Kid Tracks Column: Sometimes togetherness is better goal than summit

I knew Mount Cutler in Hiram did not have a well-marked trail. I had done my research before presenting the option to my family. I also knew from a friend that there were some steep climbs. It was not for the beginner hiker he said. My children and husband said they wanted a challenging adventure so we set out to give Mount Cutler a try.

The driving directions we were able to dig up to the trail head said that it was "at the site of the former Hiram railroad station." That tidbit might have been helpful to people familiar with the area but we were not. So once we got into the general area we stopped and asked for more specific directions. As I've said before about hiking in Maine -- you can't be afraid to ask for directions. We hike a lot and I'd say 6 out of 10 times we have had to stop for directions on the way. I used to think I had a pretty good sense of direction and decent map skills but I've been humbled many a time in this state.

There was a small handwritten sign at the trail head with an arrow pointing along a set of railroad tracks that led to the Mount Cutler trail. Those tracks I later found out, were part of the Mountain Division proposed trail that will someday link a series of trails from Fryeburg to Portland. We hiked the first completed portion of the Mountain Division trail in Standish in January. The kids loved following the railroad tracks on that hike and were no less enthused this time. They ended up finding some deer tracks between the old ties and boasted about their skills in identifying them.

There were some trail markers at the start but then we quickly lost site of them. My husband asked me if I had any ideas about how to procede and I said I didn't. I told him that the research I'd done said the signage was poor and now I could officially confirm the articles I'd read were right. Had we not been prepared for this problem I think we would have had a more colorful conversation. But as it was, we plodded along and tried to find our way.

We ended up walking through a lot of brush but did in fact find the trail again. Then we scaled some steep rocks. My husband led the way and basically pulled the kids along while I guided and pushed them from behind on the steeper slopes.

We reached an area that offered a great view of the valley and surrounding mountains. We took in the sights and then decided to continue climbing. We realized that we were about half way to the top but had again lost site of the trail. After a brief discussion with my husband we decided that we had hiked far enough. The climb we'd done so far had tired out not just the kids but also their parents. And based on our experience with other steep climbs, getting down is more challenging for the kids. The rocky slopes look more intimidating going down that they do climbing up.

So we stopped and ate some snacks to replenish our energy. We also played a couple of games with my daughters' pink bunny toy. That bunny has been on almost every hike with us this past year. And he's been put in some precarious positions along the way. You can visit bunny's photo gallery to see a slide show of his adventures.

The best way we have found to get down a steep grade is to crab walk, or as our family calls it, the "Almeida skooch." Basically we have the kids sit on their bottoms and slowly creep down the steep inclines. It took a long time to make our way back down this trail so we turned it into one of our trail games.

My husband and I know we have to be flexible when we take the kids out on the trail. And we have to use our common sense. We hiked this trail as far as every member of the family felt comfortable going and then turned around and headed home. I know the kids will remember the challenges of Mount Cutler. And I hope when they're older they'll want to give it another try. But doing things as a family is what's important to us, not how many mountains we can summit. So if you decide to head out to Mount Cutler with your children, take it at your own family's pace, know you're not going to find a lot of trail markers and enjoy your outdoor adventure.

A NOTE ABOUT TICKS
Before we headed out on the Mount Cutler trail, we broke out the bug spray for the first time this year. Spring is the season when ticks come out in force and we wanted to minimize our chances of picking up a tick on this wooded trail.

The Maine Medical Center Research Institute's Vector-Borne Disease Lab (formerly called the Lyme Disease Research Lab) tracks the tick population in Maine all year long. This year the lab is reporting that adult deer ticks have been out for about four weeks and that the larger dog ticks (also known as wood ticks) have been out for about two weeks.

Here's a few simple guidelines to prevent tick exposure during warm-weather hikes.

Wear long pants and long-sleeve shirts and be sure to tuck your pant legs into your socks.

Stay on the trail and avoid brush or tall grass, where ticks tend to be in highest concentrations.

Wear light-colored clothing so you can more easily see ticks on your clothing.

Use a repellent containing DEET, paying particular attention to spray your shoes, socks and pant legs. You should spray all your clothing with repellent, but spray exposed skin on children sparingly.

 

There are alternative repellent products that do not contain DEET, but they are effective for a much shorter period of time. You should inspect yourself and your children after your outdoor adventure. Ticks often attach themselves behind the ears and in hair and body folds. It's important to perform a tick check as soon you get indoors. The sooner you find and remove a tick, the less chance you have of contracting Lyme disease. Once a tick is engorged (that takes about 24 to 36 hours) there is a greater chance of developing the disease.

To remove a tick you should:

Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with tweezers.

Pull firmly until the tick lets go.

Apply antiseptic to the bite.

If you are unsure what type of tick you have removed, you can save the tick in a small vial of alcohol and contact the Maine Medical Center Research Institute's Vector-Borne Disease Lab. The lab offers free tick identification to the general public. They do not however test ticks for Lyme disease. Visit their website for more information at zappa.mmcri.mmc.org/lyme/lymehome.html.

Trail Name: Mount Cutler
Nearest Town: Hiram
Region: Western Lakes & Mountains
Length: less than one mile
Difficulty: Intermediate
Elevation: 1,232 feet
Directions: Take Route 113 to Hiram Village. At the intersection of routes 113 and 117 drive over the bridge on Route 113 and take your first left (immediate left after bridge). Then take immediate right onto Mountain View Avenue. The street looks like a driveway but will lead you to the trail head.
Terrain: Heavily wooded with lots of large rocks to climb
Bathrooms: No
Parking: Small parking area for 6-8 cars.
Other: There are some steep, rocky sections on this trail. It's best to wear footwear with a thick tread for traction.
Hazards: There are some steep rocks that should be navigated cautiously with children.
Kid's Review

 Listen to the 8-year old describe her experience on this trail...
(40 seconds, 99k mp3 format)
Listen to the 6-year old describe her experience on this trail...
(50 seconds, 186k mp3 format) Video
Climbing down a steep drop
(45 seconds, 1.2MB)

Bunny has some "fun"
(50 seconds, 1.4MB)

Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram May 9, 2004