How to get there: Hikers can use several trailheads to hike Gorham Mountain in Acadia National Park. To reach all trailheads, enter the park at the Sieur de Monts Entrance, south of downtown Bar Harbor off Route 3. Turn onto Park Loop Road and drive south. Pass the entrance station, where you will pay a fee if you have not already secured a park pass, and follow the signs to the large Sand Beach parking lot.

You can park at the Sand Beach parking lot if you wish to complete the loop hike of Gorham Mountain, which is 4 miles long. To hike the loop clockwise, start at the Ocean Path trail head on the south side of the parking area, past the restrooms. (If facing the beach, to the right side of the parking lot.) To hike the loop counter-clockwise, start at The Bowl Trail head, which is across the Park Loop Road from the parking lot (and a few hundred feet north).

If you’d prefer a shorter hike (1.8 miles) to the summit of the mountain and back, drive past the Sand Beach parking area and park at the Gorham Mountain Trail parking area, which will be on your right, past Thunder Hole.

Information: Gorham Mountain rises 525 feet above sea level near Sand Beach on the southeast coast of Mount Desert Island. Located in Acadia National Park, the mountain is a popular hiking destination because it offers stunning views but isn’t considered a strenuous climb. Gorham Mountain Trail, which leads up and over the mountain’s summit, is gradual and well maintained.

The loop hike of Gorham Mountain includes three trails: Ocean Path, Gorham Mountain Trail and Bowl Trail. Starting at the Sand Beach parking area, the Ocean Path leads to Gorham Mountain Trail, which leads to Bowl Trail, which leads back to the Sand Beach parking area. The loop can be hiked in either direction.

The Ocean Path: Starting from the Sand Beach park lot, this trail remains on even ground and traces the shore from Sand Beach to Otter Point. Along the mostly gravel path, side trails lead to various outlooks, including the famous Thunder Hole, a small inlet where powerful waves rush in and create thunderous sounds, as well as a great deal of sea spray. (Be careful on the wet, slippery steps to the observation deck.) If hiking the Gorham Mountain loop, you will turn off the Ocean Path after Thunder Hole and long before it reaches Otter Point. A sign to Gorham Mountain Trail will direct you to turn right. Cross Park Loop Road and a small parking area and you will find the trail head to Gorham Mountain Trail.

Gorham Mountain Trail: Starting at the Gorham Mountain Trailhead parking area off the Loop Road, this trail leads 0.9 mile to the bald summit of the mountain. About halfway to the summit, the Cadillac Cliffs trail spurs off to the right. At this juncture, a bronze memorial plaque to Waldron Bates (1856-1909), the father of Mount Desert Island’s path system, has been set into the rock of an interesting boulder formation. The Canada Cliffs Trail rejoins the Gorham Mountain Trail in about 0.2 mile, according to the tenth edition of “A Walk in the Park: Acadia’s Hiking Guide,” by Tom St. Germain.

The Gorham Mountain Trail leads to the bald summit (which is marked by a sign) and descends the mountain and meets Bowl Trail before heading to a trail juncture between the summit of The Beehive and Halfway Mountain. If hiking the Gorham Mountain Loop, you will turn right onto Bowl Trail and hike the last 0.5 mile to the Sand Beach parking lot.

Bowl Trail: Starting across the road from the Sand Beach parking area, Bowl Trail leads to the summit of The Beehive. The famous Beehive Trail spurs off from the Bowl Trail and scales the cliffs of The Beehive with rungs and ladders. The Bowl Trail is the more gradual and safer option for people to reach the top of The Beehive. If hiking the Gorham Mountain Loop, Bowl Trail completes the loop by connecting the Gorham Mountain Trail to the Sand Beach parking lot.

All visitors to Acadia National Park are required to pay an entrance fee upon entry May through October. Passes are non-transferable, and credit cards are accepted at all fee collection areas. For the cost of various park passes, along with other information, visit www.nps.gov/acad or call 288-3338.

Personal note: On May 10, Derek and I walked into the Bangor Humane Society in search of an addition to our small family and we walked out with a 7-month dog named Oreo. He’s a black and white pit terrier mix, as far as we can tell, and extremely friendly. A dog that requires a lot of exercise, Oreo seemed to us to be just the dog to become my canine hiking buddy (on the trails that allow pets).

The Gorham Mountain loop hike became Oreo’s first hiking trip on May 19. Oreo exceeded our expectations as a hiking buddy, though I need to teach him to sit while I pause to take photos or video, otherwise, his leash tugs at my arm and makes for interesting footage.

We brought plenty of treats to reward him for behaving around all the other dogs and people, and he earned them. And he drank water during our rest stops from a collapsible bowl made by the Maine company Guyot Designs.

The Gorham Mountain loop was a perfect workout for Oreo, with a few challenging rock steps and a well-defined trail he could easily follow (though I did have to correct his direction a few times on the ridge of the mountain, as the trail was marked mainly by cairns, without woods or brush to hedge him in.) He certainly enjoyed himself and seemed to become increasingly confident navigating the rocky areas. By the time we got back to the car, he was ready for a nap.

How to get there: Quaggy Jo Mountain lies in Aroostook State Park, which has an entrance at 87 State Park Road in Presque Isle. For those without GPS, start in the town of Presque Isle and drive south on Route 1 for approximately 3 miles, then turn right onto Spragueville Road, which is marked by a park sign. Drive 1.5 miles and take a left turn onto State Park Road. Drive about 1 mile to the park main entrance. Start at the main trailhead off the parking area. The trailhead is marked with a kiosk and a sign that reads: “Snowshoe Trails.” Quaggy Jo Mountain can be hiked year round. Maps are available at the trailhead. Each intersection in the network is marked with a sign and usually a map.

Information: The twin-peaked Quaggy Jo Mountain offers a challenging climb rewarded by stunning views of the potato fields, forests and lakes of northern Maine. The North Peak provides the best views, though there is a great outlook from the ridge (in between the two peaks) and another great outlook located at the end of a short side trail near the South Peak.

Aroostook State Park is Maine’s first state park, established in 1939 as a 100-acre parcel. Today, the park totals nearly 800 acres thanks to land donations and purchases. In addition to Quaggy Jo, the park encompases Echo Lake.

Quaggy Jo is an alteration of the native word for the mountain, “Qua Qua Jo,” which translates to “twin-peaked,” according to the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.

For a loop hike to both peaks of the mountain, start at the trailhead off the parking lot marked with a sign that reads “Snowshoe Trails.” Climb up the steps and you will come to signs pointing left to the south peak. You should climb to the south peak first because the 0.75-mile South Peak Trail is steep and rocky and requires some technical hiking (using hands and feet). To reach the South Peak Trail, walk along the wide trail and cross a campsite.

At the South Peak, check out the short side trail that starts at the summit sign. It leads to a great outlook. Then take the Ridge Trail (a right turn at the end of the South Ridge Trail). The 1-mile Ridge Trail travels between the two peaks, dipping down in the middle and meandering a bit. It will lead you to a lean-to and picnic table — a perfect place for a break — then to the North Peak.

Enjoy the views of the North Peak, then turn around (the trail is a dead end) and backtrack to the North Peak Trail (if coming from the North Peak, this will be on your left). Signs and a map marks this intersection. The 1.25-mile North Peak Trail will bring you back down to the trailhead and parking lot to complete the loop.

Visitors are asked to follow a few rules while visiting the park, which is open year round. Pets are allowed but must be kept on leashes and pets are not allowed on the ski trails in the winter. Campsites must be reserved in advance at www.campwithme.com. Admission to the park varies depending on age and residency from free to $3. For a complete list of park rules, visit www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/index.pl.

In addition to many trails for hiking, skiing and snowshoeing, the park features a campground, picnic area, playground, showers and trailered boat launch.

Personal note: I hiked Quaggy Jo Mountain for the first time on May 1, before the trees had budded in northern Maine. Most of the hiking trails ran through deciduous (leafy) forest, so I imagine the forest would be even more beautiful in the summer and fall, when the leaves are on the trees. And I also imagine the trails are enjoyable to snowshoe.

On my hike of the mountain, I saw many robbins and noisy crows. It was a sunny, clear and unseasonably warm day, so the views from both peaks were spectacular. Though the hike was fairly short, it proved challenging because of the steep grade of the trails nearing the ridge. I hiked up to the North Peak first, so I had to descend the steep South Peak Trail. I do not advise this. It’s much safer to hike up the steepest trail.

]]> http://actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com/2013/05/14/one-minute-hikes/1-minute-hike-quaggy-jo-mountain-in-presque-isle/feed/ 0 http://actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com/2013/05/13/one-minute-hikes/where-in-the-woods-am-i-56/ http://actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com/2013/05/13/one-minute-hikes/where-in-the-woods-am-i-56/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 13:24:56 +0000 Aislinn Sarnacki http://actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com/?p=3677 Continue reading →]]> Below is a photo gallery from the second hike I took while visiting Aroostook County two weeks ago. As you can see, I gained some elevation. Try to guess where I hiked by viewing the photos, then leave your best guesses in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Winner gets an internet high five. And make sure to stay tuned for tomorrow’s “1-minute hike” video and writeup of this hike.

BDN photo by Aislinn Sarnacki
Cadillac Mountain from the North Ridge Trail in 2009.

The opening of these roads will give people access to a number of trailheads and natural attractions that are otherwise difficult to reach without a vehicle.

Until Sunday, May 19, most restrooms will remain closed (one at Sand Beach and another at Fabbri Picnic Area are open year-round), and normal trash removal will not yet have begun.

The park is never fully closed, but most of Acadia’s Park Loop Road and the entire length of the Summit Road on Cadillac Mountain are closed to vehicle traffic in the winter, when skiers, hikers and snowmobiles get free reign of the roads. The roads typically open to vehicles on April 15, depending on weather conditions.

In my opinion, spring and fall are ideal times for local residents to visit Acadia National Park because of the cooler weather and lower populations of visitors and biting insects compared to in the summer.

Norumbega Mountain, spring 2013.

While waiting for the rest of the Park Loop Road to open, keep in mind that several of the park’s trailheads can be accessed from roads that are open year-round. For example, parking for trails around the beautiful Eagle Lake can be access from Route 233. A trail climbing Champlain Mountain can be accessed from Route 3. And a trail climbing Norumbega Mountain can be accessed from Route 198 in Northeast Harbor.

Photo by Aislinn Sarnacki. The Beehive in Acadia National Park is seen from Sand Beach on June 10, 2012.

And the Ocean Drive section of the Park Loop Road is open to vehicles year-round by Schooner Head Road and passes Sand Beach and Thunder Hole. From Sand Beach, people can access several hiking trails, including trails that climb Beehive.

View the online map of the park trails and carriage roads here.

Don’t forget to purchase a park pass before entering the park. Learn about park passes here.

Check out a story about how the delay of the roads opening benefit bicyclists written by BDN reporter Bill Trotter here. And learn about the budget cuts and how it affects the park here.

How to get there: There are a few entrances to the Greenlaw Brook Division of the Aroostook NWR, but the easiest parking area to find is off West Gate Road in Limestone. To get there, start in Caribou (if coming from Bangor, take Exit 62 to Houlton and turn left on Route 1). In Caribou, take Access Road (Route 89) west toward Limestone. West Gate Road will be on your left, right after C & J Service Center. Drive about 1 mile and you will see the refuge parking area on your right, marked by a sign.

To get to the park office, nature store and the East Loring Division trails, return to Access Road (Route 89) and drive north to Loring Commerce Road, which will be on your right. Drive approximately two miles. Cross a set of railroad tracks and bear right at the fork. The refuge office and visitor station is on the right.

Information: The Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge was established on part of the old Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine, in 1998, when 4,700 acres were transferred from the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Prior to that, the U.S. Strategic Air Command was stationed at the base (1950-1994), flying long-range bombers capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

Today, refuge operations focus on restoring wildlife habitats and working to provide recreational opportunities through the construction of walking trails. Furthermore, Friends of Aroostook NWR provide wildlife-oriented educational programs regularly.

The refuge currently features 13.5 miles of trails and old roads for foot traffic. The East Loring Division trails: Beaver Pond Trail (0.7 mile), Don Lima Trail (1.2 mile), Durepo Loop (1 mile), East Loring Trail (3.5 mile) and Swamp Road (2 mile). The Greenlaw Brook Division trails: 13 Beaver Trail (1 mile), Green Pond Trail (0.1 mile), Loop Trail (0.5 mile), Powerline Trail (0.8 mile), Spruce Hill South Branch Trail (0.2 mile), Spruce Hill Trail (0.5 mile) and Swamp Road (2 miles).

Most of the trails are wide and relatively flat, therefore great for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, family walks and wildlife watching. Keep in mind that hunting, fishing and camping is not allowed on the refuge. ATVs are also not allowed.

Certain areas of the refuge may be blocked from public access for visitors’ safety and to protect wildlife habitat. The refuge has an aggressive habitat restoration program that includes demolishing buildings, removing railroad track and fencing, as well as other remnants of the former base infrastructure. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is also actively restoring wetlands on the refuge, including a 2.1-mile stream restoration project with the U.S. Air Force. Refuge management also uses prescribed fire to maintain approximately 400 acres of grassland.

The refuge includes valuable wetland and forested habitat for the declining populations of the American woodcock; several species of waterfowl including the American black duck, wood ducks, Canada geese and hooded mergansers; and many species of neotropical migratory birds. While the grasslands of the refuge provide habitat for upland sandpipers, bobolinks and Savannah sparrows.

The land is also home to several residential species, such as river otters, mink, muskrats, beaver, fishers, snowshoe hares, deer, black bear and moose. Several baseline inventories for birds, frogs, toads, dragonflies and damselflies guide refuge management and public use decisions.

For information, visit www.fws.gov/northeast/aroostook/ or call 454-7161. To learn about Friends of Aroostook NWR, visit www.friendsofaroostooknwr.org.

Personal note: I first visited Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge on April 30, 2013, to learn about efforts to research treatment of white-nose syndrome, which is killing several species of hibernating bats throughout the northeast. After interviewing the refuge assistant manager, Steve Agius, about bats, I asked him what trials I could explore on the refuge for my ‘1-minute hike’ series. Agius suggested any of the trails on the refuge, but mentioned that I might get some good wildlife pictures at the ponds of the Greenlaw Brook Division (though the wide trails of the East Loring Division, popular for cross-country skiing, are also great for wildlife viewing).

So I left the office and nature store of the refuge and drove back to the Access Road, where I turned right and drove to the West Gate Road, which led me to a parking area for the trail network in the Greenlaw Brook Division. Aguis was right about the abundance of wildlife. In the few hours I spent exploring the many trails, I saw at least seven ruffed grouse (partridge) and heard several more. The ponds were filled with Canada geese and a variety of ducks. Evidence of beaver — downed trees, gnawed wood, stick lodges and dams — was everywhere. One suggestion: wear sunscreen. Most of the trails are open to the sky.

For an entertaining video of rowdy Canada geese in Chapman Pond at the refuge, visit this link.

How to get there: Drive to Mount Desert Island on Route 3, and after crossing the causeway, stay to the right and follow Route 102. At the stoplight, turn left onto Route 198 and drive toward Northeast Harbor. The Goat Trail parking lot to Norumbega Mountain is north of Upper Hadlock Pond off Route 198. You will pass the Parkman Mountain parking area just before you see the Goat Trail parking area, which is fairly small and on the right. The trailhead is at the north end of the parking area.

Information: Norumbega Mountain rises 852 feet above sea level on Mount Desert Island, in Acadia National Park near the town of Northeast Harbor.

“In the early centuries of exploration, it was the unspoken goal of the English, French and Spanish to find Norumbega, a fabled city of gold that was thought to be somewhere around the forty-fifth parallel in the region of Maine,” Steve Pinkham writes in the book “Mountains of Maine: Intriguing Stories Behind Their Names.”

The present day Norumbega Mountain was originally named Brown’s Mountain after John Brown, who owned a large plot of land to the north, according to Pinkham. George Dorr (1855-1944), known as the father of Acadia National Park, changed the name to honor the mythological city. Dorr spend most of his adult life bringing the park into being and expanding it.

To complete a loop hike of Norumbega Mountain, start by ascending the steep and rocky Goat Trail, which is approximately 1 mile to the summit. At the summit, the Goat Trail meets the Norumbega Mountain Trail, which gradually descends the mountain along a ridge that offers some views of the nearby Somes Sound. Stay on the Norumbega Mountain Trail until it ends at Lower Hadlock Pond. (The Golf Course Trail, which spurs from Norumbega Mountain Trail, is simply an extra loop in the trail network.)

Lower Hadlock Pond and Upper Hadlock Pond, located on the southeastern side of Norumbega Mountain, are named after Samuel Hadlock, who moved his family to Northeast Harbor in 1785, and built a sawmill at the outlet of Lower Hadlock Pond, according to Pinkham.

“His venture was short-lived, for in 1789, he got into a fight with a drunken visitor named Eliab Littlefield Gott,” writes Pinkham. “It appears that he may only have been defending himself against the younger and stronger man, but newspapers of the day indicate that he was indicted, tried, convicted, and hanged for killing Gott. Hadlock’s son Samuel, Jr., continued to run the lumber business until the mill burned. He then removed to Little Cranberry Island and bought a ship, filled it with dried fish he caught in Labrador, and began a successful new business.”

To complete the loop hike of Norumbega Mountain, take a sharp left at the end of Norumbega Mountain Trail. This will put you on Hadlock Ponds Trail, which runs along the edge of the pond. (Note that Lower Hadlock Pond is a public reservoir and is not for swimming.) The trail crosses a wooden bridge at a beautiful multi-tiered waterfall where Hadlock Brook pours into the north end of Lower Hadlock Pond.

After the bridge is a trail juncture. Stay on Hadlock Ponds Trail by veering left (not Lower Hadlock Pond Trail, which veers right and crosses a bridge with hand rails).

From there, Hadlock Ponds Trail plunges into an enchanting forest full of moss. Beware of the many roots crossing the trail. For a while, the trail follows Hadlock Brook. At the next trail juncture, leave Hadlock Ponds Trail for the connector trail to the Goat Trail parking area. The sign reads “Goat Trail Parking” in 0.9 mile.

The loop hike is just more than 3 miles. Dogs are permitted if on a leash. May through October, all trail users must pay Acadia National Park admission. Learn about park passes at www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm. For information, visit www.nps.gov, call 288-3338 or e-mail acadia_information@nps.gov.

Personal note: Norumbega Mountain was my first snow-free hike of 2013. H.B. (hiking buddy Derek Runnells) and I started up the Goat Trail on the morning of April 26, ready for the challenging ascent up granite ledges. As the trail neared the top of the mountain, we both commented on the stunted evergreen trees, which remarkably grew on the granite in a very thin layer of soil.

As we walked along the mountain ridge, I pointed out the many Bates cairns (rock piles) marking the trail. The Bates cairn was designed by Waldron Bates in the early 1900s to mark some of the original trails on MDI. The design is two large rocks holding up a long flat rock, on top of which sits a single pointer rock.

The loop hike of Norumbega Mountain brought us through a variety of habitats, including a beautiful evergreen forest and a forest that Derek described at “mossome” (especially mossy) and “rooterrific” (having a lot of tree roots).

While descending the mountain via Norumbega Mountain Trail, Derek almost stepped on a garter snake basking in the sun, as it looked so much like the many roots crossing the trail. Ans at Lower Hadlock Pond, we sat on a rock and watched two loons preen and fish at the other end of the pond by using the lens of my camera.

I would absolutely suggest this hike to anyone looking for a bit of a challenge. The terrain is beautiful and constantly changing. Be sure to bring a map and directions, as there are several trail junctures.

Look at the photo gallery below and see if you recognize the trails that Derek and I explored. Leave your best guesses in the comments section at the bottom of the post. Winner gets an internet high five and a mention in the updated post!