As summer is winding down and we all get back into whatever routine that means, remember, it's not over until it's over. Now, and the approaching fall, is a great time for a hike. Actually, anytime is! In celebration of that, Thomas Hultin has written a great description of the newest BRLT hike. Until now, there wasn't anywhere to park to walk these trails other than a couple of spots at Lobster Cove. Now, Autumn View offers more spots. Details after Thomas Thoreau's walk...

"In case you are out of the loop, there is a new loop trail in town. We Bayvillains all know and love the Indian and Appalachee trails and now the Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT) has just recently added the Autumn View Trail. As you go up the Indian Trail, pass the turnoff to Appalachee and go straight. Soon on your right-hand side, you will see a map stapled to a tree showing the Autumn View Trail route. It is a total of 1.2 miles marked by blue blazes. Enter the Autumn View Trail and you will be walking through a tranquil forest with sphagnum moss and woods that are not too dense. If you lose the trail, panic briefly and then back track to a blue blaze and continue. Listen carefully for the rat-a-tat-tat of a Pileated woodpecker, the cries of osprey overhead and mourning doves cooing in the distance. If you walk late in the afternoon or early evening, you may even hear the barred owl asking “Who cooks for you?” After a while, you will see large blankets of American wintergreen which makes a wonderful restorative tea. Add a little sweet fern to it too and you will really have a treat. You will eventually come to a newly cut road which you will cross with a slight drift to your left. There the trail continues through the woods eventually popping out at an access road. Don’t walk down the road, but instead jiggety jog to the right as you cross it and the trail will continue on the other side. You will now enter into a wide trail that has been mowed into meadow grasses and ferns. As you go along, keep an eye open to your right where you can take a short detour to the edge of the old ice pond marsh where you can look over a field of cattails and across to the Lobster Cove BRLT walk, which later should provide great vistas of fall color. This time of year, as you continue along the mowed path you will enjoy the flowers of milkweed, flat-topped aster, Queen Anne’s lace and more. It will be interesting to see what spring flowers that area will share next year. Eventually you will see a nice restored barn and a small bucolic square house on your left. After passing the barn, as you wander downhill, stop and enjoy the scents of nature. Perhaps a skunk or other wildlife may cross your path. Eventually you will enter into woods again, but then you come to the edge of the far end of the meadow where you can look back at the barn across a field of sensitive ferns. This is an excellent location to channel your inner Wolfe Kahn and make a painting of that barn. Shortly thereafter you will intersect the Indian Trail again. Now you have to make a decision. If it is early in the morning, do you turn right and head in to town for a breakfast at Mama D’s, do you jiggety jog to the left and take the Appalachee Trail to make your walk longer and work off last night’s dessert from Ports of Italy, or do you continue home to enjoy your wintergreen tea?"

Thank you, Thomas, for all that! Coincidentally, there is an open house at Autumn View and a guided walk on Sept. 2. I took the following information from the BRLT website (bbrlt.org). The walk begins at 10 a.m. and is led by a naturalist. No need to worry about advanced registration—simply lace up your sturdy shoes, pack some water, and meet us at the parking lot kiosk. 

This week’s hike is at Autumn View Preserve. This is our newest preserve and is not currently listed on maps. To find the preserve, take Route 96 from the light at Hannaford towards East Boothbay for .9 of a mile. Turn right onto Autumn View Road (formerly Giles Road). Continue down the dirt road until reaching the preserve parking lot.

In other news, Dave and Julie are off to Monhegan for a week sans Mary Alice. And yes, Philbert continues to surprise us all with his playful antics. Send your hikes - and other stories - to thejeffallison@gmail.com