Scenic Drive #2 continues
After the ducklings and a moose I almost decided to call it a day. What more could I want and it was only 9 AM! But no, lets finish what I stated so back on the road to Stratton I went. The scenic drive continues. Route 16 connected with Rt 27 and I entered Carrabassett Valley. I passed Sugarloaf Mountain, a well known Ski Area, finally reaching the picnic/rest area in Kingfield.
Take a break, Stay awake, have a picnic
I have to say that rest areas in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire are pretty top notch. This was a lovely picnic area that even had rest rooms. It’s located right on the river and it was very clean. Some of the picnic tables had roofs over them to keep you dry if it should rain. There were charcoal fire places for grilling. This is where I added another varmint to my animal list, a grey squirrel. He didn’t stick around when I parked but I spotted him anyway.
On the road again
Back on the road again I was looking for a sign to a scenic overlook called Ira Mountain. According to my directions the road would be narrow but the view worth it. I never saw the sign for the overlook but I saw a sign that read, “Iron Bridge”. I bet it was near there.
The Wire Bridge 
Having concluded that I’d missed that turn off, I was determined not to miss any more. The next item on the scenic drive list was Wire Bridge. I wasn’t sure what that was but I was not going to miss it. Entering New Portland I kept a close eye out for signs and there they were. I followed each turn exactly and then the bridge was in front of me. What a fascinating bridge! While I took pictures a car crossed it. I watched as the wire supports bounced and the bed of the bridge swayed. I had to walk across it. Then, of course, I had to drive across it. Once across the bridge I could park and walk down to the river. That gave me another perspective.
Now Where?
One problem with my scenic road directions is that they got me to the Wire Bridge but then they got kind of vague. Do I turn around and go back? Do I continue on this road? It turned into a dirt road on the far side of the bridge. The directions said to take Rt 234 back to Rt 4. But I haven’t seen any signs for RT 234 at all, what to do? What to do? This is Maine, not Massachusetts. I could drive for hours if I make the wrong choice!
I started off pretty good. Everyday of vacation my hip had been getting stronger. I was pleased to note that as I started out I didn’t even have a twinge. Not too far along I came to the first brook. Berdeen Stream was slow and shallow. I figured if I fell off the rocks I’d just get my feet wet, no major disaster, but I made it. I was using 2 trekking poles for stability and had my camera in a backpack. After the crossing the trail began to climb. Lots of rocks and tree roots.
My handout from the Chamber of Commerce describes Angel Falls as one of Maine’s tallest Waterfalls. It claims to be 90 ft. We saw Bash Bish Falls at 60-80 feet and that was pretty impressive. Time to top that one with a 90 ft drop. The directions were pretty specific. “Turn right on to a unnamed gravel road (adjacent to a large open field)” Now that’s pretty clear don’t you think? believe it or not, I found it!
able to navigate the back roads of the places I wanted to visit, like Maine, New Hampshire and Duxbury Beach. (that’s another story). I turned onto an unnamed gravel road next to a large open field and there was a one lane bridge over the Swift River. This matched my directions perfectly. That bridge look pretty questionable but I tried it anyway.
My directions then told me to take a right on Bemis Road. That’s a little confusing because there is no right and I thought I was on Bemis Road when I went over the bridge. No worries, I’ll just keep going a little farther and see where it takes me. After passing a cute little house surrounded by lilac bushes the road made a sharp right. A hand lettered sign said “Gate Closed” 1 mile. I continued on. The road was bumpy, rutted and filled with pot holes. The deepest holes had sticks standing upright in them as a warning, or so I assume. A friendly Maine driver waved at me so I pulled over. He assured me I was headed in the right direction and told me to ignore the “private” signs and “no trespassing”! he said it was beautiful out there and I might even see a moose.
SUV as we lurched over another set of ruts. Finally, as I passed a car parked on the shoulder, I saw a sign with an arrow, Angel Falls. It pointed left but as I gazed at the dirt road down the hill my stomach almost flipped. I felt like I was at the top of a roller coaster about to start down! Yikes! I don’t do roller coasters!
I can’t say Tuesday was the most successful day I’ve ever had but I certainly made every attempt to accomplish at least some goals. At 7 am I left the cabin in hopes of spotting that elusive moose, or even a deer. It was pretty much me and the road and the morning shadows. I stopped to take some scenery photos like the long rows of pines. After all, this is the Pine Tree State and a field of Lupine. A hour later I turned for home without seeing so much as a rabbit much less a moose.
