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Back woods update

johngregsite Posted on by
Image beaver bog

From a patrol several weeks ago at the beginning of vacation week and a trek more recent. The bogs are quiet, streams are ice covered and full of snow. The pace of activity (snow machiners) has increased dramatically with the addition of regular snowfall and persistent below freezing temperatures. Over this winter we have seen only one other party of hikers; the predominate mode of travel is the snow machines. (I use the Alaskan terminology “snow machines” instead of “snowmobiles” to remind us all how noisy and smelly and obnoxious they are.)

As noted in our previous posts, we have mostly ventured this season over to the pond (in the other direction from the beaver bog). The snow machine trail historically traveled directly to the pond but has been disrupted by the pond-side property the trail goes through being put up for sale. This has been the case for many years now and there has not been any successful sales for the property developers. It is mostly our private pond-side recreation area. There are a number of snow machiners who remember the trail and still use it despite very modest signage saying it is closed. The local snow machine club has created a work-around route that goes down along the state road to another part of the pond as a bypass. Running a snow machine for about a half mile on the shoulder of a state highway isn’t something very attractive, so there are operators who cut over to the old route and proceed to the pond the old way.

Image bridge alpha

Bridge Alpha, looking east) away from the pond direction) toward our road. This part of the trail uses the 100 year old railway right-of-way.

Image bridge bravo

Bridge Bravo, looking east in the Beaver Bog direction. This is where the trail departs from the old railway path.

Image bridge charlie

Bridge Charlie. The Beaver Bog is at left in the image.

Image far bog

The Far Bog, left in the image, looking east on the trail (back on the old railway line) about a mile from our house

February school vacation week

johngregsite Posted on by

Image snow on lake

This is the usual school vacation, Presidential holiday, middle of winter week in Maine. To celebrate a year of coronia, they have also made this week the free-ice-fishing week where one does not have to buy a fishing license (as if any Mainer would anyway!). Here is a couple of the free fishermen (image left). The most sophisticated piece of equipment they have is a summer chair.

You can see snow-machine (snow mobile) tracks as well. The continuous freezing temperatures we now experience have allowed the common people to ice fish and the snow-machiners to travel over the lakes with less chance of falling in.

While the media has suggested that the Pandemic has inspired people to frequent the outdoors this winter in greater numbers, the volume of snow-machiners in our neighborhood has been near-zero until the week-long freezing weather has arrived. The wet trails and modest snow cover have been neutralized.

The only benefit for us is the snow-machines pack down the trail and we do not have to resort to snow shoes when we go out on hikes. The snow cover has just recently reached a point where we would need to use the snow shoes. I have been slow to try them since I am not sure how the Kayla dog will behave with me plodding behind her with the shoes on.