Adventures in the Life of ME: Baxter State Park

Life has gotten in the way these last few months, and I am ashamed to admit that although my tip to Russell Pond happened in late July - I am just getting to writing about it now. It was an amazing experience that I will probably fail to do justice, but I have to try. Just know that it is a place of timeless beauty that is worth the trek through the back country to get to.

Russell Pond

The hike to Russell Pond begins at Roaring Brook Campground and takes you roughly 8 miles into the back country. I made the trip with my boyfriend, BSP Ranger Mike Winslow, and we ran into very few people on the trail - one group on their way out and two other rangers heading out after a building project at one of the lean-to camp-sites. Other than those two encounters, we had the trail to ourselves. It probably had something to do with the weather, though. It was overcast, humid, and seemed to carry the threat of not only rain but possible thunder showers. We had a window of opportunity to reach the Russell Pond Ranger Station, and we knew that if we kept pace - we would make it before the storms, though.

I have wanted to see Russell Pond for years. I've always had a deep appreciation for the Maine woods. The woods present no distractions and put you in a place where you need to look inward. There are many things to see, many beautiful views to get lost in, but I find that they bring you back to yourself. Getting lost in the deep woods helps you find yourself. There is something about the idea of being in such a remote place that just calls to me. It's like stepping back in time to an era where life was better because it was simpler. Sure it was harsh with all of the challenges that being in remote areas present, but it was also uncluttered with all of the things that seem to get in the way in today's world.

Mike and I made short work of the hike in to Russell. The only real stops along the way were at the lean-to to see the other rangers' handiwork and a brief pause to change out our shoes for a stream crossing. Mike is one of those rangers that doesn't see his time in the park as just a job. He has immense respect and love for the Maine woods, and as we hiked in to Russell Pond he shared stories of the history of the area with me. Stories of logging camps in days gone by, the place that provided the inspiration that would give birth to Bambi, and even more recent stories of back country rangers and their eccentricities. When you are in the middle of the woods, it's funny how what is right in front of you is all that matters. Sitting here in a coffee shop in Tulsa, OK - I find the stark contrast interesting.

When we reached the Ranger station at Russell, I dropped my pack and walked down to the dock of the pond. Looking out across it at the mountain with the mist and vivid green of the woods - it's a scene that will forever be with me. It was so peaceful - no background noise of traffic or planes overhead. We had 3 more days worth of that in front of us, and I cannot remember being happier or more at ease than I was in that moment.

The early part of that evening was spent cooking dinner while Mike checked campers in, fielded the many questions that come with being a Ranger, and handled any questions coming in on the radio. It was a quiet night, and I remember thinking about how differently time passes when you are in the woods. Everything is so much slower paced than in our usual day to day. I often wish we could take a small slice of that home with us.

Our second day at Russell Pond continued in the same manner our first day had. Mike started his day with the early morning ranger duties. As he paddled across the pond to post the weather report, I sat at the table with a cup of coffee, writing in my journal and enjoying the view across the pond. While we had a few tasks to complete in our time there, it was really on our own time. I remember watching him out the front window of the camp - he paddled his canoe out across the pond and took a short break to fly-fish.

I'll admit that sitting here now, the memories of our time at Russell all blend together. There was time to do fun things like fish, but there were also days of paddling/hiking up to 10 miles to check back country campsites and outhouses. We may have been working, but it didn't feel like it as we paddled across Wassataquoik Lake and watched a mama loon on her nest, took a side trip up to see Greene Falls, and chatted with the one hiker that we came across.

While the pace of life seemed to slow down, the days at Russell Pond were over much too fast. The day we hiked out, it was for me to hop in my Jeep for a drive to Boston to catch a flight to Charlotte, NC. Within one day I went from one of the most remote places in Maine to the middle of a busy North Carolina city. But in my mind, I have gone back to Russell many times in the last few months. I look forward to spending time there again soon, and I have these photos to get me through until then.