Day 2 Monday 22 September

Our leader had forecast some rain this morning, with better weather later, so would leave the hotel, Baxter Park Inn, at 9. Breakfast of cereals, pastries, fruit and muffins, was available in a cramped room and all eaten off plastic plates. The disposable cutlery and dishes were to prove fairly common.
By the time we met to leave, the warm sun had come out and we had a colourful, quite long and slow drive up to the park. The miles of tracks are all dirt and have a restricted speed limit. Saw turkeys on the way.
The ranger at the entrance advised going straight to Sandy Pond where we were more likely to see moose, so we set off on what should have been a short walk through the mixed deciduous and conifer woods. At the pond (what we would call a lake), there were several viewpoints but no moose, although we did see some fresh tracks. The view to Mount Katadhin, highest point in Maine at over 5,000 feet showed its head in the clouds.

At the first point, we saw a large raptor soaring over the trees.
We had been offered a steep walk to Owl Peak, but didn't really know what to expect, so we opted for the less strenuous walk. We learned later how fast the younger members of the party can walk.
In the end, it seemed Chad had taken a wrong turn and we walked further than expected. Although it was not far, it was tricky terrain with tree roots, rocks and a lot of narrow, slippery boardwalks. Back at the van we had lunch under the trees until the chilly wind drive us out into the sunshine.
We had about an hour's drive through the park to Daicey Pond for more walking. Ian and I opted for the walk down to Little and Big Niagara Falls on the Nesowadnehunk Stream, about the size of the Ure at Aysgarth. This forms part of the Appalachian Trail.
As Chad suggested we might, we met a solitary young man, who was surprisingly clean, with a neat beard, coming to the end of his trail, after six months hiking the 2,200 miles.
We walked with Bea, Andy and Chad, finding the upper falls easily and then missing the sign to the lower. The woods are lovely, with few recognisable trees and shrubs.
We all met back up near the van where there was a wooden shack containing lots of old books to borrow and some games. There is no power or running water and people go up to spend time in
wooden cabins. Two of the young women went out for a paddle on the pond in a canoe.
The long drive back to civilisation proved hard for some in the back of the van because the roads are so twisty and bumpy.
Dinner that evening was on the way back to the hotel at the Loose Moose restaurant, which was in darkness as we arrived - the power had gone off. By then it was starting to get dark and it was cold, with a strong wind. Those from warmer countries were finding it a bit tough.
The choice of beers was odd, with several people choosing the Canadian Barking Squirrel. Quite a jolly, candlelit meal, with Ian talking a lot to Alun about whisky.