Maine
Hike this remote mountain for one of the best views in Maine
The earlier night time’s rain beaded on fern fronds alongside the path. I rigorously navigated over slick tree roots, respiratory within the wealthy scents of damp earth, soggy moss and sodden leaves. After a stretch of dry climate, the forest was lastly stuffed with water.
Earlier than lengthy, the quick entry path ended on the well-known Appalachian Path. There I turned proper, following white painted path markers up the west ridge of Barren Mountain. Rising 2,670 ft above sea stage, it’s one of many many peaks traversed by the AT, and an open ledge beneath its summit affords a wide ranging view of the area.
It had been 9 years since I final hiked the mountain. That day, a number of elements performed into my resolution to return.
First, a good friend jogged my memory that it’s a beautiful hike. Second, my canine was in daycare, so I didn’t have to fret about her struggling on the steep, rocky sections. Third, it rained, which meant I’d lastly discover some colourful mushrooms to {photograph}.
Barren Mountain is the primary main peak of Maine’s well-known 100-Mile Wilderness, if you happen to’re trekking from the south. The 100-Mile Wilderness is taken into account essentially the most distant part of the Appalachian Path. It doesn’t cross any main roads for about 100 miles, however components of it are accessible by aspect trails and gravel woods roads, if you happen to’ve obtained good instructions and a DeLorme atlas.
As I adopted the path up the mountain, cautious to not slip on moist rocks or roots, my respiratory quickened. A refreshing breeze swept by way of the forest as a thick layer of clouds swam overhead.
About 1.5 miles into the hike, I got here to a aspect path resulting in Barren Slide, a cliff and rock slide that provides an open view to the west. Sadly, the path was closed as a consequence of peregrine falcons nesting on the cliff. Listed as endangered in Maine, they’re protected, particularly throughout nesting season.
Fortunately, farther up the path, Barren Ledges affords an identical view that’s arguably extra spectacular. I continued upward to succeed in that overlook in only a couple tenths of a mile.
Hikers typically come collectively at overlooks. Such was the case that day. I arrived to seek out a few girls who deliberate to camp that night time on the close by Cloud Pond campsite. As we loved the view, chatted and ate lunch, two AT thru-hikers joined us.
“Through-hiker” is a time period used for long-distance hikers — people who find themselves in it for the lengthy haul. They often carry massive backpacks with seen tent rolls and different tenting gear, so that they’re straightforward to identify. In addition they go by particular path names. On this case, they had been Beer Woman and Wizard.
As we sat on the open ledge, one hiker observed two massive, darkish shapes transferring throughout the floor of Lake Onawa beneath.
“I feel they’re moose,” she stated, her voice tinged with pleasure.
Certainly, they didn’t transfer like canoes or every other kind of boat, they usually had been too massive to be deer. The main form was bigger than the second, main us to consider it was a cow (feminine moose) and its calf. I solely want I’d had binoculars.
Southwest of us, Borestone Mountain loomed over the lake. Maine Audubon owns and maintains a well-liked mountain climbing path to the highest of that mountain. I imagined hikers on its summit, staring again at us on Barren.
Past, mountains marched throughout the horizon. The Bigelows and Sugarloaf had been amongst them.
Refueled with a BLT sandwich and an apple, I continued on to the summit. This stretch of the hike included a pleasant, flattish part by way of an extremely mossy forest. The path even went a bit downhill earlier than the ultimate steep climb to the height.
Topped with the rusted bones of a hearth tower, the summit of the mountain is marked by a traditional brown signal created by the Maine Appalachian Path Membership. The membership maintains the overwhelming majority of AT in Maine by way of the work of volunteers. Should you’ve ever considered getting concerned, please attain out. It’s a giant job. They all the time may use extra assist.
The 24-foot metal fireplace tower is lacking its picket cab, which lies in a dense stand of spruce bushes not distant. Did it blow off or was it eliminated? On-line descriptions of the tower state that it’s harmful to climb, although a metal ladder remains to be part of the construction. Luckily, the bushes are so stunted on the height of the mountain that you could get pleasure from views with out climbing any rusty ruins.
The height was my turnaround spot. From there, I retraced my steps to the trailhead for a hike that was about 7.5 miles whole. However many hikers proceed to Cloud Pond, which tacks about 2 miles onto the out-and-back hike. I wasn’t feeling that bold.
My mushroom speculation ended up being right. The forest was stuffed with fungi of all shapes and colours. Ghostly white coral mushrooms sprouted from logs. Yellow-orange mushrooms with spherical, noticed caps appeared to glow towards the deep, velvety moss.
At one level, I handed just a little lady who was mountain climbing along with her household, and she or he exclaimed, “I’ve seen so many mushrooms!”
Glad to fulfill somebody who shared my enthusiasm, I requested her if she’d seen any pink mushrooms. She stated “no,” and I advised her to maintain an eye fixed out. Farther down the path, I observed a mushroom with a brilliant pink cap tucked beneath the branches of an evergreen tree, so I gathered some small sticks and positioned them within the form of an arrow pointing to the mushroom. The arrow blended in with the forest ground, but when anybody would discover it, it’d be the little lady. I hope she noticed it.
Instructions: There are two entry factors to Barren Mountain that I do know of — one close to Otter Pond and one simply earlier than the AT crosses Lengthy Pond Stream. Each require navigating logging roads in areas with little to no cellular phone reception.
To achieve the Otter Pond trailhead, which I used for this hike, drive to the city of Monson, then flip proper onto Elliotsville Street. Drive about 7.6 miles, then flip left onto Bodfish Street (also called Mountain Street.) Drive about 3 miles, previous the Borestone trailhead, and also you’ll cross a slim bridge on personal land. Preserve going about 0.5 mile, then flip left onto a slim gravel highway. Drive about 0.7 mile to the top of that highway and park in a small parking space. (The highway is rocky and will not be appropriate for some automobiles.) From there, a well-maintained path results in the AT. That is on personal land, the place indicators state that day mountain climbing is permitted however in a single day parking is just not. Preserve that in thoughts when planning your journey.