Donnell Pond Unit excursion is worthwhile

A couple of weeks ago I was invited by friends in the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club to tag along on a day’s outing at Donnell Pond, where we would hike one of the numerous trails. We lucked out weather-wise. It was cool, bordering on cold, the skies were gray but there was no precipitation and the visibility was good (but not perfect).

For the uninitiated, the Donnell Pond Unit is one of the 29 public land reserves managed by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. This one, according to the bureau’s description “includes more than 14,000 acres of remote forested land with crystal-clear lakes, secluded ponds, and mountains with panoramic views. Located in eastern Hancock County between Franklin and Cherryfield, this is where visitors can enjoy outdoor recreation in a scenic, remote setting.”

Access is 12 miles east of Ellsworth off Route 182 and 183 (directions below). Check your DeLorme Gazetteer Map 24-25. We used the Tunk Lake road and parked in the lot nearest Schoodic Beach. From this parking area you have access to the trail to Schoodic Mountain’s summit to the west and to Black Mountain to the east. Trails also lead to Caribou Mountain and Redman’s Beach.

The Donnell Pond unit encompasses shorelines on Donnell Pond, Tunk, and Spring River Lakes, Long, Little Long, Salmon, Round, Rainbow, Shillalah and Wizard Ponds; and much of Schoodic, Black, Caribou, Tunk and Catherine Mountains. Within the unit there is boating, hiking, swimming, hunting, fishing, picnicking, wildlife watching and camping. On the way in we spied an eagle soaring overhead.

The state acquired the first part (some 7,000 acres) of the Donnell Pond Unit in 1988 and another 6,915 acres in the Spring River Lake-Tunk Lake portion was acquired in 1994 from John Pierce, who has a camp on Spring River Lake. Pierce sold the land, valued at $3.8 million, to the state for $2.6 million, according to Steve Spencer, the outdoor recreation specialist for the Bureau of Public Lands. As part of the deal, Spencer said, he put a plaque on top of Tunk Mountain commemorating Pierce’s father’s work in conservation.

Eight MOAC members showed up for our outing. I had coerced my paddling mentor, Karen Francoeur, into going along, so our party numbered 10 of all ages. I felt comfortable knowing I wasn’t the oldest and slowest (as usual). We opted to go from the parking lot a half mile down to Schoodic Beach, then upward (and there are some parts that gain altitude quickly) to the summit of Black Mountain, a gain in altitude of some 900 feet.

I found parts of the trail were “physically demanding” as described by the bureau. More than once I was sucking wind. Frequent rest stops helped. While demanding, the trails, marked with blue blazes, are not technically difficult, and the visual rewards are worth more than any amount of sweat you produce. Moss-covered spruce forest floors, tiny ponds, ocean vistas and a killer view of the eastern side of Mount Desert Island make this hike one to do.

Our intrepid band eventually crested Black Mountain from the west. From the top the views are to die for. While you’re only 1,049 feet in altitude, the rest of the land around you falls off to lower elevations. On a good day I bet you could see the communications towers way Down East in Cutler with binoculars.

It was breezy atop the bald peak, so we found our own boulders to hunker down behind to have lunch and take in the views. Just being able to view all of Tunk Lake from one spot is a visual reward, but throw in a big chunk of the Hancock and Washington County coastline and you’ve got a bargain.

For the time being, the trail system within the unit is developed in the “older” section near Donnell Pond, but in the coming year, Spencer told me, a trail network will be started on Tunk Mountain which lies to the north of Route 182 and to the west of Spring River Lake.

If you canoe, Tunk Lake, Donnell Pond, Spring River Lake and Long Pond all have launch sites. Camping is permitted at sites on Donnell, Tunk and Spring River Lake. The bureau says that “authorized campsites on the lakes have a table, fire rings, and nearby pit toilet. All are available on a first-come, first-served basis with no fees or permits required. Except in day-use areas, visitors may camp elsewhere on the unit, but they may not build fires. Visitors can help protect this area by obeying rules regarding fires and practicing low-impact camping techniques.”

Here’s how you can reach the trailheads from Route 1: Turn onto Route 183 in East Sullivan, and drive about 4.5 miles. After the railroad tracks, turn left onto the gravel road at the Public Lands sign. After about one-quarter of a mile, take the left fork for the trailhead for Schoodic Mountain, Black Mountain Cliffs, and the trail to Schoodic Beach and the campsites on Donnell Pond. If you were to take the right fork (straight ahead) the road leads to the south trailhead for Black and Caribou Mountains.

For more information, contact the Eastern Region Office at 827-5936 or check the bureau’s Web site at: http://www.state.me.us/doc/ and follow the links the Bureau of Parks and Lands and then click on the search link. You’ll find a connection to all the public land units.

Jeff Strout’s column is published on Saturdays. He can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.