Hunting Moose in Baxter State Park + Hiking Chimney Pond Trail

I’m unsure about everybody else, however about as soon as a month, if I don’t get to do one thing exterior, I start to go a bit of loopy. The Fall Season right here in Maine is one in all my favorites as an outside fanatic and avid panorama/nature photographer. The pure fantastic thing about the State actually shines via this time of yr. On a random Monday morning, I assumed to myself that as a Maine-based photographer, I don’t have what I might name a “good” shot if a Moose have been in my portfolio, and that’s one thing I needed to alter. Top-of-the-line locations to see Moose with very dramatic backdrop is at Sandy Stream Pond in Baxter State Park within the Northern A part of the State. Whereas I had personally by no means been to Sandy Stream Pond earlier than, I needed to test it out and possibly, hopefully, get an excellent shot of a Moose.

Tenting Protection on AllOutdoor

Planning

As Boromir from LOTR put it so merely, “one doesn’t merely stroll into Mordor” and the identical could be stated for any good campground throughout peak Summer season and Fall season at Baxter State Park. One doesn’t merely resolve they wish to go to Roaring Brook Campground and e-book a campsite the identical day. I’ve tried this previously, and these camp websites are often booked up months prematurely. After I hatched this last-minute scheme to go as much as Sandy Stream pond, I figured there can be no approach I might have the ability to get a campsite, however a lot to my shock, I bought the final one that they had after I known as the Park Service and requested. Quickly after I put the telephone down, I started to pack for my quick in a single day journey. Sandy Stream Pond is simply a bit of below 3 hours away from the place I reside, so as soon as I had all the pieces packed up, I hit the street and headed north.

Gear Listing

In case you got here to this text to only see what gear I’m utilizing, no drawback, right here you go!

Hitting the Street

Alongside the way in which to the Park, there are a lot of nice spots to cease and take footage alongside the way in which. One of the well-known is definitely the Abol Bridge. With Mt Katahdin being the tip of the Appalachian Path, there are at all times a variety of via hikers on this space within the fall.

Concerning the Park

Baxter State Park in Maine traces its origins to the imaginative and prescient of Percival P. Baxter, who served as governor from 1921 to 1924 and started buying land in 1930, buying practically 6,000 acres together with Mount Katahdin, the state’s highest peak, which he donated to Maine in 1931 with the irrevocable situation that it stay “endlessly wild.” Over the following three many years, Baxter continued this effort via 28 separate land acquisitions, culminating in his closing buy in 1962, step by step assembling what grew to become a 209,644-acre wilderness protect that now encompasses about 75% managed as a wildlife sanctuary, 14% as a scientific forest administration space, and 25% open to looking and trapping (apart from moose). Demonstrating exceptional foresight, Baxter established an almost $7 million belief to fund the park’s upkeep independently of state funds and created a singular governing authority consisting of the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the Director of the Maine State Forest Service, and the Legal professional Normal to safeguard its assets in perpetuity. The park’s pure historical past dates again roughly 12,000 years to the retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet, evolving from post-glacial tundra and early human habitation round 11,000 years in the past into the spruce-fir-dominated Acadian forest that defines the area in the present day.

Roaring Brook Campground

After driving for just a few hours and stopping to take many footage on my journey, I used to be lastly at Roaring Brook Campground. The payment to camp for the evening was $38, and that appeared form of Excessive to me, however nonetheless value it. Roaring Brook Campground is among the most, if not essentially the most, fashionable campgrounds within the park, given its entry to the Chimney Pond path and Sandy Stream Pond. The Chimney Pond Path stands as one of many park’s most iconic and closely trafficked routes, a 3.3-mile reasonable to strenuous path from Roaring Brook Campground that ascends via dense forests and rocky terrain to the alpine shores of Chimney Pond, providing breathtaking vistas of the Basin and the imposing Knife Edge ridge of Mount Katahdin.

Its reputation stems from serving because the gateway to 5 of the seven trails summiting Katahdin, together with the thrilling Helon Taylor, Dudley, and Saddle paths, drawing formidable hikers longing for high-elevation adventures above the treeline amid wild, uncovered landscapes that demand sturdy footwear and respect for sudden climate shifts. Complementing this rugged attract is the close by Sandy Stream Pond Path, a straightforward 1.5-mile out-and-back stroll from the identical Roaring Brook base that meanders alongside babbling streams to a serene, glassy pond framed by the park’s signature spruce-fir forests and dramatic Katahdin views, famend for its frequent moose sightings.

Earlier than organising camp, I marched as much as Sandy Stream Pond to do a little bit of scouting to see how the sunshine was wanting and time how lengthy it could take me to succeed in it. One factor that basically stunned me was that you’re solely allowed to stroll on the picket boards round Sandy Stream Pond, as this whole space is a wildlife sanctuary. Clearly, if you should step off, you possibly can, however it’s advised to not. After scouting the world and discovering the perfect spot to return to within the morning, I sat and watched the solar set on a really peaceable night.

I then marched again to my campsite and unloaded my automotive whereas organising my spot for the night. It was fully darkish at this level, so I used to be completely satisfied I introduced a headlamp on this journey, and this made organising camp and cooking dinner a lot simpler. As I lay my head down in my tent, I knew I must rise up round 5 am the following morning to catch good gentle on the mountain and possibly even a moose! Keep tuned for Half 2 of this text and thankyou for studying right through to the tip of Half 1!

Patrik Orcutt

Patrik is a contract photographer who has been fortunate sufficient to see a variety of the world and doc his travels together with his digicam. He has labored for the U.S. authorities as a Public Affairs Officer documenting Multi-Nationwide Particular Forces Coaching across the World. He’s at present engaged on changing into a Blackhawk Pilot for the Military whereas being an avid gear junky and out of doors fanatic.