You would not be off base to wonder when in the world I am going to post a blog about actual hiking since my blog is over60hiker.com!
Fear not! Thanks to my hiking buddy Paul Rosenblum, I’m set to return to the trails this weekend. To refresh your memory, PR is the public school teacher who often came to my University of New England classes to wow my pre-service teachers with his passion and student-centered focus.
Of course, there is one small problemo. Our start time is at 7 A.M. when the forecast is for low 20s on this blue moon Saturday in October. Who hikes in such cold? Well, it turns out Paul does.
Sucking it, putting on layers, and for once not being such a big baby, I meet Paul at Laudholm Farm, just 25 minutes from our York home. In the 38 years that Hannah and I have lived on the coast of Maine, we have never been to this hiking venue. My bad.
Arriving at the near empty parking lot, I head out with Paul through the grassy lawns of the historic main house and barns of the Laudholm Farm, part of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.
For a little background, after glaciers retreated 6,000 years ago, the Wabanaki settled in the region. In the early 1900s, the Laudholm Farm was the largest saltwater farm in York County, selling milk, cream, butter, eggs, broilers, and roasting chickens to locals and for the Boston market.
In 1978, local citizens banded together to protect the historic landscape and its structures. Click here for the fabulous website with further details of Laudholm Farm.
Crossing the fields to the clearly marked trail to the Atlantic, Paul and I have easy walking on the feet-friendly wet beach sand. Overlooking the marsh we wind along the tidal Little River Estuary.
Returning to the woodlands, we have six foot wide trails that meander through the pines and oaks. Stepping six feet into the woods in these Covid times, we let two women pass by. We greet each other with distinctive Mainer smiles that say, Aren’t we lucky to live in such a place!
Returning to the farm, we take the mowed grassy path through the fields. To either side are stalks cut to ground level, that once flourished as ground cover for the wildlife.
The woodland trail takes us to the marsh overlooking the Rachel Carson Preserve. At low tide, the Little River Estuary river exposes the mudflats minutes from the Maine coast.
Returning by way of the fields which we circumnavigate to stay in the now 32 degree warming sun, we have had three hours on the shoreline, marsh, and woodland trails.
Thank you Paul for getting my butt out of the house on a muy frio morning. We make plans to hike again before Thanksgiving. Stay tuned.
I have loved that hiking opportunity for years. It is a beautiful spot, and how wonderful that there are people who are maintaining the trails and property which offer opportunities to the public to be in nature. How I miss being able to make those treks, but the the past experiences remain solidly in my mind. This is a beautiful presentation. The photography is amazing.
Love,
Mary
Good morning Mary, It’s a jewel we never about. On these beautiful North Carolina days Hannah and I are going to take our mutual friend Karen there tomorrow.
that’s “never knew about”
Very interesting. I seriously don’t think I could do it in those temperatures, but proud of you, my friend! We had one night of 28 degree weather already, but this past week was picture-perfect highs in the 60’s and 70’s, lows in the 40’s, and full blue-sky, sunny days. Very calming for the soul during a “wild ride” election week 😉
It looks like our wild ride has ended. Hallelujah! And in the Peach State? So pleased it’s become a competitive state. Our outdoor pickleball days may be over. Next time we play is likely in California.
We love Laudholm Farm! Today we tried out a new spot in Scarborough–Pleasant Hill Preserve. It was lovely with all sorts of bird watching opportunities and best of all we met our son and his fiancee and their dog there 🙂 Another bonus–it was much warmer than your recent hike! (Last Saturday I was slipping on ice at Scarborough Marsh!)
We are taking a friend to Laudholm Farm tomorrow with another late summer day in the forecast. Congrats to your son and his fiancee. We are heading to Damariscotta Monday and La Verna Preserve. Know it? Any other coastal hikes you recommend?
I don’t know La Verna Preserve. We loved Dodge Point in Newcastle and walked there a lot when we lived up that way. The Hamilton Audubon Sanctuary in West Bath is lovely and so is the Josephine Newman Audubon Sanctuary in Georgetown. We also really enjoyed the Denny Reed Trail in the Basin Preserve in Phippsburg, though it was a bit overgrown in mid-summer. Happy Hiking!
Thanks for the suggestions. Dodge Point was a hit. This area is so different from York County. So rural, quite red, and beautiful on 66F November hiking days.
So happy you discovered the amazing hiking that is available at Laudholm Farm Preserve! It truly is a gem and Scott and I have enjoyed hiking there many times.
Way to go, Dan and Paul!!
Laudholm is a jewel. We returned a week later with our friend Karen during unseasonably warm weather in November.