Season Visited: Summer
Trail Length: 2 miles, estimated. Sandy Stream Pond trail is 1 mile there-and-back, and the Nature Trail is an estimated mile loop
Time to Hike: 1.5 hours
Difficulty Level: 2
The day before making my ascent of Katahdin, I went for a little stroll around the Roaring Brook trails to see what I could find. What I found was a lovely surprise, because viewing moose at Sandy Stream Pond ended up being one of the highlights of my trip! I later learned that this is one of the most popular moose-viewing places in the state of Maine, and it's no wonder. I was out in the middle of the day and saw two moose enjoying themselves amongst the scenery. I added the Nature Trail after my time at Sandy Stream Pond because I just didn't want to stop walking.
The same map I used as a casual reference for Katahdin is the one I used here.
To start, I found the entrance to the Sandy Stream Pond trail past this plaque.
"Man is born to die, his works are short-lived.
Buildings crumble, monuments decay, wealth vanishes
But Katahdin in all its glory forever shall remain
The mountain of the people of Maine."
The trail is wooden boards on muddy ground, leading to the pond.
A short, easy walk across these boards takes you to the beautiful Sandy Stream Pond!
That brown thing in the lower right? Yeah, at first I thought that was a rock...
I couldn't tell if I was more excited about the view or the moose! Either way, the pond is gorgeous and I really hope to make it back some time.
Baby moose out!
After spending some quality time with the view, I decided it was time to move on to the Nature Trail. I simply backtracked down Sandy Stream Pond and turned left on to the Nature Trail at the end. The trail here is much more overgrown, and I didn't see any other people. I love how much more adventurous even the easiest hikes in Maine feel. There's something about the wildness of it that you just don't get around New Jersey! Some of the trail is boards and some is dirt that snakes through the woods, but the goal is to make it to the grassy clearing that offers a panoramic view of the wilderness.
Panorama of the clearing.
Overall, both trails are very enjoyable and give a glimpse into Baxter beyond Katahdin. Sandy Stream Pond offers a grand view and the Nature Trail offers solitude. No matter where I hike in Maine, I always seem to enjoy it.
Keep on wandering.
No comments:
Post a Comment