Day 6: Out in the woods

Day 6 began with a discovery. My good friend Dave invited me to go for a walk for him. He told me about a trail close to his house in South Portland. I had no idea hiking trails were even present in that area. I met him and we drove to the trail head, which was behind the local Home Depot. After a short paved section, we were quickly engulfed by nature on the Clark's Pond Trail. Aside from the sounds of traffic in the distance, we might have been in northern Maine or the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  It was not a difficult hike but there were plenty of ups and downs and it took us about 45 minutes to get all the way around.

Dave grew up in South Portland and lived there most of his life, so he knew the area quite well. He told me about how the local ice carvers used to have large storage sheds in the area, and had brought great chunks of ice out of the river and pond. I had driven by this spot all of my life and never known it existed. It was a great experience. It made me think about what other things I've missed along the way. I intend to explore the area a bit more this summer, finding new places. One of the things I look forward most to next summer is the visual experience. Immersing myself in it for three months will be a life changer for me, I think.