For
any reader who might be unfamiliar with the Moosehead Lake Region of Maine,
it's really "out there" in terms of being in a rather remote location
(see map below).
Henry
David Thoreau explored this region with Indian guides in the mid-1800's. His
famous novel, "The Maine Woods", is a collection of his
hand-written accounts of the time that he spent in this area.
By
surface area, Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in the State of Maine, and is
the largest mountain lake east of the Mississippi contained within one State. It is over 40 miles long, and is 20 miles wide
in some places.
The
natural beauty of the region can be experienced by a variety of ways. Hiking is my favorite way, but some of the other
choices to enjoy this area include fishing, boating, mountain biking, camping, skiing. Further regarding hiking, there are at least
twenty fabulous treks that can be done using Greenville, ME as your home base (click
HERE for a list).
In late May 2015, I made my third trip to the Moosehead Lake Region. (Click HERE and HERE to read the blog reports
from my prior visits.)
Since this region is a 4+ hour drive from my home, my
visits have always involved an overnight stay in Greenville, ME. And, since camping isn't my "thing", the ChaletMoosehead Lakefront Motel is used as my base of operations. I enjoy its unpretentious ambiance. It has reasonable rates, and is located
directly on Moosehead Lake.
Below is a photo collage. The
top panel shows the Chalet
Moosehead Lakefront Motel (at far left where blue chairs are at water's
edge). Bottom left panel shows just one of
several scenic spots within a short walk of the motel. Bottom right shows seaplanes (a.k.a.
floatplanes) that are moored near the motel.
These types of aircraft are a common sight throughout the Greenville
area.
And
so with no further ado, shown below are a few snapshots taken on my hikes to
Little Moose Mountain, and Borestone Mountain.
1) LITTLE MOOSE
MOUNTAIN
This
was my second visit to this mountain. I liked
it so much the first time that it deserved a repeat visit! (Click
HERE for a trail description for
this hike.)
Shown
below is a view from one of several lookout ledges along the ridgeline of
Little Moose Mountain. Just left of center is Big Moose Pond; Big Moose
Mountain is seen at right of photo. I'm
still learning the mountain in this region. Trout Pond
Mountain is probably one of the mountains to the left of Big Moose Mountain, but am unsure
which one it is!
And
shown below is yet another view from one of several outlook ledges along the ridgeline of Little Moose Mountain. In the foreground is Little Moose Pond. In the distance is a portion of Moosehead Lake. The prominent mountains on the horizon to the right of center are the Spencers (Little Spencer and Big
Spencer).
2) BORESTONE
MOUNTAIN
"Encompassing
more than 1,600 acres in Maine’s Hundred Mile Wilderness region, Borestone
Mountain Audubon Sanctuary offers a spectacular array of natural features,
including rare older forest, three crystalline ponds, exposed granite crags and
sweeping, panoramic views."
The
photo shown below was taken from Borestone Mountain's west peak. At center is Sunset Pond. On the distant horizon (just right of
center) are Little Moose and Big Moose mountains, about 15 miles NW as the crow flies .
The
next photo was taken from Borestone Mountain's east peak. At the far left is Borestone's west peak, and toward the right of the image is Lake Onawa. Above the lake are the Barren Ledges on Barren Mountain which
is situated along the route of the 'Hundred-Mile Wilderness' segment of the
Appalachian Trail.
3) BIG SQUAW MOUNTAIN SKI AREA
While already in the Greenville area, I decided to do a short
"add-on" by walking up a service road at the Big Squaw Mountain Ski Area. I wanted to get an
idea of the view that alpine skiers
might experience (see composite photo below).
My
interest in Big Squaw was piqued when reading about its history at the New
England Ski History website (click HERE). In a nutshell, this facility was functional
from 1963 up until 2010 when it ceased operations. But
then in 2012, a group known as the Friends of Squaw Mountain (click HERE) was formed and it launched a
grass-roots campaign that was successful in reviving some of the ski operations at this facility.
To sum it up, if you've never
traveled to the Moosehead Lake Region of Maine, then I would recommend you do
so if the opportunity ever presents itself. But if you have already visited this area, and if you're an outdoor
enthusiast, then chances are good that you've already made more than one visit
to this fabulous corner of New England.
4 comments:
Awesome photos, John - thanks for sharing this report about an area I am completely unfamiliar with. Sunset Pond looks like a unique spot beneath those cliffs and talus slopes. There are some real gems up there!
Steve
Thanks for your comments, Steve!
You summed it up beautifully with your statement “There are some real gems up there!” Indeed there are! I hope you will have an opportunity to visit the Moosehead Lake Region at some point.
John
Wonderful photos, John - I love the one of Sunset Pond on the peak. Is that a zoomed in image or is it a smaller pond. Looks like there is some ledgey, slidey cliffs to the left of it. Very cool location.
Karl
Hi Karl,
Your taking time to read and post a reply to my blog is very appreciated! Thank you!
Regarding your question about the photo that shows Sunset Pond, it is not a zoomed image, and yes it is a small pond. Actually, Sunset Pond is at the end of a chain of three small ponds on the property of Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary. The other two ponds leading up to Sunset Pond are named Midday Pond and Sunrise Pond. Just to give you an idea of how small the three ponds are, it is less than a mile from the tip of Sunset Pond to the tip of Sunrise Pond.
As you say, Borestone is a “very cool location”! And apparently a lot of people agree with that assessment. I arrived at the trailhead early in the morning and was only the second car there. However, when I arrived back at the trailhead, the rather large parking lot was completely filled, and “overflow” hikers were parked on the shoulder of the road.
John
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