Edmunds Division, July 24, 2024.
Moosehorn has three division. Edmunds is more “DownEast” than Baring and Headquarters. Baring and HQ are adjacent to one another and close to Calais. Scroll down for the report on those divisions.
One enters Edmunds on a narrow gravel road. There is a paved and disabled-accessible trail not far from the entrance, but the parking area needs brushing and the view from the platform is of overgrown vegetation.
A long-ass drive on the gravel road deep into the heart of the refuge leads a hiker to one end of the Wilderness Trail. I hiked over a mile of it, climbing over blowdowns and distracting deer flies with my plastic cup, until I reached a meadow. There the trail turned into head-high vegetation. I bravely ventured forth for about fifty feet, then I realized this went on for a good while and that, Garmin inReach or no Garmin inReach, no one would ever be able to find me if I fell. The meadow would simply swallow me whole. I turned around and ‘whacked my way back out.
Thinking perhaps I could hike in from the other end of the trail and reach the other side of the meadow, I drove a connecting gravel road within the refuge, found the other end of the trail, and headed back into the woods. This side of the trail ran along a wide creek for a bit, and I think fishermen/women cast lines here. I hiked along for a few tenths of a mile until I ran into more tall vegetation, then I bid the deer flies farewell and called it a day.
Barings and Headquarters Divisions, July 25, 2024.
Baring and HQ have nice trails and gravel roads leading through lovely water/marsh/meadow scenery. HQ is kind of surrounded by Baring; one drives into Baring to get to HQ.
I hiked some trails and forest access roads within Baring and also all the hiking trails within HQ. Though a tad overgrown in some places, most trails were well maintained. There is also an “auto tour” gravel road through Baring which offers gorgeous water and meadow views if one wants to see the beauty without having to trek with the deer flies.
Here are a collection of various photos taken throughout my day at both divisions. I hiked around 8 miles total.
This was the end of the Maine deer fly series of hikes hahaha, at least until next year on the AT.
