Best of the Appalachian Trail: Day Hikes
Pleasant Pond Mountain strenuous 3.2 miles round-trip, 2 hours The climb to the top of Pleasant Pond Mountain gets a strenuous rating because you will rise more than 1,100 feet in only 1.3 miles. Yet what a reward you reap for this effort! Once on top, which is above-tree line, you can wander about the broad plateau, walking across large slabs of slate, marveling at the 360-degree vista. Look northward and you will see Big Squaw Mountain, the Barren–Chairback Range, Whitecap Mountain, and on very clear days if you have very sharp eyes, you can make out the summit of Katahdin, more than 140 trail miles away. To the east is Moxie Bald Mountain, and to the west are Sugarloaf, Bigelow, and Pierce Pond Mountains. Beyond Pleasant Pond and Moxie Mountain to the south are the flatter lands of Maine receding toward the coast. There is also the added attraction of being able to take a swim in Pleasant Pond near the beginning and end of the hike. The Hike Follow the A.T. northward, coming to Pleasant Pond Lean-to in 0.3 mile. If you want to take a swim, you can follow the side trail at 0.5 mile, which goes to the right about 300 yards to a sandy beach along the shore of Pleasant Pond. Beyond this point, the hike becomes a steep ascent, first passing through a mixed forest, then one of evergreens, before climbing above-tree line to obtain the open summit at 1.6 miles. You might find remnants of an old fire tower as you walk, but also be looking for the geological history of the mountain etched into the rock. The slate beneath your feet gained its smooth surface as the glacier from the last Ice Age slid across it 25,000 to 14,000 years ago. The small grooves and notches are where rocks and other debris were ground across the slate as the glacier advanced and then receded. Return the way you came, possibly stopping for a swim to cool off and clean away any trail grime. Trailhead Directions From the town of Caratunk, follow Pleasant Pond Road for 3.2 miles and bear left onto a roadway that soon becomes gravel. Come to another intersection about 1.5 miles later, continue straight, and leave you car in the parking area near the north end of Pleasant Pond.
| Autor: | Adkins, Leonard M. Logue Frank Logue Victoria |
|---|---|
| ISBN: | 9781634042604 |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Produktart: | Gebunden |
| Verlag: | Ingram Publishers Services |
| Veröffentlicht: | 21.08.2018 |
| Schlagworte: | Appalachia Connecticut Georgia HEALTH & FITNESS / Healthy Living Maine Maryland Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina Pennsylvania SPORTS & RECREATION / Hiking Tennessee Vermont Virginia West Virginia |
Frank and Victoria Logue hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 1988, and they have returned again and again to hike its many sections on day and overnight hikes. Frank has also served on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Board of Managers. In addition, they have continued to hike out west and abroad, including Israel, Jordan, France, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, and England. The Logues live in Georgia, where Frank works as an Episcopal priest and as an assistant to the Bishop of Georgia. Victoria continues to write, working on both nonfiction and fiction. She has recently published her fourth novel. Currently, they love visiting and hiking with their daughter, Griffin, in Arizona. Leonard M. Adkins has been intimately involved with the Appalachian Trail for several decades. He has hiked its full length five times and lacks just a few hundred miles to complete it for a sixth. He has maintained a section of the trail near McAfee Knob and was a ridgerunner for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. He was also an A.T. Natural Heritage Site Monitor, aiding the conservancy and the National Park Service in overseeing the welfare of rare and endangered plants. In addition, he has served on the Boards of Directors of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club and Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club. Among other long-distance trails Leonard has completed are the Continental Divide Trail from Canada to Mexico, Pacific Northwest Trail from Glacier National Park to the Pacific Ocean, and the Pyrenees High Route along the border of France and Spain. In all, he has walked more than 20,000 miles exploring the backcountry areas of the United States, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, and the Caribbean. Leonard is the author of 20 books on travel and the outdoors. His Wildflowers of the Appalachian Trail was presented the National Outdoor Book Award, while The Appalachian Trail: A Visitor’s Companion, received the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award. He has also written more than 200 articles for magazines such as Blue Ridge Country, Backpacker, Islands, The Roanoker, and Blue Ridge Outdoors. Along with this thru-hiking wife, Laurie, he lives in Virginia, within easy striking distance of the A.T. You may learn more about his adventures at habitualhiker.com.