The view from the turnout on Route 15 at Caterpillar Hill in Sedgwick has been a favorite of locals and visitors alike for ages. The sweeping panorama extends westerly over Walker Pond and the islands of Penobscot Bay to the Camden Hills, while to the south it ranges across Eggemoggin Reach to Deer Isle and beyond, to the heights of Isle au Haut.
At the base of the hill is the entrance to Cooper Farm, a lovely 134-acre property of blueberry fields and maritime spruce forest owned and managed by Blue Hill Heritage Trust. The trust acquired the farm in 2001, a gift of the Gwynn, Casey and Brown families. In 2018, the top of the hill was protected, along with a strip of land running out to the shore of Walker Pond.
A little over 1 1/2 miles of trails meander through the fields and woods of Cooper Farm, and on a cold and gray mid-February day, I joined a warm and jovial group of members and supporters for a walk around the place as part of the trust’s winter hikes series. The hike was led by trail stewards Merrie Eley and Barbara Kourajian, both enthusiastic and longtime volunteers.
The view from the turnout on Route 15 at Caterpillar Hill in Sedgwick has been a favorite of locals and visitors alike for ages. The fields and woods pictured here are part of BHHT’s Cooper Farm Carey Kish photo
There are days for putting in the miles on the trail and days for simply enjoying the smiles, and this hike was to be wholly the latter. We wandered about for a glorious couple of hours on what’s known as the Outer Loop, stopping often to observe the sights and sounds and to learn and perhaps relearn some fun facts about the natural world right there around us.
Beech and oak trees in the understory, for example, retain their leaves through the winter, a phenomenon known as marcescence. Those spruce tips littering the snow? They were pruned by red squirrels hungry for the buds, a February habit. And those piles of discarded cone scales on stumps and at the base of trees? They’re called squirrel middens.
The large erratics dotting the slope, deposited by glaciers eons ago, are composed of nonlocal granite. The evergreen ferns adorning the boulders are named polypody, a Greek term meaning “many feet.” Balsam fir needles are soft and flexible, and their underside exhibits two white stripes; both are clues in differentiating it from the stiff, sharp spruce needles.
Blue Hill Heritage Trust trail stewards Merrie Eley and Barbara Kourajian set out a delightful spread of hot drinks and sweet treats on a recent winter walk at Cooper Farm at Caterpillar Hill in Sedgwick. Carey Kish photo
In the midst of all this good fun, we stopped and gathered around while our guides emptied their packs of insulated bottles of hot cocoa, tea and coffee, and arranged a delightful array of sweet and savory goodies. Among the spread were palm-sized waffles shaped like hearts and a jar of deliciously red lingonberry jam, a real special treat in celebration of Valentine’s Day.
“Merrie and Barb have led these winter hikes for nine years,” said Beth Dickens, administrative and communications coordinator for BHHT, who joined us on the walk. “It’s been a good incentive for people to get outdoors and a fine opportunity to connect with the community. It’s also a great way for us to showcase our properties.”
Hikers trek across the blueberry fields of Cooper Farm in Sedgwick on a recent guided winter hike led by volunteers from the Blue Hill Heritage Trust. Carey Kish photo
In Dickens’ view, owing to the deliberative pace, these hikes are a nice way to discover and rediscover joy in nature and share in other’s joy. I couldn’t agree more, and I’m also thrilled to have made a bunch of new friends that day. A handful of us extended the fun with a post-hike visit to Strong Brewing up the road, which opened just for us to enjoy a refreshing craft brew.
BHHT’s winter hikes may be at an end (the last was March 13), but there’s plenty of exploring to do until the series returns next January. Of note is the self-guided Storybook Trail at Patten Stream Preserve in Surry that will be opening in June. Based on “The Secret Stream,” by local author Kimberly Ridley, it’s sure to be an enjoyable walk for youngsters and the young-at-heart.
But wait, there’s more.
Blue Hill Heritage Trust maintains a remarkable 52 miles of hiking trails on 25 properties, all of which are described in their locally available “Blue Hill Peninsula Trail Guide.” The comprehensive booklet (just $5) also includes the nearby trails of Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust, Island Heritage Trust, Maine Coast Heritage Trust and the State of Maine.
Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island is an award winning member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. His new book, “Beer Hiking New England,” is now available in bookstores and online. Follow more of his adventures on Facebook and Instagram @careykish
Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island is an award winning member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. His new book, “Beer Hiking New England,” is now available in bookstores and online. Follow more of his adventures on Facebook and Instagram @careykish
Send questions/comments to the editors.
