el-bagr
New member
Looking for something a bit different to do on Saturday, we set off for Mountain Pond (off the East Branch of the Saco). Slippery Brook Road is in good condition to the trailhead and beyond. The rain stopped as we pulled in, so off we went.
We chose to go counter-clockwise around the loop. The trail on the south side of the pond is much rougher; I suspect most people (a relative term on this relatively untraveled trail) go along the north side toward the shelter and don't make the complete loop. A dry crossing of the pond outlet was possible on rocks.
We took the first short spur down to the waterfront. The rhodora was in dewy bloom, and over 50 swallows (tree and barn) flitted through the puffs of mist rolling down the lake. Between sallies, the swallows perched on an emergent rock in the lake. 2 black ducks and a pair of large loons completed the water birds. A very peaceful and beautiful lake, reminiscent of Norcross Pond but larger. Clouds shrouded the mountaintops but did not detract from the views.
Painted trillium were in full bloom, while the white ladyslippers are mostly still bursting from the ground or budding. True solomon's-seal was blooming. Quite a few Canada jays, a pair of ravens, black-throated green and black-throated blue warblers, ovenbirds, and a pileated woodpecker also made appearances. Chickadees, white-breasted nuthatch, wood thrush, and white-throated sparrow (singing an unusual variant of the full song) were heard but not seen.
Near the southeast corner of the pond, we noticed old roads or skidder paths. One of them led to a nice circular stone well just yards off the trail. A faint path beyond the well led uphill to a not-yet-overgrown campsite with fire ring, wooden benches and a rotten swing. Does anyone know the story of the well?
Continuing along the lakeshore, the loons shadowed our route. We saw a pair of newts and, for good measure, a leech in the clear water. Reaching the far end of the pond, we saw a fairly heavily impacted campsite. Such evidence of use was to continue for the remainder of the loop. At the northeast corner of the pond, the old Mountain Pond trail continued off to the east, heading down toward Chatham. While the trail is officially "discontinued", as far as we could see the traveled way east looked more heavily used than the trail along the south side of the pond.
We found disturbing signs of human stupidity, including beer cans (now packed out!) and evidence of fires. Someone had kindled a fire on the waist-thick root of a huge white pine inches from the shore, a tree so thick that the two of us could not link arms around it. (Yes, we're treehuggers and proud of it.) We scattered the firering rocks to discourage others from lighting a fire in such an inauspicious place.
More campsites and burnt areas continued to the shelter, which was in good condition. Someone (USFS?) spread hay around the shelter, possibly to curb erosion and muddiness.
The trip from the shelter back to the loop junction passed quickly. Of note was a beaver lodge built right into the pond bank, something I've never seen before.
A great trip to a remote pond, with some of the best birding we've seen in these mountains.
Enclosed is a pic of the well, in the hopes that someone will be able to tell its story.
We chose to go counter-clockwise around the loop. The trail on the south side of the pond is much rougher; I suspect most people (a relative term on this relatively untraveled trail) go along the north side toward the shelter and don't make the complete loop. A dry crossing of the pond outlet was possible on rocks.
We took the first short spur down to the waterfront. The rhodora was in dewy bloom, and over 50 swallows (tree and barn) flitted through the puffs of mist rolling down the lake. Between sallies, the swallows perched on an emergent rock in the lake. 2 black ducks and a pair of large loons completed the water birds. A very peaceful and beautiful lake, reminiscent of Norcross Pond but larger. Clouds shrouded the mountaintops but did not detract from the views.
Painted trillium were in full bloom, while the white ladyslippers are mostly still bursting from the ground or budding. True solomon's-seal was blooming. Quite a few Canada jays, a pair of ravens, black-throated green and black-throated blue warblers, ovenbirds, and a pileated woodpecker also made appearances. Chickadees, white-breasted nuthatch, wood thrush, and white-throated sparrow (singing an unusual variant of the full song) were heard but not seen.
Near the southeast corner of the pond, we noticed old roads or skidder paths. One of them led to a nice circular stone well just yards off the trail. A faint path beyond the well led uphill to a not-yet-overgrown campsite with fire ring, wooden benches and a rotten swing. Does anyone know the story of the well?
Continuing along the lakeshore, the loons shadowed our route. We saw a pair of newts and, for good measure, a leech in the clear water. Reaching the far end of the pond, we saw a fairly heavily impacted campsite. Such evidence of use was to continue for the remainder of the loop. At the northeast corner of the pond, the old Mountain Pond trail continued off to the east, heading down toward Chatham. While the trail is officially "discontinued", as far as we could see the traveled way east looked more heavily used than the trail along the south side of the pond.
We found disturbing signs of human stupidity, including beer cans (now packed out!) and evidence of fires. Someone had kindled a fire on the waist-thick root of a huge white pine inches from the shore, a tree so thick that the two of us could not link arms around it. (Yes, we're treehuggers and proud of it.) We scattered the firering rocks to discourage others from lighting a fire in such an inauspicious place.
More campsites and burnt areas continued to the shelter, which was in good condition. Someone (USFS?) spread hay around the shelter, possibly to curb erosion and muddiness.
The trip from the shelter back to the loop junction passed quickly. Of note was a beaver lodge built right into the pond bank, something I've never seen before.
A great trip to a remote pond, with some of the best birding we've seen in these mountains.
Enclosed is a pic of the well, in the hopes that someone will be able to tell its story.
