Big and Little Moose…..ponds

Thursday Afternoon September 5, 2013
Site 28, Moosehead Lake Family Campground
Greenville, Maine

 

 

This is actually the second half of our day.

 

We had a beautiful morning at Moxie Falls.  If you didn’t see how we spent this morning at the gorgeous falls and Lake Moxie, here is the link.  With most of the afternoon in front of us, we decide to stop at the Big and Little Moose ponds trails on our way home.

 

 

They too are down a dirt road but not nearly so far.  Pretty sure all trails are down dirt roads here in the Moosehead Lake region.

When we reach the trail head  we find that either the map has been worn away or torn away.  The piece containing the details on the various trails here is missing.  Because it is plastic I fear it would not have worn away.  That’s a bummer since there are no printed maps at the site either. 

 

 

 

Well we’ve looked at the maps before and actually have some copies of what was on line.  But of course they are back with Winnona since we had thought we would be doing these hikes on another day. 

Should we drive back and get them?  Or just hike on?   I know Wil would rather we get the maps. 

We are not big risk takers as most of you know, well at least I’m not.  I feel pretty positive this is not a place where we can get lost.  I remember the maps and the hike we plan to take is not difficult and is only about 3 miles.  So on we go.

 

The trail folks have provided these nice steps as we hike down to the ponds.

 

Leaves are beginning to fall and some plants are beginning to show some really beautiful colors.

 

 

 

We arrive at Big Moose Pond first.   What a great place this would be to kayak but the closest road is up at the top where we are parked.  That’s way too far to tote a kayak for me.

 

 

 

     What a beautiful rocky mountain on this gorgeous blue sky puffy white cloud afternoon.   Is that Big Moose Mountain?

 

 

 

 

 

This is a fairly easy hike to Big Moose Pond, billed as one you can do with children.  From here on, not so much.   I’ve just walked over the narrow dam wall.  You need good balance for this one or VERY long hiking poles!  It’s taller than it looks in the picture.

Notice the metal piece and the boards I am standing on as I look back to watch David cross.  But he’s busy just now.

 

 

 

  Here’s the view in front of me.  Not sure what that metal thing is.  Must belong to the former dam.

 

 

 

David is gingerly crossing.

 

 

We are now on our way to Little Moose Pond passing more interesting things on the trail.  Would you take a look at these.

 

 

 

 

The land between the ponds is pretty swampy with lots of boards laying over the muddy spots and some with no way around but through.

 

Little Moose Pond is even more secluded and does not have an open shoreline.  The trail leads directly into the Little Moose primitive campsites.  There are two.  Boy would these be great places to spend the night.

Nothing here but a picnic table and a fire pit.  You have to backpack everything in, including water.   But what a gorgeous place!

 

 

 

I’m assuming that Little Moose Pond looks up to Little Moose mountain and Big Moose Pond to Big Moose Mountain.  We passed a trail head for climbing Big Moose on our drive to the ponds trail head.   But I have no idea which of these is Little Moose.

 

Both of these pictures are taken from the campsites.

 

 

 

 

I’m thinking how wonderful it would be to be here after dark when I hear the first loon call.   I quickly grab my binoculars and find them out in the middle of the pond.   There are three.  This is the first mother and baby I’ve seen.   The pictures are distant.  Sure wish my binoculars had a camera on the end of them.   I could see them all sharp as can be through the binoculars.

 

 

 

I stay a while watching the loons and thinking about how much I love backpacking into places just like this. 

 

From here we think we’ll head on to Papoose Pond but it is getting to be late afternoon and we aren’t sure how far away it is.  The signage for things other than Big and Little Moose is not very good although there are several other ponds out here.  

 

We spend about 20 minutes hiking further on.   Lovely hike, but no pond so it is time to turn back.

 

 

 

 

We pass Little Moose and Big Moose and see a sign for the Big Moose campsites so we hike up to see them.

 

Looks like David is dreaming of a campfire.

 

There are two campsites at each pond.  These Big Moose sites have little beaches from which you really could launch a kayak if you could carry it down here along with all your backpacking equipment.

 

 

We see other signs of fall as we retrace our steps back to the trail head.  The False Solomon’s Seal berries are ripening and so are the giant trillium.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both of our hikes today were relatively easy ones.  So we’ll have lots of energy left for tomorrow’s continuation of the moose hunt.