Trail Run: Rattlesnake Mountain

SUMMARY

I had been running on trails most of the year as I found them more enjoyable than road running, and easier on my legs. I typically stuck to flat trails around my house, but on a whim I decided to run up a mountain. If a very small mountain.

From the small parking lot on Webbs Mills Road I followed the Bri-Mar Trail to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain and part way down the far side. The trails branched out in several places and crossed what were likely old roads, so some guesswork was needed. The run was just under 3 miles with 700′ elevation gain and took me less than 40 minutes to complete.

Map of run (interactive map)

The parking lot for the Bri-Mar Trail was a small fenced-in pulloff in a field next to the Webbs Mills Road. The trail crossed privately owned land, so it was important to stay on the trail.

I ran across the field following the trail. The trail joined an old road in the forest and soon branched. I took the right branch, but found that it quickly met back up with the other branch. The trail climbed moderately up Rattlesnake mountain and eventually came to a vista overlooking the nearby lakes. Off to the right I could just see Sebago Lake.

View from mountain looking toward distant lakes

Viewpoint looking toward Sebago Lake

I continued up the trail and it soon leveled off. In places the trail seemed to meet other trails or old roads and I had to guess which route to take. Eventually I started to descend the far side of the mountain and stopped at a ledge with a mostly obstructed view. I turned around and headed back to my car.

Back at my car, I was ecstatic that I was able to continuously run up and down the mountain, as small as it was. Thus sprouted the idea to pursue trail running as a hobby.