Saturday, August 2nd 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
(9 a.m. is the start time for the bike/hike portion of the event; potluck dinner will be held from 5 -7 p.m.)
In your log, please state which portion(s) of the event you will be attending and what you will bring for the potluck. In the event of rain, the dinner will be moved to the restaurant/lounge at the Evergreens Campground.
Please consider joining me and MC for a fun day on the Solon-Bingham section of the Kennebec Valley Rail Trail. Since geocaching and bicycling are two of our most favorite activities, MC and I will bring our trail bikes, and I will lead a group of cachers on a bicycle venture along this section of the trail. Folks who do not have trail bikes may choose to hike a portion of the trail instead. We will plan to be at the trailhead (posted coordinates) to begin biking/hiking at 9 a.m. and continue until we have reached the point where the trail intersects Rt. 201 in Bingham, ME. Please bring along plenty of water and a picnic lunch to indulge in along the trail.
This section of trail, which has been described as one of the most scenic bike trails in western Maine, is approximately 7 miles long with little to no elevation change. It traces the Native American path along the Kennebec River that Benedict Arnold and his troops followed in 1775 to capture Quebec from the British on orders of General George Washington. It also follows the former narrow-gauge logging railroad tracks, which hauled freight and passengers up around Moosehead Lake to Rockwood, ME. Interestingly, the trail is bisected by the 45th parallel, the theoretical midpoint between the Equator and the North Pole.
The trail offers beautiful views of the Kennebec River which provides a habitat for many of Maine’s Loons, as well as other wildlife. As a bonus, there are 25 geocaches along this section of the trail, and there is an EarthCache located nearby. Because some Geocachers are uncomfortable with EarthCaches, I am willing to share some Geoscience knowledge to help make it easier for those of you who would like to log that find.
The plan will be to position vehicles in such a way that folks will only need to bike the trail in one direction. Details will be worked out after folks log a “will attend,” and we have an idea how many vehicles we can use for logistic purposes.
On Saturday evening, MC and I will host a potluck dinner at the Evergreens Campground in Solon, ME. We will plan to begin the dinner at 5 p.m. and socialize until 7 p.m. or whenever folks decide to call it a night. Folks wanting to attend just the biking/hiking portion or just the dinner portion of the event may do so, just please indicate your intention in your log. In the event of inclement weather, the campground offers a full restaurant, as well as a pub for those over 21, so there is a dry, indoor option should we need it.
MC and I will be camping in the Evergreens Campground on Friday and Saturday nights (August 1st and 2nd). For those of you wishing to join us, tent and RV sites are available for that weekend. You may contact the campground to make a reservation at www.evergreenscampground.com. If you enjoy history and/or the natural sciences, you will find this campground very interesting as it is a designated historic site. Having been the homeland of Native Americans for thousands of years, as well as one of the camping spots for Benedict Arnold and his men while enroute to Quebec, it has been the site of several archeological digs and many artifact findings. Some of these artifacts are on display in the campground’s restaurant, while others are on display at the Maine State Museum in Augusta. There are also Native American petroglyphs in the rock ledges on the opposite shore of the river that are said to be some of the best petroglyphs east of the Mississippi River. In addition, the campground offers swimming, canoeing, and fishing, as well as music, pool, and darts in the lounge.
So please consider joining us for the weekend or simply for the day for a bit of biking/hiking and socializing! Hope to see many of our friends there!