MT CHASE
Backwoods Blog;
in the woods and on the road…
Anticipating the changing of the season changing soon (that’s how it works here in northern Maine), Linda and I headed to nearby Mt. Chase for a day-hike. This was a couple of weeks ago when the weekend temperatures soared into the lower seventies making it feel like early September instead of early November. Mt. Chase is located just north of Patten on Route 11, offering scenic west facing views of Upper and Lower Shin Ponds and Mt. Katahdin. Since Mt Chase is not located in a State Park or part of an official trail system directions to the trailhead are sometimes hard to locate. Linda ended up finding the most helpful information online from personal blogs or Facebook posts and these also tended to have the most recent info. We’ve run into people who have had trouble finding the trailhead in years past, but we found it relatively easy to locate and the roads passable, though a high clearance vehicle is recommended. From Patten, head north on Route 11 for nine miles and take a left onto Mountain Road. Go approximately two and a half miles until you come to a small clearing where you will see a picnic table and a small parking lot. The road which you have been traveling on also doubles as ITS 62 on the Maine Snowmobile Trail System (which is marked) and it takes an abrupt ninety degree turn to the left right at the parking area. You can’t miss it! From the parking lot you will find the trailhead straight ahead past a culvert. This is the “mountain trail” and leads to the top of Mt. Chase. The trail is well marked with blue blaze and of moderate difficulty. The round trip hike is five miles and there is an alternate trail that branches off from the main trail near the bottom called the “waterfall trail” that ends up by the picnic table in the parking lot. It’s a great trail for family, dogs and people alike. Going late in the fall or early in the spring when leaves are off the trees gives great visibility and views all along the hike, although the extra leaves on the trail in the fall can be tricky underfoot. If you’re looking for a quick hike that’s close by with no fees or registration plus a great view of Katahdin, Mt. Chase is just the hike.
On our way home we stopped in downtown Patten at the area’s newest micro-brewery, Katahdin Brew Works. It is owned by Joel and Jona Fitzpatrick who happen to have family connections to the Fitzpatricks in Houlton. Fitz’s Soda was Houlton’s local bottling company back in the early twentieth century so Joel is continuing the family bottling tradition, only it’s beer instead of soda. Katahdin Brew Works has a tasting room with eight taps, ample seating and outdoor patio seating in the warm season. You can bring in your own food to accompany whatever beverages you may consume and leisurely pacing is encouraged. Since it was our first time, Linda and I wanted to sample as many different offerings as possible. Joel was at the taps that day and he was most helpful in educating us about our different options and some of his brewing methods. After a few free samples Linda selected the “Fitz’s Irish Red” which is a red ale (5% ABV) described as a red malty ale with a floral finish. How can you go wrong with the Fitz trademark red ale? Since I was having a hard time deciding, I went with a sample flight of beers which is a choice of four, five ounce glass beers. One of those was the “Nor’ Wheatster” which is a tasty wheat beer (6.7% ABV) and another was the “Gnarly Toad” (6.3% ABV) which is a pale ale, smooth with vanilla tones and a fruity, crispy finish (easy drinking, it says in the description). One of the beers that caught my interest was the “Coffee Stout” but unfortunately, it was off-board that day. That just means I’ll have to go back again sometime in the near future. It’s probably a good thing Patten is down the interstate a ways from Houlton. Support local eateries and brews in your town.
In the woods,
Dave
November 16, 2022
