One of our better hikes.... Pic heavy!

[ebinmaine 67,520]

A favorite type of hiking that me n Trina and our best friend do is plain old bushwacking and exploring the fabled path less taken. 

Right here on our own side hill the recently recorded European folk's  history goes back to the mid to late 1700s.  

 

There are dozens of logging twitch trails from skidders, dozers and even further back to the draft horse and steer/oxen days.  We jokingly refer to some as Goat paths but they were very likely used for sheep or cattle in reality.  

 

One of those trails goes from the top of the hill on our side of the mountains to the other side of the ridge. It isn't to be found in any history book as an actual road but has been known to locals for many decades.  

A few years ago several of us crazies started out on the far side and walked this direction. 

Another time we started out here and walked into the woods up the street and bent around to the left a bit. Ended up tripping over the same road. 

 

I've been wanting to get back out there since.  

Today we headed up the hill and last second decided to go out the old road from this side. 

 

Here's a screen shot of our path. 

The left side is mostly our own tar road. 

 

Somewhere in the area of the loop at the upper right is where we shot a couple videos. Also where the official legal road from the other side of the ridge ends. That too is long gone but for on paper.  

We found the area to be absolutely fascinating.

There's a VERY old road sized division in the two stone walls.  

We also found some extremely interesting rock piles.  Nothing like Trina or I have ever seen and we've certainly done some fair amount of woods exploring.  

Videos of both are below. 

 

Somewhere in the neighborhood of the stream crossing at the upper left is this sign. 

 

Lowell Barnes was a Doctor or Dentist located in the village of East Hiram Maine on the other side of the mountain. 

 

The old road follows the conservation land border for a bit then turns right, into that parcel of land.  

 

This tree is at the gate. 

 

Cable's been wrapped there a few moons.  

 

 

Here's a pic of an oak that's been around a loooooong time.  It's a strong 35, 40 inches across the base. 

 

 

View from the road toward the back side of Misery Mt. 

 

 

Some pics of the path between the stone walls. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We don't know if the rocks were piled around the tree or... The tree grew into the pile of rocks.  

 

3 pics next are of the rock piles.  

 

 

 

 

Nature. ALWAYS. Wins.   

 

The above tree is a maple that was likely bent over and broken back around 25 to 40 years ago. Maples will regrow from a stump. This particular one decided to grow straight up out of the stump as it was found laying over on its side. 

Super cool.  

 

 

This is Bill Merrill Mt from somewhere around where the brown sign is.  We've been up that hill quite a few times.  

 

 

Cool mushrooms on a broken off dead hemlock. 

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,520]

Here's the videos. 

 

Volume UP for these. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lynnmor 7,307]

There are some of those double stone walls in my area of PA, my thought is that it may be for driving sheep place to place and they are found in very rocky areas..  While the odd tree you found may not be an Indian Marker Tree, it is something to look for.

 

My laptop wants you to stand closer to the microphone, on maximum settings I hear very little.

[Mows4three 826]

I still say Trina found a 6’ 4” HooDoo on the loose.   One of the knuckle dragging variety…….

[Mows4three 826]

But, really nice pictures!

 

Dave

[ebinmaine 67,520]

7 hours ago, Mows4three said:

I still say Trina found a 6’ 4” HooDoo on the loose.   One of the knuckle dragging variety…….

Agreed. 

[Stormin 9,981]

 I tend to agree with Lynnmor about the walls. We have similar over here in places. Old drovers roads used for moving live stock.

[ebinmaine 67,520]

There's definitely a fair amount of logic to that considering a lot of Southern Maine and large portions of New England were sheep country for about four decades in the early 19th century. Cattle of course have been here the whole time.

Also of note headed towards that reasoning, Trina noticed that the walls in some sections are higher than normal.

Most stone walls in this area are only about waistline, maybe belly button height.

Some areas of these were a foot or more taller.

 

 

[Burnerman 758]

Nice hike! I gotta take a ride up to Maine. 
Got out this weekend myself. Hiked the hill up behind the house. 

[ebinmaine 67,520]

57 minutes ago, Burnerman said:

Nice hike! I gotta take a ride up to Maine

You stop on up. BBT and I will show you our local mountains. 

[ebinmaine 67,520]

22 hours ago, lynnmor said:

My laptop wants you to stand closer to the microphone, on maximum settings I hear very little.

Meant to mention earlier Lyn. 

That's the first time we've recorded a video like that at any distance.  

Both of us figured it would pick up better. Obviously not so much.  

Trina was also quite surprised by how LOUD 🔊 the leaf crunching was considering she is well known for VERY light foot steps. 

 

Lessons learned...

 

Your comment is appreciated so we know what others hear and see.  

 

[Chestnut 315]

Very cool hike. My wife and I just joined the local trails committee and will be working on a local trail. It's owned by the wildflower trust and the wildflower ladies are put off by the grass closing in on the legs. We understand. Sharon was one of the 160 unlucky people in Maine to get Babesiosis this year. Took a while to get the test back so she got treated for Lyme for a week. Babesiosis requires a different drug.

Those are cool Hemlock Reishi (Ganoderman Tsugae) https://eattheplanet.org/hemlock-reishi-the-mushroom-of-immortality/ mushrooms. Not edible but have been used in oriental medicine for a long time. Western medicine research is just catching up/catching on. I love October hikes. Found half a dozen varieties of edible mushrooms one weekend this year. If you're around one of those ancient oaks in October, especially one that's in decline, look around the base for hen of the woods (Grifola Frondosa) https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/view/15516. It was the first wild mushroom I ever ID's and ate, and it got me hooked. Haven't found any in a couple of years and that tree where I found the first one is back in NH and part of the trail is posted now anyway. 

Whenever I see one of those old monster oaks in October I always check around the base. 

[ebinmaine 67,520]

5 hours ago, Chestnut said:

Very cool hike.

Thank you sir!

 

I'll share your thread with Trina. She'll get a kick out of that mushroom information.

 

Next time you're down this way if you want to go for a walk in our forest let us know.

 

[Chestnut 315]

20 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

She'll get a kick out of that mushroom information.

 

Next time you're down this way

I got hooked on looking for/at mushrooms about 12-13 years ago. I don't have my other computer with me right now but I could tell the exact date. We were hiking up Mt Garfield working on "the list" and I made the same comment "what an interesting mushroom"! On the way down I saw it again. Another hiker was carrying it out for the cook pot. Bought a book when we got home and found out it was Lions Mane, (Hericium Erinaceus) https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lions-mane-mushroom

 

Got a beginner's guidebook when we got home and found our first edible, a chicken of the woods a week later and was hooked.

 

I also like looking for mushrooms because it forces you to look around and see the forest. Specific mushrooms prefer to associate with specific trees, so you need to be able to be aware of and ID the trees around you, often by bark. I'm getting better.

 

I'd love to get out in your woods. Probably wait until spring and it may only be me. One of us has to be around to make sure the MIL eats every meal.