Roxi
Active member
I often feel that I am very lucky, and certainly that was true today. I can not tell you the number of times I have been fortunate enough to get a hike in before it rained. Despite the weather forecast for afternoon showers, Larry and I decided to get a 4K hike in. We debated between Isolation and Moriah, and opted for Moriah because of the shorter distance. The weather forecast notwithstanding, we were both still feeling the tiring effects of last week’s extended hike to Owl’s Head.
We started on the Stony Brook Trail off of Rt 16 at about 9:45 am. Many thanks to Sticks for suggesting this route months ago. I have never seen a trail so beautiful! The first mile consisted of walking through what feels like an enchanted forest along a stream lined with large moss-covered rocks and ledge-like boulders that curve down to the water. All the various shades of forest green were vividly present everywhere including the lighter and brighter shade of new growth. Some people spend thousands of dollars on naturalistic landscaping and never create the beauty that the Stony Brook trail offers! Mother Nature does it best! We truly enjoyed the feeling of hiking through a rain forest and easing into the steady uphill climb that this trail later offered.
As has become tradition now, I led our trek upward, and once again missed a turn. At the first stream crossing, the trail appears to continue along the left side of the stream (probably due to all the other people that have missed this turn as well). About 100 feet in, I realized that I was no longer seeing the blue blazes we had come to expect, and the trail was narrowing considerably. We back tracked and Larry found the wooden sign with an arrow carved out of it bolted to a tree at least a foot above our heads. Sigh! Tall people!
We crossed and continued upward. The trail gradually gets steeper and rockier. Parts of it are strewn with larger rocks. Their moss, while very beautiful, is also very slippery. Following last week’s fall, I took care where I was stepping. The second crossing over the brook was just as beautiful, and if the brook had had more water in it, we would have seen it cascading over a large flat ledge much like a mini waterfall where we crossed. Just beautiful! The trail continued upward more steeply for another mile and a half until it intersected with the Carter-Moriah Trail. We hung a left, soon passed by the junction of the Moriah Brook trail, and continued on.
The next mile and a half offered the best views as the trail alternated between open ledges, rocky peaks, and wooded sections that felt surreal. Views to the east, of the mountains in Maine were best, but to the west we saw darker and lower clouds covering the summits of the presidentials. I’m glad I wasn’t there. It was cool enough where we were.
The variety of scenery this trail offered was outstanding and I would love to revisit it on a sunnier and warmer day. We walked across many wooden planks on this trail, so I’m guessing it gets quite wet and muddy during much of the year. The clouds continued darkening as we climbed upward toward the summit, which took longer than we thought it would. Each rocky outcrop seemed like it must be the top, only to discover when we got there that the trail plunged back into the wood again and continued on. Shortly before the intersection with the Kenduskeag Trail, we met another hiker who was from Maine and he joined us on the summit. We stayed long enough to grab a bite for lunch and headed back down the same way.
The trip back was uneventful, and near the last mile of the trail Larry remarked how lucky we were to have escaped any rain. Shortly after that, and I mean VERY shortly, as in within a minute, it started to sprinkle. I always thought that Mother Nature had a sense of humor! We thought about stopping to put on our rain gear, but decided against it as we knew that once we did, it would stop raining. So of course because we didn’t, it started raining steadier. We were sheltered quite a bit by the overhanging trees, and the rain felt warm down on this lower part of the trail. It really was like walking through a very beautiful rain forest. And once we reached the trailhead, it stopped raining! Mother Nature likes me, and I appreciate her so much! We changed clothes, got in the car and within 5 minutes, the skies opened up and deluged everything in sight! I had the wipers going full blast! Larry and I felt very lucky indeed to have gotten a 4K hike in, and grateful that Mother Nature held off the heavy rain until we were back inside the car. Thank you so much! #42/48.
We started on the Stony Brook Trail off of Rt 16 at about 9:45 am. Many thanks to Sticks for suggesting this route months ago. I have never seen a trail so beautiful! The first mile consisted of walking through what feels like an enchanted forest along a stream lined with large moss-covered rocks and ledge-like boulders that curve down to the water. All the various shades of forest green were vividly present everywhere including the lighter and brighter shade of new growth. Some people spend thousands of dollars on naturalistic landscaping and never create the beauty that the Stony Brook trail offers! Mother Nature does it best! We truly enjoyed the feeling of hiking through a rain forest and easing into the steady uphill climb that this trail later offered.
As has become tradition now, I led our trek upward, and once again missed a turn. At the first stream crossing, the trail appears to continue along the left side of the stream (probably due to all the other people that have missed this turn as well). About 100 feet in, I realized that I was no longer seeing the blue blazes we had come to expect, and the trail was narrowing considerably. We back tracked and Larry found the wooden sign with an arrow carved out of it bolted to a tree at least a foot above our heads. Sigh! Tall people!
We crossed and continued upward. The trail gradually gets steeper and rockier. Parts of it are strewn with larger rocks. Their moss, while very beautiful, is also very slippery. Following last week’s fall, I took care where I was stepping. The second crossing over the brook was just as beautiful, and if the brook had had more water in it, we would have seen it cascading over a large flat ledge much like a mini waterfall where we crossed. Just beautiful! The trail continued upward more steeply for another mile and a half until it intersected with the Carter-Moriah Trail. We hung a left, soon passed by the junction of the Moriah Brook trail, and continued on.
The next mile and a half offered the best views as the trail alternated between open ledges, rocky peaks, and wooded sections that felt surreal. Views to the east, of the mountains in Maine were best, but to the west we saw darker and lower clouds covering the summits of the presidentials. I’m glad I wasn’t there. It was cool enough where we were.
The variety of scenery this trail offered was outstanding and I would love to revisit it on a sunnier and warmer day. We walked across many wooden planks on this trail, so I’m guessing it gets quite wet and muddy during much of the year. The clouds continued darkening as we climbed upward toward the summit, which took longer than we thought it would. Each rocky outcrop seemed like it must be the top, only to discover when we got there that the trail plunged back into the wood again and continued on. Shortly before the intersection with the Kenduskeag Trail, we met another hiker who was from Maine and he joined us on the summit. We stayed long enough to grab a bite for lunch and headed back down the same way.
The trip back was uneventful, and near the last mile of the trail Larry remarked how lucky we were to have escaped any rain. Shortly after that, and I mean VERY shortly, as in within a minute, it started to sprinkle. I always thought that Mother Nature had a sense of humor!
We thought about stopping to put on our rain gear, but decided against it as we knew that once we did, it would stop raining. So of course because we didn’t, it started raining steadier. We were sheltered quite a bit by the overhanging trees, and the rain felt warm down on this lower part of the trail. It really was like walking through a very beautiful rain forest. And once we reached the trailhead, it stopped raining! Mother Nature likes me, and I appreciate her so much! We changed clothes, got in the car and within 5 minutes, the skies opened up and deluged everything in sight! I had the wipers going full blast! Larry and I felt very lucky indeed to have gotten a 4K hike in, and grateful that Mother Nature held off the heavy rain until we were back inside the car. Thank you so much! #42/48.
