Tag Archives: Katahdin

I Designed A Very Sanitary, Self-Draining, Eco-Friendly Soap Dish.

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by Anura Guruge
on May 20, 2022

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I will admit that using rocks was NOT my idea. I stumbled upon that at a motel I recently stayed at, i.e., the ‘Baxter Park Inn’ in Millinocket, Maine during my trip to ‘Katahdin‘ last month.

They had soap dishes with stones in them. But, they had used SOLID plastic containers for the stones. So the water couldn’t drain. The water collected under & around the stones. That wasn’t good. Not hygienic. Plus, it would be a pain to clean in that you needed to empty the rocks out & then put them back.

It immediately struck me that why you needed was a metal mesh container — that would not rust. Easy enough to find. BINGO.

The water drains out. Yes, soap residue clings to the rocks but that is easy enough to rinse away. Just hold the whole container under the tap. Plus, soap residue on the rocks is NO different to what is left on the bar of soap!

The rocks were easy enough to get. I got them off the road we live on. It is a dirt road. Yes, in time I will get fancier rocks. But, for now I am happy.

I did NOT patent it. You are welcome to STEAL the idea. I am, as ever, generous to a fault.

‘Summit Farm’ On The Way To ‘Katahdin Woods and Waters’ National Monument (Maine) — With Quite The View & Barn.

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by Anura Guruge
on May 8, 2022

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All taken by Anura Guruge, on April 26, 2022.

The view across the road.
Overview of where the Farm is relative to the access road.
Enlargement of the map shown above.

As you are driving up along Route 11, headed for ‘Katahdin Woods & Waters‘, you will more or less simultaneously notice two things: first the huge barn & then that the trees have been cleared on the other side & you see the mountains. On a clear day you can see Katahdin.

The barn, built in the early 1900s, is impressive. I parked the car, about 1/4 mile from it & then hiked up and down the road a couple of times taking pictures. In the process I was lucky enough to meet the lady who had inherited the barn (the previous year). She told me that she is in the process of trying to get it registered (& eventually funded via grants) as a historic monument.

It took ‘a second’ for something else to sink in. The original settlers at this farm had cleared HUGE tracts of lands to create these OPEN fields. Much of that would have been done in the early 1900s prior to the availability of heavy, mechanized equipment. I am sure they use horses & cattle to clear much of the trees that would have once been there. Impressive. Sobering. From then on I paid particular attention to the cleared fields. You should also look around. It is quite amazing.

Just wanted to share this. Definitely worth stopping & walking around.

Tanks In Maine’s Katahdin Country — Millinocket, Medway & Howland.

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by Anura Guruge
on May 3, 2022

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American Legion Post in Millinocket.
Medway Veterans Memorial Park.
American Legion Post in Howland.

I am an inveterate, daily ambler hellbent on making sure that I get in at least 500,000 steps each & every month (even in February). On my hiking trips I don’t restrict myself just to the parks & established trails. I stop & walk anything & everything that looks interesting, especially between 11:40am & 3:30pm which is when I have my breakfast & then lunch, on the move whilst taking in the scenery.

I stopped at Howland to explore the river & the falls (below) and ran into the tank.

The river & dam in Howland.

It again the river that beckoned me at Medway. Stopped at the Park nearby to check it out. I had seen the tank from the road. So, I had no choice but to stop.

The river at Medway.

In the case of the one in Millinocket it was basically across the road from the ‘Baxter Park Inn‘ I stayed at for 3-nights. It was also across from the Chinese that I got takeout two nights running. I would place my order & go out exploring while it was getting prepared. Hence the night shot.

Both the Millinocket (on left) & Medway tanks had detailed descriptions attached — below.

I do NOT recall seeing any tanks in my habitual visits to Maine. Yes, I could have missed them, especially if they are in urban areas. Just struck me as interesting that I saw three so close together. Maybe it is a Northern Maine thing. I will ask around. If you have additional data, please share. I am even willing to start COMPILING a list of ALL the tanks. Maybe, I will even go & visit them all & take pictures — which I will, of course, post. So, folks do covered bridges, I am happy to do the tanks of Maine.

‘Katahdin Woods and Waters’ National Monument (Maine), 6 Years On, Still Remains ‘Underfunded’.

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by Anura Guruge
on May 1, 2022

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All taken by Anura Guruge, on April 26, 2022.

Entrance closed & padlocked. I CHECKED. SMILE. Padlock is under the box.
Click to ENLARGE & read here. Wikipedia link.

To be fair ‘Baxter State Park‘ was also closed — though that did not preclude I from being able to hike it, 3 days running, in glorious solitude when I truly had the Park to myself.

There is, however, a BIG difference between Baxter State & Katahdin Woods and Water (KWW). KWW is a National Monument. Yes, it is — & has been since 2016. So, you would have thought that it would have got some TLC from ‘Washington’. Not so, & from what I could see, the locals were v. cool with that.

The access road to the Monument, from Route 11, i.e., Swift Brook Road, was in pretty rough shape. Yes, I understand that it is closed, but it was rough. Roads around & IN Baxter were in much better shape.

You then encounter the ‘National Park — NO!‘ sign. (Topmost image) What is most incongruous about that sign is that it says “This Road Owner“. Ahh! Ahh? The National Park Service did NOT acquire the access road?

As my 3rd image shows the access road, indeed, was closed.

I, of course, walked in & hiked about 1.5 miles in. Nothing to see. SMILE. Just trees.

There was NO GATEHOUSE, let alone Visitor Center. Maybe they are further up the road. I don’t know. There is only so much I am willing to hike — especially if the views are boring.

There was supposed to be a National Park Center in Millinocket — at ‘#200 Penobscot Avenue”. I drove up & down it twice & never saw it. Couple of lots that had been torn down around the #200 mark!

So, I am not sure what is happening.

I spoke to a few locals. They weren’t sure either.

My MOST FAVORITE place in the whole World is a National Monument: ‘Canyon de Chelly‘. That is now a mature & well run National Monument. Yes, it is still early days for KWW. I hope it evolves to be in the same league as Canyon de Chelly.

Spring Peepers At ‘Baxter State Park’, April 25, 2022 — YouTube Video.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 28, 2022

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YouTube below. Here is the link just in case or click on image.

Some pictures of Katahdin take that same day.

Baxter State Park was closed. Barriers across the road. But, nothing to stop you from walking in, i.e., hiking. And that was fine with I. I went hiking three days running, Sunday, Monday & Tuesday. I took the above video Monday morning.

Each of those three days I had the Park all to myself. Did NOT see a SOUL within the Park. On Sunday I met a real friendly & helpful biker as I was walking back to my SUV from the Park. He told me, & it was around 4:30pm, that I should take the ‘Golden Road’ to ‘Abhol Bridge’ right away given that it was such a nice evening. I had done a bit of the ‘Golden Road’ from the ‘Moosehead Lake‘ end last year. So, I was game. I took his advice. Magical.

Just thought you might like to hear the true sounds of Spring Baxter State Park 2022.

Enjoy. Cheers.

| All taken with my (Jan. 2022) Google Pixel 6 Pro. | Post processing limited, at most to just adjusting brightness, if & when required. | Attribution will be strictly ENFORCED. |