Wow, has it really been two months since my last post. That was not my intention. But it seems October was a whirlwind as we were visiting family and friends. We’ve been back on the road now for two weeks and I realized I still have plenty of Maine to share with you all.

As I sit here writing this, fall is in the air yet fond memories of Maine bring me back to the summer warmth. Currently we are on our trek south to warmer temperatures for the winter. And it’s a perfect time to share more of our Maine travels.

In my last post (from 2 months ago – I had to re-read it to see where I left off), I stopped at our explorations around the Moosehead Lake region. As usual there are many photos to share so let’s get started.

Ripogenus Dam

We took a day to explore an area east of us near Baxter State Park. Driving part of the Golden Road it was about an hour or so away. The Golden Road has it’s own history and story. But basically it is an active logging road that is open to the public. With a few rules in mind, the biggest one is all logging trucks have the right of way regardless of direction of travel. When you see one, you pull over. They do not slow down for you. This road is not for those looking for a smooth ride. It is gravel with plenty of holes along the way. But for us it was the quickest way to this section of Maine.

Our first stop was this huge dam. The Ripogenus Dam controls water flowing from the Ripogenus Lake and into the Ripogenus gorge. Further down the line is a hydroelectric station you can explore on foot. Surprisingly you can drive across this dam.

Mt. Katahdin

Mt. Katahdin is the highest mountain in Maine and it’s also the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. It is located within Baxter State Park. Pets are not allowed in this state park so we admired from afar. Not to mention the hike to the top is not an easy one.

During our exploration near the Abol bridge (where this first photo is taken), we ran across a hiker who had just finished the Appalachian Trail. He was ready to shave off his beard and enjoy a long shower. Shane gave him a beer to celebrate his epic hike. We loved the various vantage points of this mountain peak.

On our way back to our camp we found this spot at the bend in the river, complete with a lovely waterfall and a view of Mt. Katahdin off in the distance. We were there as white water rafters navigated a spot over the waterfall and on down this raging river.

There is so much beauty at every turn. We ended our exploration at another spot near the river taking in the surrounding serenity.

Mt. Kineo

On advice from our camp host, we set out to explore Pebble beach and Mt. Kineo. Mt. Kineo is a state park with 700 foot cliffs rising straight up from the water. It is only accessible via water or so they say. There is a ferry that leaves from Rockwood to the southwest of the state park. It’s a short ferry ride and according to Google reviews it’s $15 per person, cash only.

It turns out if you are camping on the eastern side of Moosehead Lake you can access Mt. Kineo via a land bridge. This requires driving several miles down a pretty rough road that ends at a gate. Eddie the Jeep is built for this!

From there you must hoof it on foot to access the land bridge and beautiful Pebble beach. Upon arrival the mountain was shrouded in smoke from the Canadian wildfires.

We spent the afternoon exploring the beach area and enjoyed a packed lunch. Although it was very windy that day so it was fun trying to keep our lunch from blowing away. But over time we were treated to lovely views of Mt. Kineo.

We walked through the small community that is located on the island (technically a peninsula because of the land bridge). There is a public path they want visitors to follow to avoid disturbing the residents. And ended up at the golf course at the base of this geological feature. I can only imagine what the green fees are for this particular course.

Due to high winds we skipped doing the hike up and along the cliff side. Saving that for a return trip. We stopped at the golf course snack bar for a beer and sat outside admiring the view. It was cool to see Mt. Kineo from a different vantage point.

B-52 Crash Site

After spending an afternoon exploring the small town of Greenville we made one last stop on our way back to camp. Loved the seaplanes in the town of Greenville.

Turns out on January 24, 1963 a B-52 crashed in the middle of the woods northeast of Greenville, ME. There were 9 crew members. Only two survived. They crashed on a training mission. Of the two survivors, the pilot landed in a tree 30 feet above the ground. The navigator amazingly survived despite his parachute not deploying upon ejection. He impacted the snow with no parachute! Both survived negative temperatures over night and were rescued the next day.

To visit the crash site is a very somber occasion. We arrived just before dusk but were able to see some of the crash remains before dark descended.

If you are interested here is the Wikipedia page about the crash. And I found this article about the navigator and the guy who rescued him being reunited on the 50th anniversary of the crash.

Sorry to end this post on a somber note. But that wraps up our explorations of the furthest north we made it in Maine.

Up Next: Exploring coastal Maine, the off the beaten path version.

For those who celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving!!