High on the shoulder of Borestone Mountain, draping down its flank toward Lake Onawa on one side and the 100-Mile Wilderness on the other, sits Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary. Surrounded by miles of northern hardwood forest and itself full of stands of very old trees, the sanctuary is a haven for breeding birds and diverse plant species. Tucked between two deep mountain ponds, Midday and Sunset, on the edge of the mountain are the lodges at Borestone, a rustic Adirondack-style camp with accommodations for 24 people, and the site of our twice-yearly Naturalist Weekends.
What happens at a Naturalist Weekend? This June, the eight participants of our Summer Naturalist Weekend got to find out for themselves, spending a weekend exploring and enjoying all the sanctuary has to offer, with three Maine Audubon naturalists to guide them. We arrived on a swampy June afternoon and made our way slowly up the mountain road, stopping to watch a cooperative Blackburnian Warbler and enjoy the views to the south over Little and Big Greenwood ponds. Caretakers Tom and Nate brought us and our belongings across Sunrise and Midday pond to the secluded lodges, which are only accessible by foot or boat. We spent the evening settling in and taking full advantage of a good swimming spot on a hot summer day.
The next morning greeted us bright and clear for our ascent to the peak of Borestone Mountain. After a hearty breakfast, we made our way up at a proper naturalist’s pace, stopping frequently to look at interesting plants, birds, and fungi and learning about their natural history.
After a well-deserved rest at the summit to take in the expansive views, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the porch by the lake. Borestone’s lakes are particularly interesting because they lack fish, allowing insects to take the place of top predator. A few of us took advantage of the chance to be swimming naturalists and took close looks at the dragonflies and dytiscid beetles living in Sunset Pond.
Dinner that night was accompanied by the percussion of distant summer thunderstorms, but the skies cleared up for a lakeside bonfire in the evening. We watched the stars slowly pop out as the moon sank behind Peregrine Ridge and were eventually treated to a beautiful view of the Milky Way.
Sunday morning came bright and clear, and a group of us hiked up to the overlook over Onawa Lake while others had a relaxing morning of drawing and painting. The trail makes its way through lush mossy forest and dramatic granite outcrops. Native honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) and the song of a Scarlet Tanager were highlights of the hike. Back down at the lodge, we had a relaxed lunch and then said our farewells to that little slice of paradise as Tom motored us in the boat back to the visitor center, and the rest of the world.
Consider joining us for the Fall Naturalists Weekend, scheduled for September 27 to 29! We should have cooler fall weather to see some southward migrating species and fruits of unique mountain plants.
