Posts Tagged With: hiking

Maine or Bust 2022: Main(e) Memories of Freeport

Posted on June 13, 2022 by carryoncouple.com

From our front porch we could see the finger of land across the water hiding Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. Curious, we drove around and found a trail to explore, looping through the grounds and offering views of coastal tide pools, towering forests and an occasional wildflower.

Safety first
Typical Maine woods
Pink Lady’s Slipper
Rocky Maine Coast

Taking advantage of another beautiful day, we thought we had found the perfect outing. A short ferry ride from Portland, Maine took us across Casco Bay to Long Island where a 6-mile walk awaited. We packed our lunch and cashed in on the senior ticket rate, excited about our big, cheap adventure. Expecting a trail through the woods and along the shore, we were disappointed to find the walk followed a paved road through mostly residential neighborhoods. Even worse, there was not a public restroom to be found. Posted signs warned of poison ivy making a discreet duck behind a bush too risky for me. We called it quits and raced back to the dock to catch the next ferry back to the mainland, reminding us that you can’t win them all!

The ferry made several stops at different islands.
Fort Gorges, built from 1858-1864.
What a day…Reg’s face says it all!

The weather took a turn for the worse, dumping buckets of rain. The perfect day to check out Freeport’s main shopping attraction.

L.L. Bean fans flock to the many specialized L.L. Bean stores in Freeport. But don’t expect too many bargains. While other brand name retailers offered 30-60% markdowns, Bean deals were few and far between.

With the return of the sun, we took a chance on another island walk. A 7-mile portion of the West Side Trail took us by foot from Fels-Groves Farm Preserve, across the bridge over Casco Bay and a circle around Cousins Island. We hoped for an expansive ocean view at trail’s end, but once again our expectations were dashed. However, we enjoyed the walk and appreciated the bench (where we ate our lunch) and the congratulatory signpost at the end.

We have one more week to enjoy the great state of Maine. This morning, Reg and I woke up to a new, gorgeous view through the trees and across the water to Mt. Desert Island that sits adjacent to Acadia National Park. We’re taking another lazy Sunday before joining the sightseeing crowds. More to come…

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Maine or Bust 2022: We Crossed The Line

Posted on June 6, 2022 by carryoncouple.com
After nearly 3 months on the road, we crossed the line into Maine!

First stop in the state of Maine – a short, 2-night visit with friends and former California neighbors Jeannie and Jeff at their lovely coastal home. Although the weather wasn’t looking good Friday morning, we donned our raincoats (just in case) and set off on a path through the 295-acre Beech Hill Preserve, hoping to take in the 360° view of Penobscot Bay, Camden Hills and the St. George Peninsula. Our hopes were dashed upon reaching the summit of Beech Hill as the clouds closed in.

We were able to have a look at the 1913 restored sod-roofed hut and the remains of a stone circle. Jeannie captured our hiking memories with her photos.

We tidied ourselves up and went out for dinner at Archer’s, a terrific seafood restaurant with a harbor view, where our evening began with drinks and Oysters Rockefeller. Thank you so much Jeannie and Jeff. It was sad to say goodbye, but you gave us wonderful memories and a perfect introduction to the state of Maine.

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Maine or Bust 2022: Hiking Trails Galore

Posted on June 2, 2022 by carryoncouple.com

New Hampshire was not a new state for either of us, but for Reg it was a bit of a homecoming. As a 7-year old, Reg attended second grade in a K-12 school in Bethlehem, a small community not far from our campground. The school still stands although it now serves only elementary school students.

Reg poses on the steps of his favorite elementary school located in Bethlehem, New Hampshire.

With six days to fill we worried that we might not be able to fill our time once we visited Mt. Washington, but Franconia State Park saved the day. Hiking trails galore! Here are a few photos of our favorite spots.

A rock cliff is all that remains of the Old Man of the Mountain.
This was the only ”Old Man” I saw.

Our first stop took us on a walk to see New Hampshire’s iconic Old Man of the Mountain, a series of rock cliffs stacked on a peak that together depict a man’s profile. Little did we know that the Old Man had crumbled and fallen away back in 2003, leaving just a smidgen of rock at the top. The state has done its best to honor their fallen hero, creating a rather extravagant memorial plaza where visitors can squint to see what was once a great ”man.”

The walk up Franconia Notch State Park’s Flume Gorge was pretty spectacular. Tickets are required for the roughly 2-mile Flume Path that leads up a series of wooden stairs and along raised walkways to the top of the gorge. It must get pretty crazy in the summer months, but we were able to easily enjoy the views.

We weren’t the only hikers trekking up the trail to Lonesome Lake, but once we arrived it was just us and one lone fisherman hanging out lakeside. The 1.25 mile trail was uphill all the way. If the weather had been a little nicer we might have opted for the extra mile or so around the lake, but fearing drizzle and wet rocks on the downhill trip, we simply ate lunch and headed back.

We caught the trailhead for 2.8-mile Liebskind’s Loop at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. Normally we start our hiking in the morning, but this was an afternoon walk for us and the bugs were out in full force. Just as we began to wonder why in the heck we were climbing yet another mountain, we came upon an impressive sheer wall of rock that led us to Brad’s Bluff, a spectacular viewpoint. Thinking we were taking a shortcut back we scrambled steeply down George’s Gorge, a rock-filled chute that abruptly ended at a pretty little waterfall. GPS couldn’t help us so we had no choice but to turn back, (adding another half mile to the hike) and take the well-marked route back to the car.

What a journey. We leave Littleton, New Hampshire for Maine, our destination from the outset of our trip. But maybe the destination is just the beginning…stay tuned, there’s more to come.
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Maine or Bust 2022: The World’s Worst Weather?

Posted on June 1, 2022 by carryoncouple.com

Upon leaving Vermont the only thing stopping us from reaching our goal was the state of New Hampshire. A relatively short drive across the border took us into New Hampshire and our riverside site just outside the small town of Littleton.

Hoping for a little extra space for our six-day stay, and knowing the Memorial Day weekend holiday crowds were close behind us, we reserved a premium site.

New Hampshire is home to the White Mountains, including the highest peak in the Northeastern United States, 6,288 ft. Mt. Washington. Mt. Washington is well know for it’s weather extremes…some claim it has the worst weather in the world.

Above chart from Alex Camerino at snowbrains.com

There are several ways to summit Mt. Washington. Mountaineering purists may want to hike to the top, a 4-5 mile journey that will take the most experienced hikers about that many hours of walking…each way. The Cog Railway offers a 3-mile ride up and down the mountain although we found the tickets to be as steep as the climb. Our choice was to drive the Mt. Washington Auto Road at a cost of $53.00, roughly 25% of the cost of two tickets for the Cog Railway.

It was a hair-raising drive on a sometimes narrow road with steep drop-offs. But we made it and I’m pretty sure all the other drivers did too. We had an extremely nice day; we were told we’d enjoy a 360° view with a visibility of 100 miles. We posed for our photo, enjoyed the view, bought lunch – a chili dog for Reg and clam chowder for me and chatted with a young man hiking the Appalachian Trail. By then it was starting to get cold and it was time to head back down the mountain.

Everyone’s first stop at the top is the line for a photo with the sign. This was free!
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Maine or Bust 2022: Greetings From The North Pole

Posted on May 23, 2022 by carryoncouple.com

From the Wilmington/North Pole KOA Campground that is. Love this oversized campsite about 10 miles northeast of Lake Placid in New York State.

This might be the largest campsite we’ve ever had.

Less than 2 miles down the road a collection of hiking trails known as the Flume Trails branch off above a narrow channel where the Ausable River roars through. We chose the Flume Knob trail, a 3.1 out and back trail with nearly 1,200 feet of elevation gain leading to a 180° view. How hard could it be?

It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted to quit a trail as badly as I wanted to give up on this one. Impatient with the heat, humidity and swarming bugs, I struggled uphill behind Reg who kept calling back to me, “We’re almost there!” And then, finally we were. The view was every bit as good as promised. I snapped the photo of Reg as he carefully made his way back down off the knob. Fortunately, it wasn’t as scary as it looks.

Reg looks up at Whiteface Mountain, New York’s fifth-highest peak.

The following day we debated the pros and cons and finally decided to drive up the Whiteface Mountain Highway. We thought it strange that visitors must pay a hefty fee to drive the scenic highway. It’s a short 5-mile drive that snakes up 2300 feet and offers ”grand vistas of Adirondack Park” and “panoramic views that stretch from Canada to New Hampshire.” Watching the sky, we were skeptical that the weather would allow us such expansive vistas.

From the parking lot at the top, guests can opt for an elevator ride to the summit. We chose to walk by way of what was named the Alpine Nature Trail, an odd name for the walk across a rocky mountain spine. While we were able to enjoy misty views (the bottom left photo shows a bit of Lake Placid, home to the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics) the stretch from Canada to New Hampshire was a no-show.
Click here to learn more about the drive up Whiteface Mountain.

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Maine or Bust 2022: The Invisible Border

Posted on May 21, 2022 by carryoncouple.com

The Canadian border stretches invisibly through the St. Lawrence River just off the northern shores of Wellesley Island State Park in New York, our next stop where we had three full days to explore. Our approach to the park was from the south, via Interstate 81, crossing from mainland New York over the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence and then quickly exiting onto the state park roads.

We were in the F-loop, the only loop with full hookups. It also has large, sunny sites.

Rain was predicted for our first day so we took advantage of the dry morning to check out the camping area. There are six different camping loops throughout the park and 431 sites. We leisurely wandered up, down and all around, surprised to see that nearly all were empty. It took us nearly two hours.

Rain clouds began to gather as the storm moved in.

The Minna Anthony Common Nature Center sits on a finger of the island and is the hub for multiple color-coded day hikes. We chose the coastal River Trail (green) which wrapped all the way around the point and eventually connected to the East Trail, eventually leading us back to the nature center and the end of a five-mile hike.

The Thousand Island Park community on Wellesley Island was founded in 1875 as a Methodist campground. As the infrastructure developed, the area quickly grew into a summer resort. By the end of the 18th century nearly 600 cottages had been built. In 1982 Thousand Island Park was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. I‘m a sucker for big old Victorian houses, so we rode our bikes the five short miles to check out the neighborhood.

I couldn’t resist taking a short bit of very amateur video to show you a portion of Thousand Island Park.

Today there are about 40% fewer cottages than there were at the peak, but those that remain surely have stories to tell. Many have been beautifully restored while others await some TLC. Many appeared still closed up, awaiting the short summer season.

The link takes you through the fascinating history of Thousand Island Park.

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Maine or Bust 2022: The Grand Canyon of the East

Posted on May 17, 2022 by carryoncouple.com

Letchworth State Park, the Grand Canyon of the East, covers over 14,000 beautifully forested acres that stretch roughly 17 miles along the Genesee River gorge in western New York state.

Below the bridge, Upper Falls spills into the Genesee River and flows down over Middle Falls.

The park campground was not yet open for the season, so we got an early start from our nearby KOA campground and spent one day exploring numerous hiking trails that wove up and down throughout the park.

Scattered among the grounds are 15 descriptive panels and 60 commemorative medallions marking the locations of the projects FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps completed in the 1930s and early 1940s. Some, like the bridge below, still stand today. Others, like the fireplace, have been renovated.

We have one more day to fill and another New York state park to share with you before moving on. Where will that be?

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Maine or Bust 2022: Into the Wild

Posted on May 15, 2022 by carryoncouple.com

We felt like our two nights at Trough Creek State Park in south central Pennsylvania took us into the wilds. With just an electric hookup, we got a little closer to our camping roots, toting in bottled water for drinking and needing to be mindful of not overfilling our gray- and black-water tanks.

Our campsite backed up to a wooded hillside.
An afternoon campfire kept the bugs away…mostly.

The park had a surprising number of interesting features that we were able to make a day of exploring. Just down the road was the Ice Mine, a curious space between hillside rocks where cold air flows through creating ice and a natural refrigerator effect.

The Ice Mine
Reg peeked inside to see if any ice remained.
Neither of us attempted to explore beyond the icy mine opening.

Balanced Rock remains perched at the edge of a cliff above Great Trough Creek, seemingly defying gravity. Called an ”erosion remnant,” it has refused to fall, creating corny photo opportunities for some.

Great Trough Creek was roaring under the suspension bridge.
It was a wobbly bridge and some of the slats were missing, so a bit of a thrill to cross.

Our next two-night stop was in northern Pennsylvania at Leonard Harrison State Park, known as The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Another small park accessed by way of two-lane roads passing through tiny roadside communities, we once again felt somewhat isolated.

We spent the morning safely hiking the Turkey Path which, despite the numerous warnings of a steep, dangerous trail, was a little muddy but not too scary. We had hoped that we could get down to Pine Creek, but after descending a set of 70 stairs and almost there, we were met with a closed sign.

We’ve always felt a little spoiled by our Oregon state camping options, but we were throughly impressed with Pennsylvania state parks. We’ll soon be checking into a New York state park and are curious to see how it stacks up. I’ll let you know in a few days!

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Maine or Bust 2022: Sometimes It’s A Bust

Posted on May 13, 2022 by carryoncouple.com

Shenandoah National Park offers over 500 miles of hiking trails through Virginia’s spectacular mountain scenery. We reserved four nights just outside the park in Luray at Spacious Skies RV Park, excited about three full days to explore the park.

We had big plans for those chairs after our daily hikes.

Our first day found us back on a section of the Appalachian Trail. We were curious to see the overnight shelters distance hikers frequent, so we chose a 6-mile out and back trail called Mary’s Rock and Birds Nest 3 Shelter.

It was a rocky, uphill path to Mary’s Rock but the view was worth the climb. We continued on until we reached the shelter known as Birds Nest 3. While it was pretty rustic, it would certainly provide welcome relief to weary hikers eager to escape bad weather. At one end was a large fireplace while a raised sleeping platform stretched across the back. Tucked away at a discrete distance was another treat…an outhouse. I didn’t peek inside assuming it was likely pretty rustic, but figured it would offer a bit of hard-to-come-by privacy after miles of wilderness.

That night the temperatures dropped and the rains began. Hard rains…relentless rains. Perhaps day two was a good time to drive a part of 105-mile Skyline Drive that winds along the spine of the park.

Visibility was lousy. As the road climbed higher it got worse.
We pulled over at a viewpoint before deciding to turn around.

It was obviously not a day for sightseeing, so we went back to our trailer and got the laundry done. The rain and cold continued into the next day. Our Shenandoah National Park visit was a bit of a bust, and we weren’t able to fully appreciate the beautiful campsite we had, but we did have one great hike and a good laugh about our “drive through the park.”

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Maine or Bust 2022: Appalachian Trail Dream

Posted on April 25, 2022 by carryoncouple.com

A short drive to Virginia’s Grayson Highlands State Park allowed us a chance for a short hike with a link to one of the country’s most iconic national trails.

The 2.3-mile Massie Gap and Wilburn Ridge loop trail overlaps a portion of the Appalachian Trail, the nearly 2,200-mile path that leads thru-hikers from Springer Mountain in the state of Georgia, north to Mount Katahdin in Maine.

If we were 25 years younger we might try hiking this entire trail. You never know, but for now…this short segment will have to do.

We read that we could expect spectacular views and, if we were lucky, glimpses of a wild Grayson Highland pony or two.

From atop the rock outcropping (behind Reg in photo with trail marker above) we could see forever. We rejoined the Appalachian Trail section and continued on for a short bit until a steep downhill (requiring a steep return ascent) turned us around.

We found a grassy meadow for a lunch stop, but not one pony was tempted to join us. They all remained hidden from sight.
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