Sears Island, Searsport 11/14/2023

For the second time in two years, I have been forced to make a last minute change of plans due to a mechanical issue with the Islesboro ferry. Like last time, our backup plan today was once again Sears Island. We hiked some of the interior trails that I had not yet been on, and we walked along a portion of the southern shore. This is the perfect time of year to explore Sears Island as it isn't as crowded, and you don't have to worry about ticks.

Starting our hike on the beach

An old foundation

Loop Trail

An old well

The trails were well signed

A viewpoint on top of a bluff at the south end of the island

The beach on the southern shore

Sierra walking on the beach

A small waterfall on the beach

The old jetty

Bull Rock, Dixfield (912') 11/7/2023

This afternoon, we went for a short hike up Bull Rock in Dixfield. We decided to make a loop, ascending via the trail described in the newest edition of the Maine Mountain Guide from 142, and descending via the traditional route from Moxie Heights Road. I hadn't taken the trail from 142 before today, and we discovered that it is an extremely steep trail with lots of erosion and poor footing. While steep, it does provide direct access in 0.3 mile to Bull Rock, compared to the longer, albeit far less steep, 1 mile long route from Moxie Heights Road. It also has about double the elevation gain, (400' vs. 200') compared to the route from Moxie Heights. We found that it was excellent to do as a loop in a clockwise direction, as the descent down to 142 could have been downright hazardous today with the wet leaves and rocks on the steep trail. Bull Rock is always a great spot to visit, and is also a nice side trip on the hike up Sugarloaf. It provided a very nice view out over the village of Dixfield and up the Androscoggin River Valley.

The trailhead on Route 142

A bridge on the trail just before it gets very steep

Dixfield from Bull Rock

Sierra enjoying the view

The view northwest from Bull Rock

The Sugarloafs from Bull Rock

Heading down the other side

Cathedral Pines Pathways 10/30/2023

Today's storm delivered 4 inches of snow to the Eustis area, so we headed up to Cathedral Pines Pathways for my first ski day of the season, although Sierra decided just to walk, instead of ski. The 4 inches of dense snow was enough to cover most of the loop trail well. The only areas with issues were wet areas where the ground hadn't frozen yet. Although this snow will probably only be skiable for the next 48 hours, it was great to be back out in the snow and on skis!

Jewell Hill, Canaan (655') 10/22/2023

One of the new hikes added to the new edition of the Maine Mountain Guide is Jewell Hill in Canaan, also known as The Pinnacle. On this rainy Sunday, I headed over to Lake George Regional Park, where this small summit is located. I hiked a loop of just under 4 miles utilizing the Pinnacle Trail and Townsend Family Trail. The trails were well marked and maintained, although parts of the Townsend Family Trail were quite wet today. There isn't all that much to see at the summit of Jewell Hill, besides a small clearing where there may have been a bit of a view in the past, but it's still a nice network of trails to hike. It was a good choice for a rainy day, as I had the trails all to myself and I wasn't missing out on any views.

Lake George

The trail to the top was marked with signs like this one

Junction of the Pinnacle Trail and the Townsend Family Trail

The clearing near the summit of Jewell Hill

Townsend Family Trail

A very wet section of trail