Hiking in Camden

The day before our triathlon, we hiked Camden State Park to the lookout over the Camden Harbor. From what Karen remembered from a decade ago, the hike was about an hour + out; possibly 3 hours round trip. We started at the route 52 parking lot hiking Maiden Cliff to Scenic to the Ridge trail all the way to Mount Megunticook then to the Ocean Lookout. The beauty of the hike was breath taking as well as all the rain flowing down the trail paths. The paths were like small streams. The hike is classified as class 1 -2 (easy on a good trail 2-can be off trail) but is noted "tricky when wet". We passed a solo hiker about who looked about 50+ but was probably older as he looked really healthy and fit. He asked where we were heading and when we said Ocean Lookout, he said good luck and be very careful. He said it was wet like the trail we were on. He had hiking canes.

We needed hiking canes. All I could do was gasp in amazement with all the water in the trails. An hour in, we found natural walking sticks to assist us. With most of the stopping we did to contemplate what path to take and our scones break at the Ocean Lookout, the hike ended up taking 4+ hours. It was beautiful and fantastic but not quite what we should have been doing the day before the triathlon.

Hiking

Since I cannot truly take a rest day, I rode my mountain bike to the Desert Flour Bakery on Tuesday. I bought a belly-load of pastries, muffins and bread. My backpack was filled with cinnamon nut buns, chocolate croissants, almond croissants, strawberry cream croissant, a dozen rugula cookies, jam-filled shortbreads, cranberry nut, blueberry and banana nut muffins and a loaf of rosemary walnut bread.

I wanted a few snacks for our hike. Thank goddess I made the trip to the bakery as our hike lasted over four and half hours. I jokingly packed the cinnamon nut buns and a croissant. Who wants to eat gels and cliff bars when we have pastries?! We devoured them two hours into our hike on Airport Loop Trail. We think the vortex made our pastry break on the rocks magical.

We hiked with a lot of consultation with the Sedona Trail Map (Emmitt Barks Cartography), each other and anything else that would guide us. We crossed Red Rocks Crossing through the Crescent Moon Picnic Area, traveled the road for a while to a dirt road that led us to the Ridge Trail. We somehow ended up on Table Top Trail and finally came upon the Airport Loop. We were hiking N and took the Airport Loop clockwise. I am directionally challenged so don't trust what I say but I think we hiked that loop NE. We had fantastic views, especially when the loop headed S. Hopefully my pictures will tell a story.

I am not really a hiker, especially after 4 and 1/2+ hours. That may be a WHOLE different post in itself (hence, feet in very cold and refreshing stream! Great recovery for the next day as I will need it.)