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Sunday, April 3, 2005
Closer than you think
Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Also on this page: EVANS NOTCH | |||||||||||||||||
BATCHELDERS GRANT — Imagine having a remote, private view of a snowy mountain range that is quiet, and yet, close. Imagine having this isolated wilderness view a little over an hour from Maine's busy suburban coastline. In Maine's portion of the White Mountain National Forest there is a road that closes to motorists in the winter. And even the most inexperienced backwoods hiker can reach a 2,000-foot mountainous view by foot here. Many outdoors folks consider a hike in the White Mountains to be an easy drive from Portland, but still an all-day, sometimes difficult journey. But the eastern corner of the White Mountain National Forest that dips into western Maine is close enough to reach and explore in a morning. And the pleasure of having Route 113 as a footpath in the winter makes it easy hiking for everyone. In fact, you can drive from Portland to Cold River Campground, located just north of Fryeburg, hike up to the Height of Land in Evans Notch, and make it back before noon. Registered Maine Guide Kevin Piccone took us there last week. And on a mild winter day just before spring, the snowshoes were hardly needed. Only one snowmobile came by, forcing us to the side of the road and into deeper snow. Other than that, we owned the road for a good three-hour hike up to the Evans Notch Overlook. This is the benefit of hiking during the week, if you're able. On the weekend, Piccone said, the snowmobile traffic is constant. And the pedestrian traffic increases in the summer. When school's out, this region of Maine is ripe with interesting mountain hikes, river walks and waterfalls. A number of well-known sites include the Basin Pond, a mountaintop pool surrounded by a rocky ledge, the Emerald Pool Brook, which has a deep green wading area, and the waterfalls along Bickford Slides or Mad River Falls. All of these natural sites are just a mile or two off of Route 113. In the winter, accessing these silent, hidden secrets would not be hard for most hikers. Of course, going to this area, which is closed in the winter, with water, food, a first-aid kit and warm clothes is important, because there are no rangers who patrol the region during the colder months. Piccone offers several suggestions for a winter's walk or ski, and all of them can be completed in a few hours. "In the Basin is a small little basin pond that is a tributary of the Saco River," Piccone said. As Route 113 passes over Basin Brook by way of a wooden bridge, Piccone points down to the Saco River tributary, a favorite feature of the forest. He said the hike along the Bickford Slides waterfall is a tropical experience after a storm. "It's like a rainforest in the summer," he said. Yet, Piccone respects the wild weather of the region as much as he admires it. He pointed out how in this area at the foothills of the "Whites," the weather can change quickly and ruin a short hike. The mild, sunny day we hiked, the temperature seemed to drop as we climbed from 1,000 feet to about 1,500 feet. "For every 1,000 feet, you lose about 5 degrees," Piccone said. While the start of a weekday hike began in isolation with clear, blue skies, the sky was black to the west, right behind East Royce and West Royce, which each towered above at 3,000 feet. "This is cool with the sun behind us. It's ominous," Piccone said. "The weather will be a mixed bag. The coastal weather will muck it up." With snow in the Mount Washington Valley and sunny skies along the southern Maine coast, the sky above Route 113 at the Maine-New Hampshire border was, truly, like a bag of trail mix, offering different shades and textures. Piccone promised good weather during the short hike, but also advised any hikers going alone to study the day's forecast and even read a weather book, which helps teach the strange patterns in the sky. Looking for a hiker familiar with this region, Piccone was the first guide mentioned at a local outdoor store. He's been exploring Evans Notch year-round for 15 years. A Portland native, Piccone, 44, works at Bath Iron Works and loves the way Portland has grown. But he said he needs frequent escapes to the mountains. "They call me 'Cabin Kev' at the Saco Rangers Station (in New Hampshire)," he said. The White Mountain National Forest extends south into New Hampshire. But in Maine, it extends to just north of Fryeburg and Lovell. Route 113 is 11 miles long from the Cold River Campground near Stow to the intersection with Route 2 in Gilead. But this tiny section in Maine offers a series of mountains that, on a clear day, create an alps-like panoramic view of rock faces, peaks, and open, undisturbed landscape. Mountains ranging in height from 1,700 Blueberry to 2,100 Red Rock and 3,100 East Royce line the two-lane road. The aptly named Wild River and various streams run parallel to the road all the way down to Cold River Campground, near the southernmost section in Maine. Nearby there are campsites and cabins, as well picnic tables. But for any city dweller in southern Maine, the Evans Notch section of the White Mountains offers a remote getaway that can be enjoyed in half a day.
Staff Writer Deirdre Fleming can be contacted at 791-6452 or at: dfleming@pressherald.com
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