The kids wore bright colored jackets and orange hats since we chose to hike on a Saturday afternoon during hunting season. The orange hats don't bother them nearly as much as the prospect of someone shooting a "cute little deer." My animal-loving children don't care much for hunting season and I'm always a little concerned about hiking at this time of year. But we didn't hear any shots or see any hunters the day we visited.
We took a direct route to the summit along the Bob Chase Trail and appreciated the wide, mostly graded, well-marked trail. It was about one mile from the trailhead with a steady incline that the kids managed well. I would gauge their ability and endurance at the intermediate hiking level now but with a couple of stops, most beginners and younger children could reach the summit without much difficulty. We did it in about 30 minutes.
Once we arrived at the summit, we tried to find an unobstructed view of the area. There were lots of trees at the top of Bald Pate Mountain and we couldn't find a clear spot, so we took a snack break.
While eating, we saw on the map that we could take the South Face Loop Trail that circled around the mountain at a little lower elevation. It turned out that we found a great view of the snow-capped Mt. Washington on that trail but never did find a better spot to see Sebago Lake. But the kids didn't care.
"OK mom, the lake is there through the trees. We can see it. It's far away. Now, can we go jump on the rocks again?"
So much for capturing their interest on the view for this hike. The large rocks and boulders were much more interesting. They started a rock jumping game similar to hopscotch and laughed and giggled all around the summit.
While the kids were playing, my husband and I made a notation that we had in fact found another place to see Sebago Lake. And after 30 minutes of watching the kids' rock jumping game, we pried them away to test our tree-identification skills.
We have been taking small steps with this project since I know nothing about trees. There are so many kinds that it felt a little overwhelming initially. But we narrowed our focus to four types of coniferous trees and it has worked out well. The kids have developed their own way to help remember each tree and offer these tips to help other kids:
- White Pine - "There are five in a bunch and they are very long and soft." Red Spruce - "The needles are as flat as Flat Stanley. The needles grow up to the sky and they are sharp and hard. I don't like getting pricked by the needles." Balsam Fir - "They have longer, flatter needles than the eastern hemlock. Balsam fir trees are used for Christmas trees." Eastern Hemlock - "They have darker needles than the other pine trees and they have two white stripes underneath. They are short and flat."
It was a rewarding day, having accomplished both of our goals. The bonus of the day was the pretty foliage, even with overcast skies. If you're planning on hiking to the top of Bald Pate to see a panoramic view of the area, you might be disappointed. But we found plenty of other things to see and enjoy on these well-marked trails.
Trip: Hiking Bald Pate Mountain
Nearest town: South Bridgton
Region: Western Lakes & Mountains
Length: 2-4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation gain: 1,000 feet
Directions: Take Route 113 and turn onto Route 107. The trailhead is a about 7 miles from the intersection of routes 114 and 107. The trailhead sign is a little hard to spot on Route 107 when coming from the southern direction on the road until you have almost passed it because it's positioned at an angle that is easier to see from the other side of the road.
More: www.loonecholandtrust.org
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram, November 27, 2005
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