EXPLORING AROUND WITCH HOLE POND

Today went better than we could of hoped for.  We started out slowly working our way into the park and down the Duck Brook Bridge - I say slowly because my feet were still recovering from our last outting.  We shot some photos of the bridge and than made our way toward Witch Hole Pond in hopes of locating an old trail that once ran all around Witch Hole Pond.

DUCK BROOK BRIDGE - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

Not too far down the carriage road to the right of the bridge you come to a nice area of wetlands.  A nice little unnamed stream flows out of this wetland area, and directly across from the wetlands is a well worn unmarked trail, on maps I have done I have always refered to this trail as a section of the abandoned Fern Trail, since it connected to it over by Great Hill.  Today we decided to follow the sounds of an inviting brook and followed it down into the woods.

WITCH HOLE POND CARRIAGE ROAD - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

This is the first time I  have followed this brook and was surprised at what it had to offer, we took photos along with a few videos.  Since this brook has no name on maps we decided to call it Witch Hole Brook 2, because you can follow it through the woods back to Witch Hole Pond.  This is not the Witch Hole Brook that is labeled on maps, that brook runs directly out of Witch Hole Pond and into a marsh across from Witch Hole Pond.

WITCH HOLE BROOK - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

 It is my intent to return again soon to this interesting little brook and follow it further downward.
So we returned back to the carriage road and headed for the area where some of that old abandoned trail should be.    Yeah, it was still there, but we could only follow it just so far before it became overgrown.  Years ago there was no carriage roads so when they were built much of the hiking trail around the pond was destroyed.
Ran into a local fisherman back there who was trying his luck at fly fishing and asked what type of fish he usually catches there.  "Trout and pickerel," he replied.  He didn't say anything about cat fish, some refer to them as horn pout, but my guess is at least in the areas of the pond with weeds there would be cat fish.


 VIDEO OF WITCH HOLE BROOK CASCADES

WITCH HOLE POND - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

He said he sometimes uses a tube to fish from the center of the pond and I told him I believe we have seen him out there fishing.
By the time we explored one side of Witch Hole Pond the black flies had become thicker than pea soup, and guess who forgot to bring the bug spray.....it got pretty bad.  I remembered seeing on an old map where a trail once ran along the left hand side of that large marsh across from the pond and we decided to entertain the black flies for a little while longer.  We headed up the carriage road from the pond just a short ways, and right where the carriage road turns away from the marsh, I looked down the steep embankment and saw a worn path running through the woods.

ABANDONED WITCH HOLE POND TRAIL - 

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

With my bad feet I decided against trying to get down that embankment, so we went along the carriage road up to the sign post just ahead.  We began to look for an easy way down to that path when we discovered yet a second more hidden trail.  We took photos of were it is, than followed it and sure enough, it connected to the other path that had the steep embankment, so when I make my map it will show both sections of trail.  Now from where the two sections meet, the trail continues to follow the left hand side of the marsh, and soon gets wide enough so it becomes an old road of sorts, very well worn and easy to follow.

ABANDONED WITCH HOLE POND TRAIL - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

So we are taking photos, documenting our find, when my son nearly steps onto this large snake, it was one of the largest snakes I have ever come across in the Maine woods.  We took photos and even shot some video of it.  The snake soon got tired of entertaining us and heading further off into the woods.
Like most of thses old abandoned trails this one began to fade and become overgrown just before coming out at the roadway, so if your looking for it from the Park Loop Road you will have to really look for it, it is right across from a dirt pull over and a tiny drain ditch is at its beginning - this will all be on the map.

SNAKE IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

Once at the road, we made our way back towards the house with a horde of black flies making us pay for each and every step we took.  The overall lesson of the day - don't leave home without your bug spray.
When I put this up on Abandoned Trails, I will most likely name it the Witch Hole Brook Trail, even though Witch Hole Marsh Trail would be better fitting.

MAP OF WITCH HOLE POND TRAIL - ACADIA NATIONAL PARK