Blue Hill from Beech Mtn.

Diary of a Short Hike:

Park just above Long Pond pump house. Take a few pictures of the derelict work shed at the turnaround.

Head up the trail toward the mountain. Come upon a small group of hikers and their dog. They seem loud and vexatious so I slow down and dawdle, trying to let them get ahead. To my relief they turn left at the trail junction. I speed up and go right.

Come to the section of huge boulders covered with ferns that broke loose from the mountain so many thousands of years ago and are now piled up in the mossy woods of spruce and fir. Clamber carefully among the rocks and come across a small cave. Spend some time taking photos and thinking about bats. Sit in the entrance and wish the group of hikers would come along now so I could feel sneaky looking down at them like a mountain lion.

Continue down the trail and turn right. Come upon a group of kinglets low to the ground. Spend a good 15 minutes trying to get a photo of one with my iPod, which basically means standing in place vey still. Do not take any photos. Turn around and head back.

Follow the icy trail to a small icy parking lot that is closed for the season. Stand around thinking about that and hear some people coming from a trail on the right. Quickly go on a trail to the left leading up the mountain.

Walk a short way up the icy path until there is a spot on the left where I can clamber up some rocks and get a view of Long Pond and Blue Hill to the West. Take some pictures. Lie on a bed of pine needles looking up at the branches of a small white pine. It is warm, the ground is very soft, and the branches are making a gentle swishing noise in the light wind. Feel totally and utterly at peace for about one full minute.

Head back down the icy trail across the icy parking lot and along the other icy trail, inwardly berating myself for being too lazy to stop and slip on the crampons I am carrying in my pack.

Come across a man standing at the trail junction staring at his phone. Cover my mouth and nose and greet him with a cheery hello that reveals nothing about my actual inward state.

Arrive back at the tumbled down rocks. Half-heartedly take a couple more photos now that the light has changed. Come across some chunks of ice strewn on the path. Go up into the woods a short ways to the place where the ice is breaking loose from the rocks above and take some pictures.

Return to the car without further incident.