Baxter State Park 2011

We just got back from a great four-day trip to Baxter. Vacation with a toddler is tough, there is no way around it, and we are tired, but we had lots of fun, and Sam had a blast. We arrived around 3pm on Sunday, and spent the afternoon settling into Spruce Haven, our little cabin on Kidney Pond.

Spruce Haven

Sunset view from the cabin

We stayed in the cabin next door last year, and liked it so much we decided to come back this year :-) Kidney Pond was the perfect place for Sam. A big open field to run around in, a few bat/ball toys, a big library, a small beach with canoes. What made it even better for Sam was that a small family of Canada geese had made the field their home the day before we arrived. She could not get enough of them! "More duck!" "Duck[s] [are in the] water!" "Duck HONK!" We spent a lot of time watching those geese :-)

Hugs for Mama while geese watching

Monday morning came early, after a bit of a restless night of sleeping for all of us, but it turned out to be a great day. I had wanted to get in one long run while we were in the park, and when I looked at the map, one stretch jumped out at me: the AT from Daicey Pond down to Abol Bridge. So we hatched a plan. I would leave in the morning from Kidney Pond, run on the road to Daicey Pond, head out south on the AT. At the kiosk near Abol Bridge, I would take what looked like a short trail that would connect me to Abol Beach, a small little beach that we had visited while I was pregnant, and which seemed like it would be perfect for Sam. Ryan and Sam would meet me there. I had a few misgivings about heading off into the woods on my own. I remembered the stretch of trail as being very mellow and I knew it would be runnable, but I also knew there were a few stream crossings, and well, I would be on my own. The first 2.75 miles on the road, I was feeling a bit jittery and jumpy, unsure if this was a good idea, but after I got on the trail, I settled in and enjoyed myself. The trail was as I had remembered - idyllic.

Perfect for trail running!

Along the trail

River view

There were some great runnable stretches, a few technical stretches of rocks and roots, three stream crossings, all of which I took with care and which weren't a problem at all, and long stretches along the river's edge, run in the dappled sunlight. I didn't see anyone on the trail until I got close to Abol Bridge, and I reveled in the quiet. It was the perfect trail run. At the kiosk, I took the Abol Pond Trail, which ran along an old road bed for the first 3/4 of a mile, and then on some windy, little used singletrack for the rest of the way, the trail lined with waist-high ferns.

I popped out right where I thought and hoped I would, down near the beach. My Garmin read 11.06 and 2:07:42. Faster than I had expected, and a bit shorter than I had hoped, but, all in all, perfect! I even beat Ryan and Sam there! They arrived a few minutes later, and we had a grand old time. We had the beach to ourselves, and played in the water until naptime.

Sam walking along the beach

"Whati?!" (Who knows what she was pointing at :-))

Fun in the water

Tuesday was a bit overcast, and threatening rain, but we decided to chance it and headed out for a short hike from the cabin to Rocky and Little Rocky Ponds. Aside from the bugs, it was perfect! Probably 2 1/2 miles through some beautiful woods, the ground literally carpeted in thick green moss.

Headed out to the ponds

Sam and Daddo stop for a blueberry break

The views of Doubletop were spectacular. 

There were tons of blueberries, and we must have spent 15 minutes or more stopped, picking and eating them. Sam kept demanding, "More, Mama! More blue!" She loved them.

Blueberries!

Sam even picked a few herself :-)

We made it back just in time to watch the heavens open up during our lunch of mac n' cheese. There was nothing to do but relax while Sam slept and the rain fell. Oh well, except suit up and go for a run :-) Which I did once the rain had abated a bit. A nice 5.75 miles along the roads up to the dock at Daicey Pond. With the mountains clouded over, I noticed the flowers along the roadside. Lots of Joe Pye weed, daisies, goldenrod and fireweed. Beautiful. We spent the rest of the afternoon in and around the cabin, dodging rain showers between trips to watch the ducks and visits to the library.

This morning we were once again up early, and once we got the car packed up, we headed out with the plan to drive to Katahdin Stream campground, and take a short hike out to Grassy Pond.

At Grassy Pond

Through the woods

We were probably only out for a mile or so, but it was nice to get in one last walk in the woods before heading south. We finished off our trip with an obligatory, and tasty, stop at the AT Cafe. Yum!

Here are our PHOTOS from the trip.