Black Canyon - Gunnison Route

 

Location: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Season Visited: Summer

Trail Length: 3 miles there-and-back

Time to Hike: 3 hours

Difficulty: Strenuous 

The Black Canyon at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is one of the most amazing places I have ever been, and the Gunnison Route to the base of the canyon is now my favorite hike that I have ever done. When my husband and I went on a road trip to Colorado two summers ago I saw pictures of the Black Canyon that looked spectacular and began researching the routes down the canyon. The pictures did not even remotely do justice to this fantastic place. The Gunnison Route is considered the easiest way down to the base of the canyon, but, as I quickly learned, the route is definitely not easy. As the rangers warned me, people become lost in the canyon on a regular basis and have to be rescued. I was sure to keep this in mind during my hike!

I did the Gunnison Route as a solo hike. Hiking the route requires a permit that is handed out on a first-come first-served basis, so I was sure to arrive at the South Rim Visitor Center in the park to get my permit as early as possible. I was one of the first people there at 7:00 am and had no problem securing a permit. 

Sunrise over the Black Canyon.

View from the Visitor Center.

The rangers at the Visitor Center are very helpful. In addition to offering general advice, they provide a guide with pictures to help you make sense of the route. I took pictures with my phone to consult if I became confused during the hike.

The hike itself begins right at the Visitor Center on Oak Flat Trail. This trail offers limited views of the canyon before entering the wilderness area where the hike truly starts. After the sign comes numerous switchbacks that offer amazing views of the canyon. The switchbacks are extremely steep and require definite caution. 

Wilderness area marker.

After the switchbacks comes the infamous chain, which is, in my opinion, the most fun part of the hike. This 80-foot chain helps you navigate a particularly steep section of trail.

The section after the chain features large areas of loose scree. Careful navigation is required. This is also the part of the hike where you can see the river at the bottom of the canyon. I was fortunate to be hiking on a gorgeous day. As I rounded a corner near the bottom of the hike I saw the sun shining on the river and on the walls of the canyon. Once at the bottom there is a sandy place to rest by the water before beginning the ascent back up the way you came. It's worthwhile to have a snack and enjoy the sound of the river rushing through the canyon.

The way back is a simple retracing of your steps, although the amount of scree can make things confusing. I found that looking at the photos from the guidebook really helped in the beginning portion of the ascent.

Overall I cannot recommend this hike highly enough. Experienced hikers who find themselves at the Black Canyon should absolutely complete this hike. It is my dream to hike it again, although my sights are also set on some of the more difficult routes down into the canyon...

Happy hiking!

Big Spencer Mountain

Location: Piscataquis County, Maine

Season Visited: Summer

Trail Length: 4 miles there-and-back

Time to Hike: 3-4 hours

Difficulty: Moderately strenuous

Big Spencer Mountain is an exciting hike near Greenville, Maine. My husband and I arrived there via the dirt roads past Kokadjo, and if you know anything about those roads you know they are notoriously labyrinthine and strange, with next-to-no helpful road signs and gigantic logging trucks that come barreling toward you out of nowhere. To me, the mountain's remoteness is part of its charm, evoking a bygone era of exploration that is usually hard to recapture on the east coast. I am in love with this area of Maine and was dying to summit Big Spencer, which I had been staring at from across Moosehead Lake on vacation for many years. Seeing pictures of the old ladders on the internet piqued my interest.

The hike features a steep ascent pretty much the entire way. The first half of the ascent is on a woods road that isn't too difficult, but the second half is exceptionally rocky, featuring a few small boulder scrambles and the fun (scary) ladders. Before the start of the rocky section there is a clearing with nice views and a fire pit.

Woods trail ascent.

Clearing.

Ladder.

There are occasional views through the trees in the rocky section, and near the summit there are wild blueberries.

The summit features some impressive views, but there is also communication equipment up there that mars the general aura. But there is a nice little platform to rest!

View from the summit.

The way back down is the same as going up. I walked ahead of Sean for awhile and had an amazing experience seeing an entire family of ruffed grouse cross the trail right in front of me. A mother was leading a huge number of chicks, something like 10 of them if I remember correctly. They were so close to me that I didn't dare take out the camera to capture them, although I've always regretted not be able to do so. I froze and watched them for a good two minutes until they were out of sight. Moments like that always remind me why I love to hike. These moments in nature are the closest we get to experiencing something like magic.

Overall I absolutely recommend this hike to the experienced hiker. It is certainly a strenuous hike, and the hike down the rocky terrain is a bit treacherous. As far as solitude is concerned this mountain is amazing. Sean and I did not see one other person during the hike. Having an entire mountain to yourself is a dream come true for the hiker who wants to avoid seeing other hikers! Even in peak season the mountain was clear (although it was a week day). If you ever find yourself in this region of Maine, I suggest asking for directions in the outdoor shop in Greenville as their information about the roads will be the most up-to-date. Get out there and happy hiking!

David English and Twin Ponds Cut-Off Trail

Location: White Clay Creek State Park, Newark, Delaware
Season Visited: Spring
Trail Length: David English Trail is 2.4 miles long. If you make it a shorter loop from the park office by taking the Twin Ponds Cut-Off Trail, I estimate the hike to be about 1.6 miles. The cut-off trail itself is 0.4 miles. You can see the layout of the trail (and other trails in the park) on this map.
Time to Hike: Hiking the full David English Trail took us about 2 hours, going at a toddler's pace some of the way. Doing the short loop via the cut-off trail when said toddler was a small baby took us 1.5 hours.
Difficulty Level: Moderately easy.

I have written before about trails in White Clay Creek State Park. This post is actually two posts in one, as I have hiked this trail twice now. The first time was in May 2017 when my son was three months old. The first part of this post and the accompanying pictures are from that hike. The goal that day was to hike the entire David English Trail, but the baby was not having it and we ended up taking the cut-off trail to make a shorter loop back to our car. The second time was a couple of weeks ago, the beginning of April, with a much more adventurous 14-month-old! This park is close and pretty and has easy hikes - perfect for a new mom or families with young children. The David English Trail in particular is a good choice because you can decide at the halfway point whether you want the hike to be short or a bit longer depending on how your family is feeling. Be warned: on a warm April day you will have to get out of the way of a LOT of bikers.

Both times, in addition to my son, I went with my husband and sister to the hike, which starts at a trailhead at the following coordinates, near a park office:

One nice thing about the White Clay Creek trail markers is that they include coordinates!

As you can see on the map, the trail has three different ways you can go almost immediately. We decided to go left here. This put us directly on the David English Trail, walking on relatively level ground. Going right would also have put us on the David English Trail, but there looked to be an incline, and we decided to go easy on ourselves since this was only my second-ever hike with the baby back in 2017. What followed was a mostly flat dirt trail.

With the newest addition!

My sister is obviously highly enjoying her quality time with nature.

Further on we came to a bench, where I fed the baby and let him chill out of the carrier for a while. At the time I was experiencing quite a bit of difficulty hiking with him because he did not like the carrier under most circumstances. Now that he can sit in a backpack - or walk - he has taken to hiking with joy.

It was only a year ago, but he looks so much smaller than he does now, as you will see!

Here you can see how the trail looks in April from our most recent trip:

There is much less foliage in April. This is the trail just past the parking lot.

Past the bench the trail opens up, coming to a sweet little pond filled with turtles, and where we spotted many small birds. Both times I've been to this pond I've seen eastern bluebirds. After the pond, the trail meanders back into the woods. Near the end it becomes a bit more steep, and you do have to put in a bit of effort, especially if carrying a toddler on your back. It's never difficult, however. In season you can see a lovely magnolia tree blooming near the park office before returning to the parking lot. These pictures are from the April 2018 trip.

My sister and dog.

Baby boy loves hanging out in the Osprey carrier.

Conked out.

I was very happy to be able to complete the trail this time around. A successful hike with my son has definitely renewed my confidence as I begin to hike more often with him. I can't wait to share more of our adventures with you.

Mount Kineo - Carriage Trail

Location: Mount Kineo, Moosehead Lake, Maine
Season Visited: Summer
Trail Length: 5.4 miles there-and-back
Time to Hike: 3 hours
Difficulty Level: 2 out of 5

I revisited Mount Kineo three weeks ago, and instead of taking the beloved Indian Trail up the mountain, I walked the length of the island with my husband and parents on the Carriage Trail.

As noted in my previous post about Kineo (linked above), the only way to get to the mountain is by boat.  All of the information is the same as it was three years ago, except that the price per person was jacked up to $12.  Or you can take your own boat, if you have one.  Donations at the island are encouraged, but I've never seen anyone actually pay.

From the dock, the Carriage Trail is on your left.  It's the only trail there, so you can't get lost!  In front of you is the majestic Mount Kineo.

The most dramatic view of the mountain is the first one.  After that you'll be spending time following the edge of the lake with the mountain on your right-hand side until it sinks into the forest.  On the map below you can see the Carriage Trail on the western edge of the island.

You'll pass through a variety of environments on your walk.  The trail begins with gravel, but eventually becomes a thinner dirt trail (around the time you pass Bridle Trail on your right) and sometimes a mud trail covered with thin boards.  Navigating the boards can be just a little tricky, as they are in pretty rough shape.

Rock slide.

The trail has blue blazes.

The end of Carriage Trail is Hardscrabble Point, featuring camping and even a primitive toilet!  Good times!

The way back is simply retracing your steps.

More boards.

You might even get lucky and see Maine's state bird, the adorable black-capped chickadee!

Overall, this is a very nice hike with lovely views throughout, and is a good way to explore the Kineo area if you're not confident in your ability to go all the way up the mountain.  Older people often explore this trail while their younger party members climb the Indian Trail.  The length may present a challenge to a very out-of-shape hiker, but you can of course turn around at any time.  I had no issues with it at four months pregnant, but I was definitely ready for a meal afterwards!

Keep on wandering.