I know a lot of you would love to take a peaceful, beautiful hike today on Maine's Mount Desert Island but can't. So come along with Pamelia and me on one. Around 6 last evening we pulled off the road near Upper Hadlock Pond (just a few miles from The Naturalist's Notebook) and headed into the woods on Hadlock Ponds Trail. It's an easy walk, though it does have lots of roots and rocks to step on and over. Anyhow, come on. We're going.
The trail has been improved in parts with a split-log path, which keeps hikers' dry in boggier sections.
The log trail snakes its way over wet ground and toward a stream that connects the two ponds.
The weather was brisk and windy, and no insects bothered us even though we were near a stream and forest pools, which are breeding grounds. Pamelia's rule of thumb is that the black flies in Down East Maine are worst from Mother's Day to Father's Day. They seem to be a little late this year.
A calm section of the connecting stream.
Sometimes the log trail narrows and takes you over water. Kids (like us) get a thrill from this sort of crossing. But it's easy and the water is shallow.
Climbing over granite slabs and chunks is a quintessential part of hiking in and around Acadia National Park.
Another bridge!
This is the spot at which the stream drops significantly and flows into Lower Hadlock Pond.
This is looking down from the bridge toward Lower Hadlock Pond. The trail heads along the right side of the pond.
The edge of Lower Hadlock Pond.
Hiking back to the car. I told you the trail was a rooted route.
Those roots can be beautiful, though.
Can you tell the lichen from the paint dot marking the trail?
One more shot of that stream.
Almost back to the car. Feeling invigorated and relaxed at the same time.
Back where we started, at Upper Hadlock Pond, which is also a nature-made reservoir providing drinking water to part of MDI's population.
Hope you enjoyed the walk.