On the morning of our hike, I received a phone call from a friend who was joining us on the trail. It was snowing, and she was calling to see if we were still planning to head to the mountain. I confirmed that we were. We'd never really hiked in bad weather, so my husband and children thought it would be an adventure. My friend agreed, and we set out on the trail later that morning.
By the time we arrived at Bradbury Mountain, the sun was out and the snow was melting. The kids chose the Summit Trail because they wanted to get to the top as quickly as possible. That trail is only 0.2 mile, but it's a fairly steep climb. Step-like rocks made climbing the rocky trail easier. Everything was slippery because of the melting snow and slush. The kids took a couple of spills, but they were laughing by the time they stood up in their wet, muddy snowpants. Apparently it is really cool to fall in the mud. I told the kids I'd take their word for it and, luckily, was spared the experience myself.
It didn't take long to get to the top of the mountain, and the view was awesome. The sun was out and we could see snow-covered fields, trees and some farmhouses. Fog and clouds in the distance obscured the ocean, but we're told you can see it on a clear day.
We enjoyed a leisurely snack and the girls took some time to explore the area. The rocky top of this mountain reminded us of Jockey Cap in Fryeburg.
It had been a while since we had hiked to the top of a mountain and we had to exercise some caution with the kids. There are some steep drops from the top of Bradbury Mountain, so it's not a place for a young child to wander around without an adult in close proximity.
My 7-year-old decided the sun was "too bright" and pulled out the umbrella we had packed to protect my camera equipment. The adults on this hike, however, tried to soak up as many of the warm rays as possible. You could just feel the heat of the spring sun that day and it felt great to be out on a mountaintop taking it all in.
We decided to head back down via the Northern Loop Trail. The kids chose that trail because it was only a mile back to the trail head and they were tired from jumping around on the rocks and making mud pictures.
Several trails lead hikers off Bradbury's peak, so it took us a minute to get our bearings and find the Northern Loop Trail. We proceeded without being sure if we were on the right trail, but eventually found more trail markers to confirm we were heading in the correct direction.
The Northern Loop Trail was particularly muddy; the warmth of the afternoon was enough to melt the snow into a slushy mess on that trail. Both kids jumped into every gooey puddle they could find. We've got quite a few photos of their jumps with the mud flying everywhere. And as if this would be a suprise to anyone, the jumpers weren't the only ones who got splattered.
Thankfully, everyone in my family had on snowpants and winter boots, so we didn't feel quite so wet and dirty. Our friend's pants and suede boots, however, did not fare as well. We couldn't talk her into wearing her "bulky snowpants" (as she called them) at the outset, and she seemed to have had second thoughts about that decision midway through the hike. Of course she hadn't planned on having two Olympic-style mud puddle jumpers with us either.
We saw lots of other hikers and the trail was quite busy despite the questionable weather and all the mud. I would assume this state park is a busy place on a warm, sunny day.
Just as we started peeling off our muddy boots and snowpants back at the car, it started to rain. We couldn't believe our luck at having picked the best two hours of the day for our hike.
Hiking during this season is messy business. But feeling the spring sun and knowing that the warmer temperatures aren't far behind make a hike during this time of year so much more rewarding.
Trail Name: Bradbury Mountain State Park
Nearest Town: Pownal
Region: Greater Portland
Length: Approximately 6.5 miles
Difficulty: Advanced Beginner
Elevation: 485 feet
Directions: From I-295 in Portland, take Route 9 toward Cumberland Center and Pownal. Signs on Route 9/Hallowell Road in Pownal lead to the park.
Terrain: Some trails are rocky and others are packed dirt.
Bathrooms: Yes
Parking: Large parking area at the trailhead.
Hours: 9 a.m. to sunset year round.
Other: Park admission fee is $3 for adults, $1 for children. Designated trails are open to hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. During the winter, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and cross-country ski trails are open. Forty-one campsites are available as well.
Hazards: There are some steep drops at the top of the mountain so parents should stay close to young children to be sure they don't go too close to the edge.
Kid's Review
Listen to the 7-year old describe her
experience on this trail...(50 seconds, 140k mp3 format)
Listen to the 6-year old describe her
experience on this trail...(50 seconds, 64k mp3 format) Video
Drawing in Mud(53 seconds, 1.3MB)
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram April 11, 2004
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