We started November with yet another beautiful, sunny day. Halloween night had turned to rain and wind so it was exciting to wake to the sun. We packed up a few things and headed towards Rt 35 towards Standish to meet up with the parking lot across from Sebago Lake. After parking at the Mountain Division Trailhead and filling out the appropriate water district paperwork we headed on down the trail.
The first encounter was with a beautiful horse who snorted his hello as we walked by. We had barely made it past him and his owner when the Monkey let out a little girl scream, having been spooked by a garter snake. I laughed out loud - couldn't help myself. Next we bumped into a gentleman walking his..... cat - seriously. The cat was in a harness and very friendly, chattering away at all the birds and small creatures he would attack if not held back. After giving both of us a hearty rub-down, he went about walking his owner down the path.
We moseyed along, marveling at the coloring of the trees. Their leaves were barely hanging on, as if to try to keep the branches warm for another day. Inevitably the wind would whoosh down the trail plucking them and those who had previously met their demise into a whirlwind of browns, oranges and yellows.
We walked, serenaded by Chickadees and Nuthatches, to the YMCA camp on Otter Pond, then along it's shorefront to the field opening where the Railroad track passes through. We spent a few minutes tossing rocks into Snake Pond then turned to start our way back towards civilization. We took at break on one of the conveniently placed park benches and watched some people go by, striking up a conversation with one lady having socialization issues with her dog. She sure was friendly, and insistent that we were going to hear her story. We politely realized the time and excused ourselves with being late for a fictitious rendezvous and took off, just about running.
On the way back we poked in on the gravel pit to see what was up. It's posted, I know - bad me. We found huge pollywogs in the pond and even some shiners warming themselves in the sun. A pair of Bufflehead ducks were on the pond, and a flock of Snow Buntings were working the shoreline for bugs and seeds. After two hours of enjoying our one on one time with nature, we found ourselves back at the car.
This trail is fantastic for a quick hike or bike, children, dogs or alone. It's wide and clear, and we plan on trying it out snowshoeing this winter too. If you feel up to it, you can go all the way to Dundee Park in Windham! Bring your camera - you never know what you'll see along the way!
The first encounter was with a beautiful horse who snorted his hello as we walked by. We had barely made it past him and his owner when the Monkey let out a little girl scream, having been spooked by a garter snake. I laughed out loud - couldn't help myself. Next we bumped into a gentleman walking his..... cat - seriously. The cat was in a harness and very friendly, chattering away at all the birds and small creatures he would attack if not held back. After giving both of us a hearty rub-down, he went about walking his owner down the path.
We moseyed along, marveling at the coloring of the trees. Their leaves were barely hanging on, as if to try to keep the branches warm for another day. Inevitably the wind would whoosh down the trail plucking them and those who had previously met their demise into a whirlwind of browns, oranges and yellows.
We walked, serenaded by Chickadees and Nuthatches, to the YMCA camp on Otter Pond, then along it's shorefront to the field opening where the Railroad track passes through. We spent a few minutes tossing rocks into Snake Pond then turned to start our way back towards civilization. We took at break on one of the conveniently placed park benches and watched some people go by, striking up a conversation with one lady having socialization issues with her dog. She sure was friendly, and insistent that we were going to hear her story. We politely realized the time and excused ourselves with being late for a fictitious rendezvous and took off, just about running.
On the way back we poked in on the gravel pit to see what was up. It's posted, I know - bad me. We found huge pollywogs in the pond and even some shiners warming themselves in the sun. A pair of Bufflehead ducks were on the pond, and a flock of Snow Buntings were working the shoreline for bugs and seeds. After two hours of enjoying our one on one time with nature, we found ourselves back at the car.
This trail is fantastic for a quick hike or bike, children, dogs or alone. It's wide and clear, and we plan on trying it out snowshoeing this winter too. If you feel up to it, you can go all the way to Dundee Park in Windham! Bring your camera - you never know what you'll see along the way!
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