Hike: Camden Hills

Posted on 20 April, 2021 by Cade

On a nice day during their April vacation, I brought my sons up to Camden Hills State Park to hike the two most popular mountains in the park. We enjoyed the nice view of Camden from the top of Mount Battie, and continued past the ocean vistas to the viewless Mount Megunticook. After hiking out we headed to Rockport for some Flatbread before continuing home.

ROUTE

Parked at Camden Hills State Park off Belfast Road in Camden, ME
Walked up Mount Battie Road to Nature Trail trailhead
Hiked Nature Trail to intersection with Tablelands Trail
Left on Tablelands Trail to summit of Mount Battie and back
Continued up Tablelands Trail to intersection with Ridge Trail
Left on Ridge Trail to summit of Mount Megunticook and back to intersection with Mount Megunticook Trail
Left on Mount Megunticook Trail to campground and back to parked car

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 20 April 2021
Distance: 5.6 miles
Moving Time: 02:24:49
Pace: 25:41/mile
Elevation Gain: 1647′

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Hike: Pleasant Sunrise

Posted on 11 April, 2021 by Cade

Lindsay and I got up early on a weekend in April to hike Pleasant Mountain for sunrise. We didn’t get to the summit before sunrise, but we did get to the vista from Ledges Trail for it. After enjoying the peaceful summit for a while we returned to our car.

ROUTE

Parked at Ledges Trail parking on Mountain Road in Denmark, ME
Hiked Ledges Trail to summit and back to car

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 11 April 2021
Distance: 3.6 miles
Moving Time: 01:47:27
Pace: 29:53/mile
Elevation Gain: 1516′

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Stroll to LA

Posted on 3 April, 2021 by Cade

Lindsay picked up a weekend shift in Lewiston and my car wasn’t registered, so no going to the mountains for me. Instead, I decided to see if I could walk to Lewiston before Lindsay’s shift was up. Because why not? I left shortly after she did and began walking back roads toward Lewiston. I nearly turned around at mile 10 when I got a hotspot on my foot and my legs began to ache. But I decided to push on. At mile 20 I laid down for about 10 minutes and elevated my feet on a tree stump. That did the trick, because by mile 22 I came out of the pain cave and the final 10 miles were cruizer. Lindsay ended up picking me up in Auburn. I was maybe an hour shy of reaching Lewiston, which was unfortunate because I had my eye on grabbing a beer at Baxter Brewing.

PORTLAND ROUTE

Walked down Congress Street to Eastern Promenade Street
Left on Eastern Promenade Street to Eastern Prom Midslope Trail
Right on Eastern Prom Midslope Trail to Loring Stairs
Right on Loring Stairs to Bayside Trail
Right on Bayside Trail to Back Cove Trail
Left on Back Cove Trail to Washington Avenue
Right on Washington Avenue to Presumpscot Street
Right on Presumpscot Street to Ocean Avenue
Right on Ocean Avenue to Falmouth

FALMOUTH ROUTE

Walked down Middle Road to Longwoods Road
Straight onto Longwoods Road to Cumberland

CUMBERLAND ROUTE

Walked down Longwoods Road to Main Street
Straight onto Main Street with break at Greeley High School and on to North Yarmouth

NORTH YARMOUTH ROUTE

Walked down Cumberland Road to Walnut Hill Road
Left on Walnut Hill Road to Memorial Highway
Right on Memorial Highway to Village Square Road
Left on Village Square Road to Sam Ristich Trail
Right on Sam Ristich Trail to Oak Hill Road
Right on Oak Hill Road to Memorial Highway
Left on Memorial Highway with break at Baston Park to West Pownal Road
Left on West Pownal Road to Lawrence Road
Right on Lawrence Road to Pownal

POWNAL ROUTE

Walked down Lawrence Road with break at Tyron Mountain trailhead to Auburn Pownal Road
Right on Auburn Pownal Road to Durham

DURHAM ROUTE

Walked down Auburn Pownal Road to Auburn

AUBURN ROUTE

Walked down Pownal Road to Fickett Road
Right on Fickett Road to Sopers Mill Road
Left on Sopers Mill Road to Penley Corner Road
Right on Penley Corner Road to Riverside Drive
Left on Riverside Drive until picked up at Maine Turnpike underpass

VIDEO

STATS

Date: 3 April 2021
Distance: 31.8 miles
Moving Time: 09:05:25
Pace: 17:09/mile
Elevation Gain: 2425′

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Hike: Morse Mountain and Seawall Beach

Posted on 28 March, 2021 by Cade

The previous day of hiking through mashed potato snow in the mountains wore me out enough to not return to the mountains, but not enough to prevent me from hiking more. I headed out on a coastal hike in Maine I had not done before, but a dear friend had recommended to me years before. The hike through Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area was along a dirt road and provided all that the Maine coast can muster: a saltwater marsh, evergreen forests, a granite mountain (if small), and a beautiful secluded beach.

ROUTE

Parked at Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area parking on Morse Mountain Road in Phippsburg, ME
Hike Morse Mountain Road to intersection with Summit Circle
Right on Summit Circle to Morse Mountain viewpoint and back
Right on Morse Mountain Road to Seawall Beach
Return to parking lot along same route

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 28 March 2021
Distance: 5.6 miles
Moving Time: 01:43:15
Pace: 18:29/mile
Elevation Gain: 696′

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Winter Trail Run: Pleasant Mountain

Posted on 12 February, 2021 by Cade

Work gave us the afternoon off, so John, Michael and I did a quick trail run to the top of Pleasant via Ledges Trail. It was a beautiful day and the trails were packed like a sidewalk.

ROUTE

Parked at Ledges Trail parking lot on Mountain Road, Denmark, ME
Run up Ledges Trail to summit and back

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 12 February 2021
Distance: 3.5 miles
Moving Time: 0:55:15
Pace: 15:49/mile
Elevation Gain: 1650′

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Hike: Royces

Posted on 27 November, 2020 by Cade

In the seemingly never-ending pursuit to hike the New Hampshire 200 Highest and to red-line the White Mountains National Forest trails, I headed to one of my favorite areas to hike: Evan’s Notch. I originally planned to hike on both sides of the notch, starting with the Royces, and then heading over to Speckled and Blueberry Mountains on the east side. But, black ice on the trail slowed my pace, and my feet hurt (endless battle with plantar fasciitis). So, I bailed after East Royce to get done before dark. Plenty of waterfalls to see on this hike, and the view on East Royce was surprisingly excellent.

ROUTE

Parked at Basin Pond on Basin Road in Chatham, NH
Hiked Basin Trail to intersection with Hermit Falls Loop
Left on Hermit Falls Loop to Hermit Falls and around to Basin Trail
Right on Basin Trail to red-line and then up to Rim Junction
Right on Basin Rim Trail to West Royce and continued to intersection with Royce Connector Trail
Left on Royce Connector Trail to intersection with East Royce Trail
Left on East Royce Trail to summit of East Royce and back to intersection
Right on Royce Connector Trail to intersection with Royce Trail
Left on Royce Trail to trail head on Route 113
Right on Route 113, then right on Basin Road, and back to parking lot

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 27 November 2020
Distance: 11.5 miles
Moving Time: 05:00:46
Pace: 26:10/mile
Elevation Gain: 3570′

Tracing White Mountains Trails:
Basin Trail
Hermit Falls Loop
Royce Trail
Royce Connector Trail

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Trail Race: Sugarloaf Uphill Climb

Posted on 11 October, 2020 by Cade

Michael and I signed up for the Sugarloaf Uphill Climb, a 2.2 mile race up Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley with roughly 2500′ of elevation gain. The average pitch was 20%, but at its steepest was 30%. The race was advertised as being 2.5 miles, so we were both surprised when we turned the last corner to find the finish line.

ROUTE

The race started from the quad lift
We ran up Binder Trail to summit
The finish was a few hundred feet below the true summit

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 11 October 2020
Distance: 2.2 miles
Pace: 18:04/mile
Elevation Gain: 2362′

Time: 0:39:12
Place: 35/166
M40-49: 3/15

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Trail Run: Bradbury Mountain

Posted on 2 August, 2020 by Cade

A long Sunday run at Bradbury Mountain State Park. Looking at my logs, my legs felt flat but I got it done. I had been struggling with ankle and foot problems and was trying to push through it.

ROUTE

Parked at Tryon Mountain parking on Lawrence Road in Pownal, ME
Ran out on Bradbury-Pineland Corridor to power lines and back
Continued on Bradbury-Pineland Corridor to summit of Tryon Mountain and continued on to intersection with Boundary Trail
Right on Boundary Trail and then a combination of South Ridge Trail, Summit Trail, Tote Road Loop, Krista’s Trail, Ski Trail, Northern Loop Trail and back on Boundary Trail
Right on Bradbury-Pineland Corridor back to parking lot

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 02 August 2020
Distance: 10.8 miles
Moving Time: 02:32:35
Pace: 14:06/mile
Elevation Gain: 1647′

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Trail Run: Pleasant Mountain

Posted on 26 July, 2020 by Cade

This long Sunday run is one of my favorites, Southwest Ridge Trail up Pleasant Mountain. Great views all the way up, and a runnable grade after some early power hiking to warm up. If you time it right there are all the blueberries you could want to eat.

ROUTE

Parked at Southwest Ridge Trail off Denmark Road in Denmark, ME
Ran up Southwest Ridge Trail to intersection with Ledges Trail
Left on Ledges Trail to summit
Continue on Firewarden’s Trail to intersection with Bald Trail
Right on Bald Peak Trail to Bald Peak
Return to parking lot by same route

PHOTOS

STATS

Date: 26 July 2020
Distance: 8.2 miles
Moving Time: 02:16:10
Pace: 16:39/mile
Elevation Gain: 2557′

Contact Me

maine.wanderlust@gmail.com

Trail Run: AT Surplus Mountain

Posted on 19 July, 2020 by Cade

Fueled by my previous hike where I completed a section of the Appalachian Trail, I headed to western Maine to do the same. In my mind I was going to take a few hours to trail run from the AT trailhead to Baldpate Mountain and back. It would complete another small section of the Appalachian Trail. In reality it took me nearly those two hours to do the first climb, Surplus Mountain, and I sucked down all of my water in the process. I still completed a small section, but now I’ll have to return to connect the in-between.

At the trail head I met a Native American AT thru hiker, True North, and his dog. He was keeping an eye out for a reportedly sick thru hiker, Mango, to give him a ride to town. I told him I’d keep an eye out for him, but I didn’t come across Mango during my run.