Bass Falls Preserve, Alna

Bass Falls is another SVCA property, larger and better maintained than the Griggs Preserve we hiked last week. Today was my first time making it onto the actual trails; on two previous attempts, first Buster and then Toast were injured on the way in and we had to travois them back to the parking lot. Both needed ACL repair surgery, or whatever the equivalent is in dog anatomy. Both were about 9 years old at the time, so it would have been around 2006 and 2008. Weird.

Anyway, I was expecting a pleasant walk in the woods with Regina & Susie but was blown away by how lovely and majestic the trails were, sloping down to the river amid giant pines and oaks. The trails are wide and frequently marked so we didn't get lost this time. I still haven't mastered the simple act of bringing water along, but the hiking poles made it out of the car this time and were handy on the muddy slopes.

Famous outhouse

There is a plain fishing shack at river's edge, complemented by a three-hole outhouse with the remains of a masonic eye painted on the side. The trail guide is emphatic in noting the outhouse is "out of commission," whatever that means. We didn't pry.

As we approached the cabin Roxy got very spooked and gave it a wide berth going around. Perhaps some critter was living in the woodpile?

The Bass Falls Trails pass through field and forest down to and along the Sheepscot River. Of varying terrain, the trails offer a variety of habitats and opportunities to take shorter or longer walks. 2.5 miles, Alna.