A hike on the Ice Caves Trail results in an unexpected moment of panic

By Sarah Sindo

Do you ever find yourself skipping a local hike because you assume it’s popular and will be crowded? That’s how I felt about a local Ice Caves Trail hike. 

I offer it as a hiking suggestion to guests at the campground I work at and it’s a popular pick for visitors in and around the Katahdin region. 

The last time I hiked the trail was, I believe, the summer of 2014, so I was well overdue. I put aside my pre-existing judgments about the trail, and decided to check it out again last week.

After running some errands in Millinocket, I made my way onto the Golden Road. I admired the golden late afternoon light on Katahdin as I drove across Abol Bridge, and then I turned left onto Hurd Pond Road. After driving for a few miles, I parked at the Ice Caves Trailhead. 

I knew the hike was a mile, so I kept things light. In my backpack, I had my camera, rain jacket, water bottle and a granola bar.

The trail is nestled in the Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area, which contains the highest concentration of pristine, remote ponds in New England. Native people coined the area Debsconeag, meaning “carrying place”, for the many portage sites with rapids and waterfalls that they had to carry their birch bark canoes around.

I started off on the trail and immediately was reminded why the Ice Cave Trail is so unique.

The abundance of glacial erratics along the trail is truly impressive. Numerous large boulders are scattered along the trail, forcing you to walk around them and marvel at their size. 

The thick, beautiful green carpet of moss that covered the top of them looked like a comfy cushion on which to observe the forest from above, but I decided to protect their fragility and kept going.

After about a mile, I came to my first intersection — the ice cave or a viewpoint. With the late afternoon light fading, I decided to walk up toward the viewpoint first and then make my way to the ice cave. 

The scenic area from the cliff looks out onto First Debsconeag Lake and the Debsconeag Deadwater, and I highly recommend not skipping over this side jaunt. It’s a beautiful spot. 

Upon walking toward the ice cave, I ran into a pleasant couple and chatted with them for a few moments about the area. They snapped a picture of me and went on their way. 

After receiving rain showers all week, I decided against going down into the cave, due to it being quite slick and the fact that I was by myself. I climbed down the iron rungs before and it’s pretty cool, figuratively and literally. 

Depending on summer temperatures, ice can be present well into the summer, usually melting entirely sometime in August. 

With the daylight fading, I decided to head back. 

I put my head down and started walking. I passed some features that I didn’t remember on the way in, but that didn’t totally surprise me as I don’t have the best photographic memory. I continued.

All of a sudden, I realized I had made it down to the lake’s edge. Definitely not where I intended to go. 

My mind went into instant panic mode. Thoughts of impending darkness, getting lost and running out of water ran rampant in my head. I started to almost run back to the intersection I somehow had missed. 

Once there, I paused for a minute. 

I was slightly embarrassed of myself for getting so worked up. I had phone service and I was on a marked trail the entire time. If I would have just slowed down, rather than fretting, I could have remained calm and reassured myself that I’d be fine.

But it was a good reminder. 

In times of panic, it really is important to do your best to remain calm. It’s as simple as that. Our body is good at revving us up, but we also have the ability to calm ourselves down. 

The hike back to my truck was uneventful and pleasant. And, in the end, I was glad I checked out this hike despite my qualms with it. There’s a reason why some trails are so popular — because they are awesome!