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Sunday, July 04, 2004
Camden Hills Thrills
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Not having ever been hiking before Tuesday, I wasn't prepared for what I saw on the trail or when I completed it. The Ocean Lookout is just what the name implies, with a breathtakingly spectacular view of the ocean. You can also get a clear look at 780-foot Mt. Battie, with an outline of the trail and a view of the lookout tower. While Mt. Battie is a shorter and faster climb, it's also steeper in some places, making it a little more difficult. The strange thing was that this view actually revitalized me. I was getting tired as I got to the top, but strange as it sounds, something about seeing nature and knowing I got there without using my car the whole time gave me more energy. When I was climbing the trail, I was just hoping to get up there without expiring so I could write this story, but this peaceful view had more of an effect on me than I had anticipated. At Camden Hills, there are 20 trails and over 5,700 acres of terrain. Mt. Battie is the best-known because of the auto road and the lookout tower, but Mt. Megunticook is "the highest mainland mountain on the Atlantic coast," according to the park's brochure. The park is open year-round, and there's a $3 admission fee. I don't eat much seafood, but my sources tell me the little shack across the street from the park entrance has the best fried clams in the state. The one-mile trail itself up Mt. Megunticook is clearly marked, in large part because all the leaves have been blown away along the trail. I was a little concerned about getting lost, but at every turn, the next step was obvious. There's nothing like the "Knife's Edge" at Mt. Katahdin, where you have only a foot or so on each side of you, and if you slip, you fall 3,000 feet and most assuredly die. If you fall on the Mt. Megunticook trail, you'll probably slide a few feet and get scraped up by some rocks, but it won't be life-threatening. Most of the Megunticook trail is a lot like walking through the woods, but there are some moderately steep rocks. When I was hiking the trail, it had rained earlier in the morning, but it was still easy to keep my footing. Not being in the kind of shape I'd like to be in, I had to take a few breaks on the way up, and I was a little irritated about the gray-haired men I passed who were going down and not breathing hard or sweating. Still, if you pace yourself and drink water, you can climb the trail as long as you're in reasonable physical condition. The round-trip hike took about two hours. After spending some time enjoying the view and taking some pictures from the Ocean Lookout, I headed back down. What surprised me is there must be some kind of a "hiker's code" that you say hello to people you pass on the trail. I'm sure if I saw these strangers in a bar or at the grocery store, they wouldn't say hello, but I gathered there must be some sort of connection because we were all there appreciating the same thing. Going back down, I was no longer breathing hard, and didn't have to stop. I was worried about what it would be like to descend some of the steep rocks, but it wasn't that bad. I nearly lost my balance once, and got a little scrape on my leg from a rock another time, but most people would have been able to avoid those mishaps. I met a couple from New Jersey on the way down. They had never of heard of Waterville, and were on their way to the Bar Harbor/Mt. Desert Island Area for a vacation. From what I understood, they had stopped before reaching the Ocean Lookout, so I showed them my pictures from my camera. "Nice. It feels like we were there," the husband joked. Still not knowing much about hiking, I wasn't sure which mountain I had actually climbed. A nice receptionist named Marilyn McMahan told me that I had climbed Mt. Megunticook. "When people want to hike, I send them up there, because you can drive to the top of Mt. Battie," she said. "When I hike, I want to see something I couldn't see otherwise." I can agree with that, and I'd go up Mt. Megunticook again. But if you haven't been hiking before, here are some answers to questions I asked before my hike: l Before you go, figure out which trail is best for you. The receptionists or one of the rangers can help you out with that. "(The best trail) depends on a person's physical condition, and how much time they have," said Peter Carpenter, a park ranger at Camden Hills. "Some of our more popular hikes are about two, two-and-a-half hours." l Good things to bring include water, mosquito repellent, shoes which support your ankles and maybe some type of snack. I don't recommend the chocolate PowerBar, which is rubbery when you bite into it and grainy when you chew on it. For my trip, I followed a suggestion and put a strip of duct tape on each heel. It seemed like a stupid idea, but the theory is that if your socks slide off because of the sweat, your shoe or boot will be rubbing against the tape instead of your exposed heel. l It may also be a good idea to let a friend or family member know what trail you're taking and when you expect to be back. According to Carpenter, no hikers have gotten lost this season, but it's a precaution that makes sense. Matt DiFilippo -- 861-9243 mdifilippo@centralmaine.com |
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