Curled up in a blanket in the back of the Jeep, Casco lifts his head with anticipation, as he feels the gear shift into park. He looks forward to adventure as much as we do. We are running late after relying on bad GPS coordinates rather than utilizing the common sense of an atlas. However, a late hike trumps no hike.

Cracking with each step, I pause momentarily on the iced-over trail and watch the spider-webbing cracks before my weight breaks through. Comparative to winters of past, we've experienced what seems to be a strange winter. One moment brings patches of mud. The next, frozen snow-covered ground. 

An hour in, I pause to top off the Nalgene with ice-cold stream water. The section I dip the mouth of the bottle into is fast-flowing over rocks and white in color. This area is a safer bet than slow and stagnant pools. Cone-shaped ice caps hang from a dead branch in the stream.  Ice-caked rocks steadily sit in an ice bath. 

Reaching the waterfall on Mt. Jackson, I hold my hand up between the horizon line and the setting sun's position. We have one hour of daylight left. If you've never used this method, each finger represents 15 minutes of remaining light. Unfortunately, we'll have to settle for this being our turning point of the hike. 

A deep pool below the falls would make for an reinvigorating summer's swim. Full disclosure: Ms. Backwoods Plaid refused to take the dip today. We pause to admire hundreds of icicles cleverly clinging to the rock face alongside the falls. Nature is an amazing, always changing, and awe-inspiring attraction  that keeps me coming back.

About this Blog

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About the Author

Rhon Bell, an outdoor enthusiast, spends his time exploring the Maine Woods and documenting his journeys.

Growing up in Aroostook County, he embraced the outdoor lifestyle at a young age. Living today near Portland, he spends weekends and week-long adventures hiking New England summits, canoeing the historic Maine waterways, and ice fishing for lake trout.

Follow the journey as Window to the Woods discovers new destinations, and check out his other blog, Backwoods Plaid.

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