Old Pond Railway Trail
My walk today brought me down Old Pond Railway Trail. Sam & I walked this way yesterday, and I saw a large patch of lichen windfall. I wanted to go back today and do some gathering. It is such a peaceful area in an unspoiled landscape.
Here’s the view of the Old Pond from the beginning of the trail. The land trust website calls it “a stunning tidal cove.” I’m standing on a built up area that’s the old rail bed. It crosses the water and there’s a trestle that allows the pond to flow out with the tide.
And on the other side, the view overlooking Youngs Bay.
It’s impossible to walk along here and not try to imagine what it must have been like when there was an active railway going through here. So many questions. For starters, where did all this landfill come from to build up the rail bed? It must have been a rather petite train because there are narrow passageways that must have been blasted through rock. Part of the trail is very straight and looks like a rail trail. In other parts, trees are growing up in the middle and the path winds around to avoid them. There are still railroad ties lining the trail, some in a more advanced state of decay than others.
The Crabtree Neck Land Trust website has this bit of history:
The railway was originally built by Maine Central Railroad in the 1880s and carried visitors from as far as Philadelphia to Hancock, where they boarded ferries to reach the famous Gilded Age summer resorts on Mount Desert Island.
From Crabtree Neck Land Trust website
The trestle has been worked on recently. I think it was young people, maybe Eagle Scouts? They left some interesting graffiti.
After crossing the trestle, I entered the woods again. A little ways further, the lichen windfall. I took off my pack basket and started gathering.
I tried to identify the type of lichen. Copying a friend’s ID – this one looked similar. Not sure though. I don’t think it is the type of lichen that dyes red/purple. Expecting more of a yellow or tan, if I can actually get any color.
Platismatia tuckermanii is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.
Wikipedia
Some of the lichen was arrayed on branches in a very attractive way. I stuck the whole branch into my basket – I could visualize them on the table as part of a forest-y holiday centerpiece.
I walked a little further along. I wanted to explore this path that we identified yesterday – marked with a piece of rag, maybe a t-shirt.
The side path led through woods with a lot of fallen broken trees. I looked behind me often, trying to impress the return route on my memory. I was not very far off the rail trail, but I could imagine getting lost. The path ended at the bay, with a bit of a view of the mountains of Acadia. If I wanted to scramble and get muddy (and maybe wet), I could have accessed the shore. But I decided against it and just returned to the trail.
The return trip of course led back the way I came. The photo shows a very straight portion of the trail, opening out into the light where the trail crosses the water.
I played around with the phone camera, trying to find the point where it would see what my eye saw instead of a whited-out hole. The dark shadow of the forest really affected it. I thought this place was pretty, with the birches growing near the trail.
So that was my journey today – now to think about cleaning and dyeing with that lichen.
This looks like the kind of lichen that grows on the trees in my yard. We might actually have two or three kinds and moss grows on EVERYTHING, including the trees and lichen.
Old Pond Railway Trail is a lovely trail. I ended up looking for all the trails near me.
You live in Oregon, right? I lived in Eugene for a few years and remember it being very wet, but beautiful. I love walking the many trails around here and should do more of it.
Great trail pics!! That “going back”…it is almost a perfect circle of an exit! Amazing.
It is amazing! I couldn’t resist taking a photo even though the exit looked like empty space.
Your photos are so great for taking us along your walks; this one was especially wonderful since I live in desert country (New Mexico.)
Years ago when we lived in TN, I found some windfall lichen and so decided to dye cloth with the lichen. Researched and found that lichen dye is fermented with ammonia. I wanted to dye the cloth that day, did not have any ammonia so I used the “human” kind…urine. Put it and water and the lichen in a pot and turned on the heat, after about half an hour our home just reeked with odor…! ran around opening all of the windows. It probably would have been better to heat the lichen simply with water, decant it into a glass jar and then add the urine to ferment, but I did not stop and think about the potential for a horrible smell… In the end, the lichen, don’t remember what kind but it did look a lot like your windfall, gave me a lovely peach color. BUT the only way I use lichen these days is as a natural decorative element as you plan to do with your lichen branch.
I have to do more research before I attempt to dye with it. I’ve read about the ammonia method, and I have some ammonia, but I’ve also read that all lichens do not work the same. It’s such an interesting hobby and way to use windfalls.
I tried the ammonia method and wasn’t happy with the results … was far more successful stripping the several varieties of lichen off the branches and simmering them in a small hot pot to extract the color … mine yielded an orange-y tan with a wonderful fragrance that lingered for the longest time, even after multiple launderings … even though it’s been several years since I last dyed a batch, I can still catch a whiff of it when I use the ironing board, which is like nothing so much as walking in the woods after a gentle rain
This sounds lovely! It would be nice if I get those results. I have to do some more research. Somewhere I read it may yield “chamois” color.
again…i just LOVE these walks. you are Gifted in choosing the images, composition, ….and again, i have such a Strong response to this place…especially
view of bay from sidepath?.?…the felt sense is like nostalgia. i wish i could project your posts on my wall, look at them all day.
Are these trails within walking distance of your home? or do you need to drive to them?
your gathering basket……………..
Thank you Catherine
I am so glad you enjoy them, Grace. There are a few trails within walking distance but most are a short drive. During Covid, I barely got in the car but these days I’m wanting to revisit some areas further away. That basket is so useful. I bought it from a friend, it wasn’t expensive.