Winter Trip to Marshall Pond

Snow was heavy in the air yesterday when I saddled up Ah-D and headed for Marshall Pond. As best I can remember, I have never been to Marshall Pond in the winter time, but I felt adventurous and comfortable that the trails would not be icy, as snowmobiles are not allowed on the Hebron Academy's cross country trails which would take me there.
We headed down the road, and stopped at my church to take a picture.

The Hebron Community Baptist Church is over 200 years old, and pre-dates the Academy by a decade or so. The bell in the tower rings out the time every hour.  It rang out 11:00 as we were leaving.  I love hearing it when I am outside to do chores in the evenings. We made our way down to the trails, avoiding any icy spots.  Ah-D was game to step into some pretty deep snow spots as I asked him.  What a good boy he is!

This is him asking me, "Are you sure you want to go this way?" He dislikes going to Marshall Pond when we don't have company. On every other solo ride, he used every excuse he could muster to turn around and head for home, but today he was really good!

Looking back towards the Academy

Here we are on the cross country,snowshoeing, skiiing trails. You can see why I like to take these trails. At first, I stayed to the side of the trail, like the signs told me to, so we didn't pocket it up for the skiiers, but there really hadn't been that many people out here and it was too much work for Ah-D on the deep sides.  Besides, snow was heavy in the air.  So, we stuck to the middle.

Every time I come out to these trails, I think of Denise Conroy. There are cedars that line the Marshall Pond trail in many spots, and cedars are not common in Maine where I live. Once, I was looking at beautiful snow covered evergreens in Denise's pictures, and trying to figure out just what type of trees they were.  Well, Denise, who we all know lives in CEDARville, MI, did not say, "Susan, you moron, they are CEDARS, hellooooo!!!" but instead she was very nice and polite like she always is and let me know what type of evergreen they are.  I have never forgotten that conversation and it comes to mind every time I see a cedar now.

There was very little trotting and cantering going on, the snow was too deep.  Once in a while, we would charge up a hill.  It was peaceful and quiet.  I noticed one brave soul walked for about two miles, fresh tracks on the trail, but I was comfortable watching the tracks because he was headed in the other direction.  I still felt like I had company.  After a while, all tracks but one lone cross country skiier had ceased.  That skiier had gone all the way to the pond.

Overlooking Marshall Pond

Retrieving my gloves

We made it! The spot behind us here is actually part of the pond.  It is marshy on this end, and these are swamp-type grasses that grow in the pond.

By the time we had made our way here, I was pretty chilly.  We headed for home, but not at a pace that was any faster, very unusual for Ah-D.  He was thirsty, and kept stopping to eat snow.  There were two places where springs offered water, and he let me know that he really wanted to try them out, but I didn't let him because the bankings were steep, slippery and dangerous this time of year.  Instead, I just let him stop and eat snow any time he wanted to.  It was very pleasant.  He was so relaxed and happy (other than being thirsty) and so was I (other than being chilled to the bone).

When we got back home, Ah-D had a nice long drink out of the heated water tank, and I spent an hour hunkered down by the wood stove heating my core, reading a good book.  We were out three hours! It was an incredibly wonderful ride, and I'm so glad we made it all the way to the pond.  It was snowing by the time we were halfway home, and it is STILL snowing.  Spring is not here yet in the northeast!