Looking for a moose at Moosehead Lake

We are way behind in getting travel posts published this summer because we're having too much fun traveling! So we won't be confused about when each "wandering" happened, we'll start each blog with its actual date.

August 29, 2022

After a quiet night in our very remote Boondocker Welcome camp site, we were up and on the road before 8:00. Our destination today is Moosehead Lake--where moose outnumber human residents by a 3 to 1 ratio. We are serious about finding a moose! We've read the hints on the best places to see them in this moose-saturated area. Curiously, one of the best places is at the department of transportation barn. We assume that moose are in search of the salt that is stored here and used on the winter roads. The secret is out, and the moose-watchers must be a problem. They now post a sign, "Keep out - No watching of moose from this site."

We didn't have to be reminded to keep out, because no moose were hanging out in the department of transportation yard near Greenville. So we headed on to Moosehead Lake. This is the biggest lake in Maine, and we got the kayak inflated and ready for our first adventure of the day. A couple paddle boarders left the the shore right before us.

 

We were paddling from the dock in Rockwood, Maine. Instead of kayaking, we could have taken the public shuttle this morning. But at $14 for a round-trip ticket, we would rather paddle ourselves this morning since the water is pleasantly calm.

We are paddling to Kineo Island, a little over a mile from the Rockwood public boat launch. Moosehead Lake is 40 miles long and 10 miles wide, and it has 80 islands. But Kineo is the most visited because of the trail system at Mount Kineo State Park that leads along its tall rock ledges.

We beached our kayak on the rocky outline of Kineo Island, and pulled it up onto the trail that encircles most of the island. We stowed the kayak in the bushes, and changed from our boat shoes to our hiking boots as we started our hike around 11:00.

We started our loop hike going counter-clockwise. That took us up the steep Indian Trail where we got to some great views over Moosehead Lake quickly.

Moosehead Lake is not only the biggest lake in Maine, it is also one of the deepest. It is up to 250 feet deep. That means that this mountain that we are climbing is actually about 250 taller than it looks from the boat.

Overhead, we saw several float planes. This part of Maine has more lakes than roads, so a plane that can land and take off from the water is a very efficient mode of transportation.

It was about a mile to the summit of Mount Kineo. The tallest part of the island is covered in trees, but a fire tower allows visitors to climb above the trees for views. We read in a recent trail review that the fire tower was closed because an active hornet nest was very close to the steps to the top.

Sure enough, we could see large hornets going in and out of the large nest attached to the corner of the tower. That nest is a natural work of art!

A group of hikers had gathered at the bottom of the tower, trying to decide if it was prudent to make the climb today. After noting that the hornets seemed tranquil, Mark made the climb to the top. From his perch at the top, he assured Denisa that it was safe to come on up.

Sure enough, it was safe. The hornets didn't swarm, and Denisa didn't tarry long on that flight of steps. The views from the top were worth the climb.

After making the climb to the summit of Mount Kineo, it would have been sad to miss these views of Maine's biggest lake.

On the loop hike down, we saw a whole different set of island flora because we came down the less-steep Bridle Trail. Because the spring wildflowers are long gone, Denisa is glad to find mushrooms in Maine to photograph.

These were clustered on a fallen log, making an interesting mushroom stack.

After our three-mile hike on Kineo Island, we changed our hiking boots for water shoes. Then we got the kayak back on the water and paddled part-way around the island. We probably would have made the entire circle, but the wind had picked up.

We had one more look at Kineo Island from our water level view. By the time we made it all the way to the boat dock, the waves were lapping into the kayak and we were all wet. It's a good thing that the weather is warm today! It was a worthwhile kayak trip on Maine's largest lake, as we saved $28 in shuttle fees!

We're disappointed that we haven't spotted even one moose on our day at Moose Lake! So we stopped to take a picture of the flying moose statue at Rockwall. We sure hope this isn't our only Maine moose sighting!

We headed back to the southern tip of the lake, to have dinner in Greenville. We ate at an outdoor table at a restaurant overlooking the lake. We had duck for dinner--not to eat--but as a dining companion. She stayed right beside our table for most of the meal, hoping for dropped morsels of food.

Besides close-up views of the local ducks, we also got close-up views of the local sea planes parked by the dock. We watched as several of them landed or took off on the lake.

 

We stopped in at the Appalachian Trail Visitor Center near Monson, and visited with a very helpful volunteer. She said they average about ten through-hikers per day this time of year. Hikers are closing in on the last days of their 2,100+ mile journey when they get here. This visitor center will help them make arrangements for their last day of hiking at Baxter State Park. We've already visited there, and know how few hikers are allowed in each day. Here they are reminded that they must get organized for the next 100 miles that are in the most remote section of the entire trail. This wilderness section requires that hikers have ten days of food. The AT visitor center also provides day-hike advice for hikers like us. Like we have done many times, we drove to the nearest trail head of the AT, and hiked a bit on this wilderness section with the signature white blaze on the trees.

We hiked a tenth of a mile to Spectacle Lake.

 

We also made the quick walk to the Goodell Falls that AT hikers will get to see.

That gave us another half mile of hiking to round out our day of water and land miles here in the Moosehead Lake area.

It was a delightful day of lake views and blue skies. We are at a higher elevation, so we are enjoying more changing fall foliage as we drove through some of the quirky little towns around Moosehead Lake. Some of the town names are very descriptive--like Greenville and Rockwall. Others seem to be impossible to pronounce with names like Kokadjo and Piscataguis. We're disappointed that we didn't see any moose, but we'll count it as another beautiful day of wandering God's wonders.