Mountain Time

Last month, I went with my sister-in-law and daughter on a backpacking trip to Baxter State Park. I was born in Maine and have lived here my whole life, but I'd never been to Baxter before. It was amazing! Mt. Katahdin is the tallest mountain in Maine and there are many Native American legends about the area. Along with the beautiful panoramic views, I enjoyed the powerful energies emanating from the land.

We hiked up South Turner Mountain the first day and saw a moose enjoying lunch in a pond along the way. The next day we backpacked the 3.3 miles into the Chimney Pond campsite and then did another short hike in the afternoon. On Thursday, when we were planning to hike to the top, it was too rainy, so we just did a couple of shorter hikes below the treeline. Friday we got up early and hiked up Cathedral Trail, a very steep climb that involved lots of shimmying up over rocks. ElvenTiger loved it! The views were astounding. When we were near the top, although there wasn't much wind (surprisingly), we could feel the sensation when we entered a cooler layer of air. 

Above is a picture of us at the summit. When we got there, we met two Appalachian Trail through-hikers, just completing their 2,000+ mile trek. One of them appeared to be in his 60s. Inspiring! We hiked back to the campsite and then put on our backpacks and headed back out. It made for a long day and the swim in the pond at the bottom was lovely and refreshing.

One of my favorite hikes of our trip was the Pamola Caves. There was a trail that wound in and around all these huge fallen slabs of rock that had created caves. A spring up above the caves allowed water to trickle down in and around them, refreshing us on a warm afternoon. The energy of the place was magickal and empowering. I felt the spirits of the land very strongly. On the way back down, I found out that Pamola is a Native American deity. I thanked him for making himself known to me that day.

The trip was fun and challenging and powerful. I will definitely go back again. ElvenTiger and I want to have time to hike the Knife's Edge next time!