Ice Caves - Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area, Maine

[WeRmudfun]

The second adventure that we headed out on while on our Maine vacation was a quick hike to a cool place…an ice cave. If you are going to be in the area for any reason and are looking for a hike that won’t take long, then consider the ice cave in the Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area, located to the south of Baxter State Park. It is easy to get to off Hurd Pond Road and has parking for quite a few vehicles.
There are 3 points of interest on the hike the Look Out, the 1st Desconeag Lake and the ice caves themselves. The hike itself is interesting too as you walk through the large granite boulders left behind from the last ice age. The trail is blazed in blue and is easy to moderate depending on the age of your family members. A short 1.1 mile hike brings you to the Lookout with a nice view of Mount Katahdin and a view of the lake and surrounding area.
Next we walked to the lake. It is possible to get to the ice caves from the lake too. They even have a sign on the tree showing where to get out. There is no dock so you would need rope to tie off the boat. On our way back from the lake was a large slanted boulder that loosely resembled a whale when we first saw it. It became our protection from a quick hitting rain storm that was passing through.
Finally we got to the main event, the ice caves, and they were a welcome relief as all the rain storm did after passing was make it more humid. There are a lot of caves in this area, but most are taped off for the protection of the vegetation. There is one that welcomes visitors though. Complete with hand rails and metal rungs to assist you in getting in to the cave. The rungs were full of condensation, so they did require care to descend. Once down inside the cave, everything was wet and yes there was still ice in it during mid-August. The nice thing was it had to be at least 25 degrees cooler in the cave than outside. When we left the cave, it took forever for my glasses to clear up. Historians believe that hunters used to keep their fish and meat in the cave while they were out on their hunts. I can see why they would. The other great thing about being down there was there weren’t any bugs!
We explored all the areas of the cave and squeezed in to a few of the smaller areas just because that is what we do. LOL Overall it was a great way to explore, but if you go be sure to bring a headlamp or flashlight, because it gets very dark the further in you go. You might want to consider stabilizers for your feet if you plan a trip any early than mid-summer. I imagine that it can get pretty slick down there before the ice starts to melt.

 

[Stan]

Great production and fun narrative. Always look forward to your posts.

We were there two weeks ago on a beautiful day. Our conversation naturally flowed to the bar at the caves; the images you captured may well be of early patrons. It was especially fun for the family and children who were ejoying their exploration.

I'd point out that on the top of the lookout your view is to the south and the 100 Mile Wilderness so that mountain might be Jo Mary superimposed over Whitecap. There are plenty of glimpses of Katahdin on Hurd Pond Road and along the West Branch. It was nicely illuminated by the late afternoon sun as we headed back.

For paddlers, the Debsconeag Lakes form a possible loop, with campsites and portages, and is described in AMC's Quite Water Canoe Guide of Maine. Our own journey took us first to scout the boat landing at Hurd Pond (a serene place frequented mainly by fishermen) and also a bushwhack route along Hurd Stream to the AT (no b/w needed, an old logging road is hardened as an easily followed path).

Wild and beautiful area and you eloquently and humorously catch some of the unique features.

 

[WeRmudfun]

Great production and fun narrative. Always look forward to your posts.

We were there two weeks ago on a beautiful day. Our conversation naturally flowed to the bar at the caves; the images you captured may well be of early patrons. It was especially fun for the family and children who were ejoying their exploration.

I'd point out that on the top of the lookout your view is to the south and the 100 Mile Wilderness so that mountain might be Jo Mary superimposed over Whitecap. There are plenty of glimpses of Katahdin on Hurd Pond Road and along the West Branch. It was nicely illuminated by the late afternoon sun as we headed back.

For paddlers, the Debsconeag Lakes form a possible loop, with campsites and portages, and is described in AMC's Quite Water Canoe Guide of Maine. Our own journey took us first to scout the boat landing at Hurd Pond (a serene place frequented mainly by fishermen) and also a bushwhack route along Hurd Stream to the AT (no b/w needed, an old logging road is hardened as an easily followed path).

Wild and beautiful area and you eloquently and humorously catch some of the unique features.

Thank you so much for your comment Stan. I looked at a map and I see my error on naming Katahdin. We knew the trip was going to be easy, so we didn't bother to bring a compass or map. I have trouble getting the mountain names right in NH, I never should have tried a Maine mountain I had only seen for the first time a couple of days prior.