Where in the woods am I? Fernald’s Neck Preserve

Carolyn Newbert, Sandie ‘Bluebearee’ Sabaka (via Facebook) and Greg Holt (via email) won the “Where in the Woods Am I?” game for Fernald’s Neck Preserve in Lincolnville and Camden in December 2014 given these verbal clues and the following gallery of photos:

I felt pretty crummy about leaving my dog Oreo home on Friday when I went for a hike, but I had my reasons. I wanted to try out my new 100-400mm camera lens, and Oreo usually scares away most wildlife before I can try to photograph it. In addition, a reader recently suggested I visited a certain preserve that doesn’t allow dogs.

Oreo always gets excited when I pack my hiking backpack (a black Camelbak M.U.L.E. that I’ve used for about 5 years) because he has learned to associate that with spending time in the woods. So when I walked out the door without him, he was a bit frantic. As I rolled out of the driveway, I could see his black and white face in the bedroom window, watching me.

My guilt at leaving him home was soon dispelled as I explored the trails of the preserve at leisure and didn’t have to deal with Oreo yanking on his leash. He’s great company, but sometimes it’s nice to walk alone (especially after several holiday crowded parties).

See if you recognize this quiet, beautiful preserve by viewing the photos below, then leave your best guesses in the comment section at the bottom of the page. As always, winner gets a high five and a mention in the updated post. And if you like the looks of this Maine hiking location, stay tuned for tomorrow’s “1-minute hike” video and writeup (including driving directions).

 

 

 

Aislinn Sarnacki

About Aislinn Sarnacki

Aislinn is a Bangor Daily News reporter for the Outdoors pages, focusing on outdoor recreation and Maine wildlife. Visit her main blog at actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com.