Mount Blue State Park Summary (August 19-24)

This trip included the following destinations:

• Mount Blue State Park
• Tumbledown Mountain
• Coos Canyon
• Smalls Falls
  

During some of the last precious moments of summer I was privileged to experience the peaceful camping Mount Blue State Park had to offer in central Maine. I went as a member of an orientation trip for Unity College known as NOVA, along with 13 other freshmen students and two upperclassmen group leaders. On our first day, after establishing a campsite, we had personal time to explore the part of the lake we claimed as ours for those five days. As the sun went down, disappearing behind the nearby mountains, the lake offered its mysterious sounds for our enjoyment. Filled with the beauty of various calls from loons, ducks, and cranes, the air settled in with a slight chill. Many of us huddled closely by our campfire and conversed about our hometowns and those we left behind, while the rest explored the beaches and woods with headlamps in seek of nocturnal wildlife.

During our first full day outdoors, we traveled a short distance down the road to Tumbledown Mountain. As many of the students were beginners, we took one of the easier routs up, known as the Brook Trail. After roughly three hours of climbing, and a few small rock scrambles, we reached the lake atop Tumbledown. As we climbed the last major boulders, we turned to the left and the view was simply breathtaking. One by one, our group members looked out across a beautiful valley shining in the midday sun. For those that had never witnessed this kind of natural beauty before, it was a moment of personal victory, and a reward for the work they put into the hike.

Upon reaching the edge of the lake, after a few moments of gasping in awe, most of the students headed for the soothing cool water. The lake worked wonders on our soar feet, as we shared content smiles with one another. At this point, none of us had began to think about the climb down. The most important thought running through our minds was that we had successfully climbed Tumbledown Mountain, and the sparkling waters that greeted us had been well worth the morning's climb.

The lake had given us another gift, however, as an excited climber from a different party approached me. In his hands he held a pair of binoculars, and on his face he wore a large grin as he began to speak. "There's a large moose over there!" He was fascinated as he took one last glance through the lenses before handing off the binoculars. As I watched the moose on the opposite shore of the lake, I too became fascinated. He was a large bull moose, and shortly after drinking from the sparkling water, he made his way in for a swim. It was a moment many of our group members had been waiting for, especially those whom had never been to Maine or seen a moose before.

The day was moving on quickly, so once the moose disappeared back into the tree line, our now rested group began to pack up and put on the last of their gear. At around three, we began our descent down the Brook Trail. The trip down took significantly less time, and the mood was much happier than it had been earlier that morning. Between us we shared mixed emotions of pride, satisfaction, and slight fatigue. Nevertheless, the trip had been successful, and the topic stayed on the tips of our tongues long after we reached our campsite.

Our next event as a group was a trip to Coos Canyon. The day's events were focused around the simple hike along the canyon river. We were free to separate into small groups and explore for a few hours, and many of us used the time to relax and reflect while taking in the gorgeous scenery. We also encountered our first store in several days, and many of us went in for some fresh food and drinks, and the occasional gift for loved ones back home. The day soon came to closure, as it had been one of casual relaxation, and the night once again settled as we spent another night around the fire. Karaoke was not a stranger to the night hours either.

The last main event of our trip was the hike up Smalls Falls. It was a simple hike, taking less than half an hour to reach our destination at the top. We then broke off into smaller groups once more, and explored the various trails along the river. The day was disputing over forecasts, however, and the sun didn't shine for quite some time. Regardless,the waterfalls were beautiful to watch even as the heavy clouds lingered above. Midway through the afternoon, we broke up our groups again, and each of us were instructed to have some personal time alone to meditate and think about our trip so far.

On our final day at Mount Blue, we encountered our first bad weather. We packed up all our tents and personal gear in the morning rain, and began to head up to the vans with what seemed like an endless supply of bags, tents, cooking equipment, etc. We took one last look at the trail leading to our "base camp," and loaded up the last of the gear. It had been an amazing trip, and an experience most will never forget, even if they didn't realize it at that time as their minds flooded with the thoughts of hot showers and clean clothes. Even without all the luxuries of modern society, each of the members had found a way to continue smiling. The five days at Mount Blue, to some of the students, had also been an introduction to the outdoors. However, to some of the other students, it was a continuing chapter, although this time the setting was different. It was the first time for all of us to be in a college atmosphere, even if the ideas of classes and exams had been miles away from our thoughts.

I would strongly recommend Mount Blue State Park to beginner campers for the following reasons:

• Privies are available, which is always convenient.
  
• There are designated places to camp, making it a safe location for beginners.
• There is a decent amount of privacy, despite the fact that it is a public campground.
• There are plenty of things to do, including a public beach and an amphitheater.
• The park is well maintained.