It's July 4th weekend and it's cold and pouring rain. I have had family commitments the past couple weekends, and will the next couple weekends, so I had anticipated a big weekend of hiking this weekend. I couldn't let the rain stop me, but needed to plan accordingly, so I figured I'd head back to Pawtuckaway to grab some more trails in an area that didn't need fine weather for any views. Laura decided to join me. We parked at the Fundy boat launch, thinking on this dreary day it would be quiet. Wrong. The lot was practically full! Those anglers and boaters are hardy folk! As we set out, there was a fine mist, but not really raining. We started on the Fundy Trail, which crossed the cove and headed along a snowmobile corridor. Wide and smooth. Before long the heavens opened and it started pouring. We put on our hoods and kept going. It was actually fun walking in the rain! We took a right onto Shaw Trail, which has a warning about inexperienced hikers and not relying on phones for navigation. I had seen the other end of Shaw Trail a few months ago with a similar sign and wondered what made this trail tricky. We didn't find it difficult at all, though there were definitely a couple times we had to stop and look around for the next blaze, and I had zero cell service in that area, so I can certainly see the need to warn people to be prepared. There are an amazing number of huge boulders in this area which are super cool to explore around. Had it not been raining we would have taken more time to do so, but we kept moving for the most part. We took a left onto Split Rock Trail, which definitely lived up to its name, then continued onto Woronoco Trail and finally back to Fundy creating a lollipop route. There were no scenic views or anything outstanding on these trails, just the amazing glacial erratics and some really cool trees in funky shapes and sizes. The rain and low clouds created an almost enchanted forest feel about our adventure and not surprisingly we saw no one else all day. I now just have a few fill in the blank areas on trails I need to finish and 1 entire trail, and I'll be complete for Pawtuckaway State Park.
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