D'Oh! Peaks-Kenny State Park was
closed today, and I can't pick locks.
The plan for today was pretty simple: drive up to Greenville (Moosehead Lake) and then Rockwood (Mt. Kineo) before heading over to Jackman and returning to Bangor/Brewer via Rt. 201. It's one of my favorite autumn loop drives in Maine.
Well, I got a little sidetracked. Before arriving in Greenville I approached a road sign which read "Borestone Mountain - 8 miles". I have admired Borestone Mountain many times over the years while driving through this neck of the woods, but it occurred to me that I had never hiked anywhere in the area. Since impromptu detours are a way of life for me, I made the right-hand turn and headed for Borestone almost without thinking about it.
The Audubon Society maintains a nature center on Borestone Mountain along with a trail system which leads all the way to the summit. It's an easy hike. I walked through wonderful autumn colors and a hailstorm on the way up. There were fleeting rainbows and passing clouds on the way back down. It was wonderful.
The only thing missing? Wildlife! I didn't see many birds. I did see a skunk, but the poor thing had been flattened out on the highway, so that doesn't count. The bull moose are in rut, so I imagine the moose are generally preoccupied. But since moose hunting season opens tomorrow for that section of the state, I like to think that the moose are just keeping a low profile.
The foliage is more or less hanging in there despite all of the windy weather conditions of late. I would say the colors are most definitely at their peak in this part of the state but it is also true that many areas are already well past peak.
Speaking of peak....one of my favorite state parks in all of Maine, Peaks-Kenny, was closed today and I have no idea why. Lily Bay State Park, on the other hand, was open. Strange. Just a heads up if you've made any plans to visit Peaks-Kenny this week; I would call first.
Borestone Mountain (Audubon Society of Maine)
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