Today's sunrise photo comes from inside a car on its way to Baxter State Park in Maine. Two hiking companions and I left home at around 5am and returned about 14 hours later after a spectacular day.
I'll stretch my usual standard and include photos from most of the day. It all began, after all, as a sunrise outing.
Many thanks go out into the stratosphere to Percival Baxter, who first donated 6000 acres of breathtaking wilderness to the State of Maine in the early 1930's - and that was only the beginning of what is now Baxter State Park, 209, 501 acres of unparalleled beauty and wildness.
Before today I was like many visitors to the park. I had been several times, but only to climb the monstrous and awe-inspiring Mt. Katahdin. What a pleasure it was to spend this beautiful day with two enthusiastic women as we got to see the park from a whole new angle.
Unlike the typical Maine mountain trail (ie: Katahdin), the Marston trail up to North Brother allowed a great deal of actual walking. You could look around as you strolled through idyllic forests with fairy like settings and displays of moss and flowers that would do any landscaper proud.
Yes - there were more typical sections of trail - river beds doubling as a trail, boulder fields, clambering tangles of rocks and roots that required constant vigilance toward the ground. But the greenery! the babbling brook! the dappled sunlight filtering through an early summer canopy! the cool air and the light breeze! and the VIEW!
(there I am with the summit marker behind me)
It doesn't get much better than this. Maine rocks.
and my feet hurt.
Way cool, Robin! Beautiful photos and commentary. You captured the magic of the mountain and the day. E.
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