice piece of land but the trail sometimes closely borders private property so keep your wanderers in check!  Finally, we heard distant gunshots but their sound carried well.  We weren't in danger (but wore orange to be safe); however, Ty is extremely uncomfortable with the sound so "spooky" dogs might not appreciate that aspect.  We've only been once so I will offer updates if that's a usual thing there or not when we return.  I've since read it's a superb place to snowshoe.  Until then, happy trails, especially if you visit Douglas Mountain!

P.S. If you do, bring three bucks, the requested donation amount to maintain the property!
In light of the small amount of information compared to some of our other trails, here are some of links I found helpful:
Trail Map, thanks to Bridgton.com
Another post about hiking Douglas with dogs, highlight is the great descriptions of the surrounding mountains! How many have you done?
Some good wildlife recommendations and the perspective of a green hiker here.

Bald Mountain and Artist Bluff

Distance: 1.6 mi roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 600 ft
Duration: appx. 1.5 hours (lots of picture-taking!)

This is a long overdue post; I've had it sitting in drafts for weeks and it was well worth finishing because the hike was a perfect, short but fun trip.

About six weeks ago, we took to the mountains for a much needed impromptu weekend away.  I assured Erick we were there to relax and explore the area, "no hiking."  But by 8:00AM Saturday morning, I couldn't look south at Franconia Ridge and Cannon Mountain any longer without setting out with the dogs.  Referring again to my AMC White Mountains Map, I found the Bald Mountain and Artist Bluff loop, which looked perfect for our needs.

So the dogs and I hopped in the car and drove all of 10 minutes to the trailhead.  I could get used to that!!  The trailhead is along the roadside just before the flashing orange light at Cannon's Peabody Base Area lot off of Rt 18.

I fastened Ty's new boots from Mountain Ridge and we walked across the closed parking lot to the trailhead sign.  As described online, the trail starts a bit steep and we very quickly reached the spur to Bald Mountain.  The spur was a great taste of the terrain we're used to but in a quick bite format that was acceptable for Tango (the temperature was starting to rise).  We climbed a rock staircase, a little scramble, some exposed bedrock, and an impressive rock face to scramble that made me question the "family friendly" designation this hike was awarded.  An adventurous youngin would love the challenge but my difficulty finding footing and the height of the rock face made me think it could easily be intimidating to some children.

Scramble over smooth rock with Ty for reference

Beyond the scramble we hopped up a couple more open ledges where the wind was a little sharp.The dogs and I thought that the trail might loop back down but, after some wandering through the hemlocks and finding a campsite, we realized we'd be making a tough bushwhack (not that Ty cared) and backtracked.

Open viewpoints are our favorites!

Ty evaluating her route options

After rejoining the main trail, we sped up.  It is varied but easy and we enjoyed ourselves as the trail rolled along.  As the  trail started to descend rockily, I wondered if I'd missed what had been described as an "unnamed spur" to Artist Bluff.  Thankfully, there was an arrow on a boulder indicating the way.  We hooked left and very quickly reached Artist Bluff.  It's quite lovely but I enjoyed the first vista a bit more.  Ty and Tango loved the grasses near the outlook though!

A hint of color! (9/17/16)

Meticulously made steps

Returning to the main trail was more rocky, dusty descent over boulders and stone steps.  It was fun and I was tempted to jog.  

Above: heading down, below: looking back up

Soon we were approaching what seemed like the end, as I could see the road through the thinning trees.  Instead, the trail turned sharply and ran parallel to the road until reaching the parking lot.  It was a nice cool down that was mostly flat.

Bald Mountain and Artist Bluff was exactly what I was looking for that morning: quick,easy with challenging sections, variety, and spectacular views (I need a new adjective, don't I?!).  There weren't any water sources that I can recall but time of year probably played a part in that and the dogs didn't really need water.  Ty's Mountain Ridge "tough boots with grip" (that she was wearing as her raw pads healed from a previous hike) performed extremely well and they've become our go-to boots for most situations.  I tightened them only once or twice and she had no issues going up or down rock faces or maneuvering scrambles.  Fun, short, great location, and quiet, at least in late September - we couldn't have asked for more!

Look for parking at the flashing light, park, hike, enjoy!