Bald Mountain (Oquossuc) 6/5/2026

Today's hike brought us to Bald Mountain in Oquossuc. Although I've done this hike plenty of times, it had been a few years since I'd been up it last. As I almost always do, we started our hike at the Route 4 Trailhead and started up the Bald Mountain Link Trail. This pleasant section of trail was easy going, and we didn't see anyone on it.

Start of the Bald Mountain Link Trail

Bald Mountain Link Trail

Junction with the Bald Mountain Trail

After reaching the junction with the Bald Mountain Trail from the Bald Mountain Road Trailhead, we started seeing a lot more people, but still less than usual for this popular hike. The High Peaks Alliance Trail Crew has done excellent work mitigating the wort sections of erosion and trail braid, although the trail still suffers from persistent overuse.

New stairs on the Bald Mountain Trail

View west from the viewpoint below the summit

Observation tower on the summit

At the summit, a few people were leaving as we arrived, but we enjoyed over an hour with the summit completely to ourselves, which is rare mid-day on such a nice day. There was some haze, but the views from the observation tower were still excellent in all directions. 

Sampson at the top of the tower

View east

View south

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Flagstaff Mountain 6/3/2026

Today was a great day to hike Flagstaff Mountain! It had been a few years since I'd been up it, and the trail and tower remain in the same condition as last time I was there. Someone has been continuing basic maintenance on the trail, and most blowdowns had been cut. Climbing the tower was a nice escape from the bugs, and the views were just as spectacular as usual!

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Vining Lake Overnight 5/30–5/31/26

Over the weekend, we headed Downeast for some hiking and a short backpacking trip at Vining Lake Community Preserve in Cooper. 

On the way, we stopped at the short trail to Patrick Lake in Rocky Lake Public Land. At only about a quarter mile in length, this blue-blazed trail leads to a picnic area and a beautiful beach on the south shore of Patrick Lake. Sampson visited with another dog on the beach for a bit, before we headed back to the car.

Trail to Patrick Lake

Beach on Patrick Lake

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After arriving at the trailhead for Vining Lake, we were glad to see no other cars in the parking lot. We loaded up our packs and started the short hike in to the campsite near the outlet of the pond. Upon arriving, we found it unoccupied, so we set up camp. It was a beautiful spot on a point with great views across the pond. After setting up camp, we hiked the trails leading around the lake. The well-constructed loop trail is a mix of discontinued logging roads and narrower footpaths with some nice boardwalks and bog bridging. After the hike, we enjoyed an evening by the fire before heading to bed a bit early.

At our campsite on Vining Lake

Vining Lake from our campsite

On the trail around the lake

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We awoke to a beautiful, but chilly, morning. We broke camp, ate breakfast, and headed back to the car. Our first stop of the day was at Beaverdam Stream Preserve in Wesley. There, we went on a nice short hike through the forest along the stream. The lollipop loop doesn't seem to see very much traffic, but it is seemingly well marked and maintained as it passes through mature forest.

Beaverdam Stream Preserve trailhead

Beaverdam Stream Preserve

Beaverdam Stream Preserve

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Then, we headed over to Lead Mountain in T 28 MD. The road in was a bit rough, but totally doable with mid-clearance. The hike up on the jeep trail passed the old fire watchmans' cabin on the way to the summit where the former fire tower has been replaced by a cell tower. The fire tower footings remain, along with the fire tower itself, now toppled onto its side in the forest. On the south side of the summit, a short trail leads to a rocky outcropping with the base of another tower still standing; this spot is where we ate lunch. Although there wasn't much in the way of views, it was still a good hike with interesting historical sites on the mountain. 

Collapsed fire watchmans' cabin on Lead Mountain

Old telephone wire insulator along the trail

NGS marker on the summit

Old fire tower footing

Base of an old tower near the summit

Toppled fire tower in the woods at the summit

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Piney Knoll Conservation Area & Kennard Road Trails 5/27/2026

Today's first hike was at Piney Knoll Conservation Area in Orono. This property is owned and managed by the Orono Land Trust and has a nice network of trails, not far from downtown. The trail network is rather complex, and there are also unmarked trails, not shown on the map. However, it is still pretty easy to navigate, thanks to trail markings and a detailed map of the official trails. There are multiple trailheads to choose from, and I found that the ones with the best parking were the trailheads on Marsh Avenue, Colburn Drive, and Hillside Road.

Kiosk at one of the trailheads

Trail 11 & Ridge Trail

Trail 11 & Long Trail

The trails mostly wind through forested uplands with a high point on a small knoll covered in large pines giving the area its name. Two of the trails end at the railroad tracks, and it seems like there are some unofficial trails on the other side of the tracks, which I didn't explore. I found the section of the Long Trail between Colburn Drive and Peter's Field to be the most enjoyable section of trail to walk in the network. The trails were relatively busy, with a variety of bikes, hikers, and dog walkers out and about. It is a nice little trail network, and it is easily accessible from the University of Maine at Orono and the many surrounding apartment complexes.

Bridge over Vinal Stream on the Long Trail

Long Trail through Peter's Field

Long Trail leaving the railroad tracks

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Our second hike of the day was at the Kennard Road Trails in Newburgh. This quiet town-owned trail network has two easy intersecting loop trails, each being a little over a mile in length. The trails don't seem like they get very busy, but they are well cared for with good signage and ample parking. The loop with teal blazes follows a wider track through the woods, while the blue-blazed loop mostly follows a narrower footpath. Besides hikers, this trail system also seems to see quite a bit of use by equestrians, and the teal-blazed loop seems good for cross country skiing in winter. It is a great off-the-beaten-path place for a short and easy hike.

Sign for the trails

Signage at the trailhead

The teal-blazed trail

Trail intersection

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Blackbird State Forest, Delaware 5/18/2026

Earlier this week, while camping at Blackbird State Forest in central Delaware, we did some hiking around the state forest. The forest has a rather complicated network of trails, but there are three marked loop routes which make navigation easier.

Our campsite at Blackbird State Forest (#15)

State forest boundary marker

It was going to be a very hot day, so we got an early start. We began by following the Blue Loop counterclockwise through the eastern side of the forest. The trail wound through mature forest, mostly hardwood, with a thick green understory. It also passed along a field edge at one point. It was well maintained and easy to follow, with markers at every intersection.

Heading down the Yellow Loop to get to the Blue Loop

On the Blue Loop

Passing along a field on the Blue Loop

After completing the Blue Loop, we took a water break back at the campground, before continuing onto the Red Loop on the west side of the forest. We also went around this loop counterclockwise, and the terrain was very similar to that of the Blue Loop, with a few tiny hills. It was pretty easy going with how flat and level the terrain was, and it was a great hike for a very hot day!

A typical section of trail

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