I hiked 12.77 miles from 8:15 to 4:08 (a little less than 8 hours). The REALLY SLOW parts were 1) going up the ROCK FACE for Mount Coe, 2) going up the summit trail for North Brother, and 3) scrambling around the backside of North Brother, trying to bushwack over to Fort Mountain.
Once again, Up and at 'em at 5:15 - hot shower and GREAT BREAKFAST at the The Appalachian Trail Café, and then north to the Park. Even though I did not have any time deadlines (or reservation costs - parking at Marston Trail trailhead/Slide Dam Picnic Area is FREE!), I got to the gate a little after 7. Another hour on a dirt road (alongside beautiful Tracy Pond
and Nesowadnehunk Stream
got me to the trailhead, and hiking at 8:15 AM. As you can see above, MapMyWalk DID WORK)
I had a nice chat with a couple of guys in the parking lot, and they started before me (but I caught up to them by 9, on the nicest hiking trail I have been on in Maine):
After 1.3 miles on Marston Trail, I took a right on Mt Coe Trail. It is also a very nice trail, and follows a lovely stream:
Although the sky was clear (once the fog burned off), it started out COLD (40º) at the trailhead! So I wore my green t-shirt plus my NEW medium-size long-sleeve pullover - a gift from Shannon (my STEP instructor at the MAC) and her boyfriend, who are making these new anti-mosquito shirts (see the website for NoBu.gs™). It was very light, and must have worked because while I had it on, I was never bothered by flying insects:
To quote their website: NoBu.gs™ is an innovative line of apparel and gear that has been functionally enhanced with insect repellent.
I didn't get why all the guidebooks (and even the Ranger at the Park Entrance) said "Do the Loop COUNTERCLOCKWISE!". Then I came upon The Slide - it is best viewed in Google Earth, with Mount Coe at the top:
I don't know why MapMyWalk didn't pick up greater detail - I did some zig-zagging up this rock face.
So this is my photo looking straight down The Slide:
And now we know why they want me to go up it, and not down - going down is Very Dangerous!
10:30 at the top of Mount Coe:
and its BEAUTIFUL VIEWS:
- north to South Brother and North Brother:
- northeast into The Klondike:
- east to Mount Katahdin:
- south to Mount O-J-I and Kidney Pond:
- west looking down the valley I just hiked up through:
NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY, and stripped down to shorts and a t-shirt!
A nice hour-hike over to (and up the side trail to) South Brother:
The trail from South Brother to North Brother:
is actually 2 parts. A nice walk-in-the-woods:
for about a mile; but then you get "killer vertical" for 0.4 mile:
You know SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG when they paint the blue-trail-blaze on the UNDERSIDE of an OVERHANGING ROCK!!
Broke above the treeline:
for my final ascent to North Brother:
#14-of-14 in Maine/#67-of-67 4000 Footers in New England!!
I felt pretty cool - but here is a 45-year old mom and her 13-year old daughter - it was their #67 ALSO!!!!
So, aren't you just SOOOO SPECIAL, MR. DENNIS C DIXON!!!!
It is 1 in the afternoon, and the view northeast to Fort Mountain looks pretty nice:
At 3867 feet, Fort Mountain is not one of the New England 4000 footers, but it is #80 on the list of New England 100 Highest (there's ALAWAYS ANOTHER LIST!!).
The only problem is THERE IS NO TRAIL (well, maybe a "herd path"). The girl and her mom headed off to it, and I said I would catch up - this is as far as I got:
I only made it a 1/4 of a mile before I realized it was a really stupid idea to try to follow a 6-inch wide path through overgrown Maine Mountain pine trees that are ripping and clawing at your skin. Call me when they put in a TRAIL.
So back down the mountain, and down Marston Trail to a nice lookout over Teardrop Pond (at 2:40 PM):
30 minutes later I was down at the Pond, with its gnarly trees:
About 1.5 miles from the trailhead - as I said, the nicest trail I have hiked in Maine! Looking downhill:
and looking back uphill:
Finished at 4:08, hit the "road" at 4:15, home in Manchester by 10:30. THANK YOU GOD for all these wonderful hiking adventures!!!
Today, it was more music from my purple nano:
Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, 1959
Tom Rush - Wrong End of the Rainbow, 1970
Coldplay - X&Y, 2005
Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, 1973
I think this is my favorite Bruce album!
Yes - Yessongs, 1973 live triple-album
At that time, triple albums were very rare - I can only remember 2 others: Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More (released 1970), and George Harrison All Things Must Pass (also released 1970).
The Steve Miller Band - Your Saving Grace, 1969
