A Weekend on the Trails

During weekend walks throughout the year, but particularly in the fall and spring, we regularly include the Capisic Pond Trail as part of our personal walking route, but we wanted to walk it again as part of our official "walk all of the Portland Trails" summer adventure. A recent Press Herald article featured a timely nature talk sponsored by Portland Trails, since the trail will soon disappear while work on the sewer line is completed. Participants on the walk echoed what we noticed-where is Capisic Pond? The cattails are definitely taking over as this picture shows, filling in the area on both sides of Capisic Street.

We will certainly miss this trail over the next few months but hope that this project succeeds in improving the water quality of the area.

Today we stopped at the trail at Martin’s Point. As teachers in the Portland Public Schools, we spent many hours at the old Marine Hospital, which served as the headquarters for the school district until recently. We were amazed at the building that is going on in this area, but confused about the trail. In most of the areas we have hiked, the trailhead is marked with a Portland Trails sign, but this was not the case at Martin’s Point. After walking the paved trail on the water side of the building and checking the Portland Trails map, we concluded that we had indeed walked the trail even though there was no official signage. The memorial to the USS Reuben James (the first Navy ship lost during WWII) and to all the Mainers lost in World War II in sea related duty was a surprise to us and would provide a “teachable moment” for youngsters walking the trail. The highlight of this trail is the gorgeous view.

Finally, we headed to Mackworth Island, where we had spent many hours when our children were young. It’s a great mile plus, gentle trail, hugging the perimeter of Mackworth Island. Parking is easy, although sometimes the lot is full. A new addition to the island is the request for the payment of an entrance fee, which is at the trailhead.

Our memories traveled back to the days of packing a light snack and heading to Mackworth with preschoolers in tow. I think the island provided us with a few moments of sanity and relaxation that we were so grateful for at the time. We know they would have loved the fairy house activity that is now a part of the trail.

Well, maybe we can bring our grandchildren to build a house someday!!!

Walking a New Trail

The work of Portland Trails continues daily.  As we are working our way through the list of 30 trails on the website, we have discovered that there are trails on the 2nd edition map that are not on the list of 30 trails AND that there are new trails being added, as well.  One example is the new Bayside Trail which was recently celebrated at the July Greendrinks.

So instead of heading to Fox Street and Greendrinks, we headed directly to the Bayside Trail after dinner yesterday.  What a great addition to this neighborhood! From reading the history of the trail it is clear that the neighborhood is supporting this joint effort between Portland Trails and the Trust for Public Land.  The trail follows the old Union Branch railroad easement and connects the Back Cove and Eastern Prom trails to Elm Street.  Signs marking the trail and the supporters of the decade long trail planning help walkers who are not familiar with this area locate the trail.  This was one trail we could walk without changing into our sneakers and it is generally flat and bricked.  Fundraising for this project continues as the vision for this area includes landscaping, public art and benches.  As trail advocates have boasted, when it is completed, this trail will have provided an “extreme makeover” for this area of Bayside.  Photos from the trail:
 

Gisland Farm, Maine Audubon

Gisland Farm is a great sanctuary in the Greater Portland area. It is 65 acres that include the headquarters for the Maine Audubon and a nice selection of hiking trails.  The parking lot is right next to the headquarter, with easy access from the parking lot to the three major trails: North Meadow, West Meadow and Pond Trail. At the trail head there is a helpful map of the trails at the farm. Behind one section of the parking lot is a gorgeous peony garden, so if you are there when the peonies are blooming make sure to bring your camera.

We made two visits to Gisland Farm. The first time we stopped we walked the North Meadow Trail. One things we noticed immediately were the sculptures of Wendy Klemperer. This artist uses industrial materials to construct species in steel including wolves, elk, and deer. Art curator June Lacombe brings the sculptures to this setting and other artists featured include LIse Becu and Ray Carbone. The sculptures and the beautiful vistas along this trail would make a great destination for children and adults alike.

On our return visit to Gisland Farm, we walked the Pond Trail and the West Meadow Trail. The water lilies in the pond were beautiful and it would be another nice spot for a picnic lunch.
All of the trails are gentle and peaceful. Cameras are recommended!! You never know when you might see a wild turkey.

According to the Maine Audubon website, snowshoes are available for rent in the winter, so we will put this activity on our “bucket list” for January and we look forward to returning any time of year.

Holiday Hiking-2

Our second hike of the long holiday weekend was at the old Riverton Trolley Park, near the boundary of Portland and Westbrook.

The beginning of the trail on the Forest Avenue side. 

According to the Portland Trails website, and information from Kathleen’s grandmother, the park was the last stop on the Portland trolley system. When you arrived here, you felt like you were “waaay” out of town. The park was a recreational site for residents and included boat rides, an outdoor amphitheater and a croquet court. If you visit the Maine Memory Net website you can see pictures of the area in its heyday.

Parking for this trails is available on Riverside Street, next to the ball field. We entered from Forest Avenue, and found parking across the street from the entrance.

This trail had more hills that we had found on previous trails. The walk was beautiful and much of the trail takes you along side the Presumpscot River. You can see some evidence of the beautiful stone work that marked the entrance to this fun destination of the early 1900s.

Stone work at the old entrance to the Trolley Park

Again, we enjoyed most of this walk in the woods and we spent about thirty minutes exploring this area. It would be a great place to take a picnic lunch on a hot day and we found one spot with some sturdy benches and a great view!

What a great spot in Portland!

Holiday Weekend Hikes

Well, the heat is on in Portland and we thought it would be a good time to visit a couple of trails in wooded areas. So yesterday we got an early start at Evergreen Cemetery in Portland.

A View of Evergreen Cemetery

While some of the trail is on the paved roads of the cemetery, there are some lovely wooded trails up behind the pond in the back. These trails are narrow at times and take you behind Warren Avenue and near the field by UNE that is used by Lincoln students. It was a lovely hike back in there, especially on a sweltering day. We kept our eyes out for moose, but no luck!

A section of the wooded trails behind the pond area

There is a great deal of history in this area. There are many notable interments including: Nathan Clifford, James Phinney Baxter and Percival P. Baxter. The Baxter gravesite is noted on the Portland Trails map, but it actually took us some time to find it, so here is a picture to help you.

The Baxter gravesite

There is an office at the cemetery, but since we walked it on a federal holiday (July 5th) the office was closed. Maps of the cemetery are available in the office on weekdays, which we have been very helpful.

We entered the trail area from the end of Brentwood, but you can also gain access from Stevens Avenue and the end of Woodvale.

The entrance at the end of Brentwood Street.  We parked the car right here. 

If you were up for 2 hours of hiking, you could combine all of the cemetery with the trail at Baxter Woods, which is directly across the street on Stevens Avenue.

This is a great area for leisurely hiking, and you can set an aggressive pace, as well. On a July day it offers more shade than Back Cove, so this is a hike you should consider this summer!

What a Gorgeous Day!!!

Today was one of those perfect Maine days-lots of sunshine and clear air. We took advantage of the day by walking the Fore River Sanctuary trail.

There are many ways to enter this trail. We happened to enter at the end of Rowe Avenue, near Nasson’s Corner (our entrance is pictured here),


but you can also pick up the trail at the end of Starbird, and through the entrance on outer Congress Street. According to the website, parking is available on Hobart Street.

The Fore River Trail offers residents and tourists alike the opportunity to take a nice, long hike right in Portland. If you were to explore all of the trails smaller trails, as well as the main trail, you would probably spend a couple of hours in the area; this would include time to photograph the wildlife and beautiful vistas from the trail.

One exciting bonus to this trail is Jewel Falls, Portland’s only waterfall. When we passed the falls, there were several people resting in the area and enjoying the view. It would be a great destination for a picnic lunch!


Overall, the trails are well marked, although we felt there were places where additional markings were needed.
The Portland Trails map does not show all of the smaller trails that are off-shoots of the main trail.

Finally, a lesson in history along with a walk along the trail would be the perfect day activity for middle school students and their parents. In 1996 the Julie N, an oil tanker, was involved in an oil spill in this area. Young people could read about the oil spill online and then hike the trail to see what has happened to this area in the last 15 years. A very appropriate lesson given our daily news.

Enjoy the beautiful views at the Fore River Trail!