Lost On A Forest Trail in Maine

Okay, so my story isn't as exciting as the book 'Lost On a Mountain in Maine,' but it's a good reminder to be prepared when you head into any wooded area. Jim and I got lost while on a walk through the Bangor Forest. Next time, we'll take a map!

What started out as a quick errand grew into the errand, plus a walk in the Bangor City Forest, plus dinner. We were headed to the Orono Bog Walk, which is part of the Forest. We made it to the forest, never got to do the Bog Walk, and skipped dinner out for a comfortable couch and take-out.

Jim had been to the Bog Walk once before, but it was many years ago. It was my first time, so I was excited as we headed out. We loaded Pernicus in the car, grabbed some coffee, and off we went. In hindsight, I wish we'd taken water, for us and for the dog. But it was supposed to be a fairly quick trip!

We parked at the Tripp Drive lot off Stillwater Avenue and started hiking in the East-West trail. It's so beautiful there! The paths are wide and easily navigated and, at that portion of the trail, covered in pine needles. Pretty! We met a few people as we walked and were totally enjoying ourselves. Then, we came upon the restrooms. They're located on a cleared patch of land, that joins the East-West Trail with another called 'Shannon Drive.'

We didn't need to use the bathrooms, but wandered through the lot so the dog could sniff around. From there, we continued onto Shannon Drive, which was our mistake. Still in search of the Bog Walk, we kept walking. Finally, we came across an information area that had a map. Jim and I both looked at the map and agreed that it said the Bog Walk was just up in front of us. At this point, we unwittingly crossed back onto the East-West Trail, but we had passed the Bog Walk already.

After we had hiked for quite a while, and were both getting tired, along with the fact that it was getting late, we started questioning our journey. I've been dealing with some plantar fasciitis in my foot that makes walking painful at times. Amazingly, I didn't have any issues on this particular walk! That turned out to be incredibly fortunate.

Finally, we ran into Pam. (cue the harps and release the doves) Thank goodness for Pam! Jim asked her if the parking lot were nearby and she got this look on her face that made our hearts sink. Sure enough, we had gone to the top of the trail, past the Rabbit Trail, and had to turn around and go all the way back. Pam was headed that way too, and so we all walked together. A very, very  nice lady who made the return trip go by much faster, despite the fact that we were both pretty tired.

By the time we got back to the car, we estimated that what was supposed to be a 1 1/2 mile trip turned into one closer to 4 miles. And all because we relied on signage in the forest to guide us. Mistake!

I would encourage everyone to visit the Bangor City Forest, if you're looking for a truly beautiful wooded area to take a walk. It's secluded, peaceful, and has well-tended trails. But if you are going in, print out a map and stick it in your pocket. If we'd had a map, we would have realized our mistake and could have doubled back much sooner than we did! We definitely plan to return, but this time, we'll be prepared!