Happy and rocky trails to you

“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Heading up the rocky trail

Now that is a huge bolder.

Nothing like seeing wildlife along the trail

A foundation from an old home

TURNER, Maine — If you are looking for a stroll in the sun at Androscoggin Riverfront Park, take a good look at the ankle-turning trails and rough terrain up ahead.

There are peaks and valleys that will make you feel like you trudging along on a Stairmaster. You will be looking down a lot until you reach walking trails with no hazards. Huge tree roots and protruding rocks are like small landmines along the narrow trails, making it easy for any careful hiker to trip and fall.

"That was a killer trail," said my wife, whose soar back and feet can attest to challenging paths throughout the snaking 12-mile trail.

A weekend ago, we headed to the new park that is still being transformed into a hiker's paradise. The trail runs around the Androscoggin River. For the moment, it is free to the public. Take advantage before the state installs a gate and demands that you pay a park fee.

Beware, though, there aren't many outhouses along the way. I found that out the hard way when I received an urgent call from nature. And the trails are barely marked, and if you miss trees that are color coded, you will be in for long haul back to your car. There are no maps, yet.

I put mother nature on hold when a fellow hiker told me there was a one-holer down the trail a might. I figured it wasn't more than a quarter of mile to find the outhouse. Well, after marching through the wilderness for at least a mile, I started scouting for a secluded place to take of business. I sent my scout, Anthony, up ahead in search of relieve, aah, I mean an outhouse. He was like cavalry marching ahead of a regiment. He moves faster than me. He has youth and sturdier legs on his side.

Just when I thought I would have to take cover in the barren bushes, Anthony found one of the cleanest outhouses I have ever seen in the wilderness. Was there an attendant on duty? Would I have to tip him or her for the use of this backwoods facility?

I sprinted toward the toilet as Anthony kept an eye for Terri. I pleaded with Mother Nature for a reprieve.  I promised to be nicer to people if I made it in time. I swung open the door and made my peace with Mother Nature.

We carefully headed back up the trail, and I was feeling like a new man again.

I have tacked on information from Maine.Gov's Website about the trails:

Trails

• 12 miles of multiple use / shared use trails
  10 miles of hiking trails (6.6 miles shared with mountain bikes)
  6.6 miles of single-track mountain bike trails (existing and planned)

Multi-Use Trail (9.5 miles one-way), a central spine down the Turner parcel, is popular among ATV users, snowmobilers, bicyclists, horseback riders, and hikers. ATVs must use the north entrance parking area for off-loading.

Homestead Trail (4.5-mile loop with a 2.6-mile option; allow 2.5 hours for full loop) provides riverside hiking form the northern parking lot to the Picnic Meadow (1.1 mi.), where you can take the "Harrington Trail" (0.5 mi) and Multi-Use Trail back to the the parking area (1.0 mi.). To extend your hike, continue south on the trail past Picnic Meadow to the juncture with the Multi-Use Trail that leads back to the main entrance (1.8 mi.).

Ridge Trail (6.85 miles) is reached by following the extended Homestead Trail to the Multi-Use Trail (2.0 mi.). Turn left, proceed over a bridge, turn right and continue up to a ledge outcrop overlooking the river (1 mi.). Turn left and descend steeply toward the river on the Ledges Trail (0.4 mi). Turn left on the Multi-Use Trail and return 2.25 miles to the Picnic Meadow, and on to the parking area via the Homestead Trail (1.1 mi.).

Deer Path Trail (8.0 miles) adds an additional loop beyond the Ledges Trail, with the Bradford Loop Trail (0.5 mi) that connects with the Deer Path Trail. At 1.5 miles, bear right at a fork and follow 0.5 mi to Multi-Use Trail. Return via the Homestead Trail (2.0 mi).

Bradford Loop Trail (12.2-mile loop) requires advanced ATV and snowmobiling riding skills. It can be accessed from the north end of the Park by following the Multi-Use Trail.

Bradford Hill Trail (variable length trips, starting with a 9.6-mile loop) offers hiking from the Conant Road entrance. Follow the Multi-Use Trail approximately 3.8 miles, turn left onto Bradford Hill Trail, then turn right on the Bradford Loop Technical Trail and follow the Multi-Use Trail back to the parking area.

Pine Loop Trail (5.7-mile round trip) from the Conant Road parking lot runs along the river. Hike along the Multi-Use Primitive Trail 1.6 miles (please see the map - this is a rough trail section), then veer right to reach the Pine Loop Trail.

A city's oasis

"Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."

- Naturalist John Muir  

LEWISTON, Maine — Call it a slice of heaven or a lush oasis which sits quietly in the middle of an old Maine mill city.
 

This fertile tract of land is walled off by huge pine trees and tall grass. Streams, ponds and hiking trails run up and down Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary.  

It's tallest point is 510 feet. The sanctuary is managed by the Stanton Bird Club, which was founded in 1919 and began receiving donated parcels of land over the last 90 years. The "Crag" once belonged to the Thorne family in the 1800s before eventually becoming a wildlife habitat.
 

The sprawling city surrounds this 357-acre wildlife preserve, but when you begin walking the trails and become enveloped in its magnificent greenery and soothing solitude, you forget that you are in the heart of Lewiston. The city's noises fade away as you venture deeper into the forest and head for the top where an open meadow greets all hikers — and it is all free of charge.
 

Making you way up solid walking trails and narrow paths is not a difficult climb. Old landmarks, which can be traced back to the 1800s, line some of the obscure trails. This habitat is also used for snowshoeing and cross country skiing during Maine's endless winters.
 

Anthony and I started at the Montello gate and briskly walked up the steep blue trail, which is marked by spray painted trees every 50 to 100 yards. It is a half-mile walk to Anthony's Fireplace, which sits on a small open field. 

I was carrying a full pack with water, food, bug spray, binoculars and a camera when we stopped to take a breather at a unique bench called Kavanaugh Bench before we continued our trek to a large pond, which is teaming with frogs' eggs at this time of year. The murky pond supports a variety of wildlife. It is an eye-opening event when the frogs take over the pond later in the summer and disrupt Thorncrag's silence with their croaking.
 

We followed a narrow path that circles the pond and trudged up a shady steep hill toward Anthony's fireplace. The huge fireplace is surrounded by large stone benches. It is a quiet area to rest and down water and a quick snack. About a couple hundred yards away on the yellow trail, we pass Miller's Fireplace and Gordon's Ledge and park ourselves at Landry Memorial Bench, which is the summit at Thorncrag. We reach for the binoculars and peer through a narrow clearing of trees where we see a snow-capped Mt. Washington looming in the distance on a clear day.

We packed up our grub and water and headed down the sometimes difficult trail toward Whale Rock, which is giant boulder that resembles a whale. When we finally made our way down the hill without losing our footing, we decided to visit Whale Rock another time and turned west. Anthony and I carefully walked through a washed out path of protruding rocks and meandering small streams. We stopped to listen to the running streams and birds interrupt the forest's tranquility.

We moved gingerly through the rocky terrain and found the trail up to the meadow a safer climb. 

We halted our advance at a wooden park bench and munched on more snacks, but the black flies and mosquitoes were out to get us. We moved on past the Farmstead Foundation and took the orange trail to the other side of Thorncrag before turning onto the red trail where we passed Cellar Hole and Springhouse Foundation on this day in May.  

The entire two-mile hike took about two hours after making numerous stops along the way to refresh ourselves.

We often take advantage of this oasis, which is 15 minutes from our home in Auburn. It is a convenient way to visit Mother Nature on hot summer days without spending an hour on the road. 

For more information, checkout www.stantonbirdclub.org.