Hidden Valley
All geared up for a good time. We packed up some of our favorite adventure brands and set off for an overnight at the Hidden Valley Nature Center. Enjoy!
We grabbed a burrito from Bruce’s on the drive up. This spot has been a favorite since high school, when I would sneak across the street to indulge on tortilla-filled goodness and sweet chili sauce. We both enjoyed our ever-so-filling wraps on the hour-long drive to our destination.
When we arrived at the Hidden Valley Nature Center, operated and maintained by the Midcoast Conservancy, Cam popped down to the trail to get an eye on the trail conditions—with several days of warm weather and rain preceding our trip, we were concerned about snow depth, but it looked ok. When we visited last year, it was to try out fat biking, so this marked our first ski outing here. Their trail network is relatively small, but when we saw their simple cabin offerings, we knew we’d be back for an overnight.
We suited up in the parking lot, slipping on our boots and slinging on our backpacks, before hitting the trail. The conditions were pretty icy and, with fully loaded packs, we took our time skiing up to our hut. We followed the trail to the barn and then counterclockwise on the Bowl Loop Trail, which climbed a hill to our accommodation for the evening.
Two Dog Hut is perched on the ridge overlooking a steep ravine. The place couldn’t be simpler. The firewood is stacked on the back porch, with a little front porch to sit on, and the smallest log cabin between the two. Inside, the space is no more than 10’x10’, with everything you need and no room for much else. There is a wood stove, a counter to prepare food on, a few chairs and a table, and a ladder to a lofted box spring bed — oh, and a path to an outhouse.
While it wasn’t a particularly cold day, we were eager to get the fire roaring and get cosy in our wool layers and slipped on some slippers. We love wool for its breathability and comfort. Technology has come so far from the scratchy sweaters my parents used to put me into, and now I wouldn’t choose anything else to keep me coddled in the backcountry.
As the cabin started to warm and the water began to whistle, we tore open our dinner packs and got ready to eat. For shorter adventures like this, both in distance and time, we aren’t afraid to bulk up on indulgences — like beer, clementines, and ingredients for an egg scramble, but the simplicity and lightness of these dehydrated dinners make for the perfect balance. When the meal was finished steeping, we switched into game mode, savoring our beers alongside some intense Would You Rather.
After the sun had been gone for many hours, we stoked the fire one last time and crawled up to our nest. Under the plastic corrugated roof, we stared upwards, admiring the moon shadows swaying in the wind — like the silent disco we’ve been devoid of this year. From my sleeping bag, I shut my eyes and imagined what a picture of our cabin would look like—lit by the full moon, with glowing embers and smoke exhaling into the cold night. Hopefully, this description helps paint a picture in your head and you can let your imagination run with it because once I was snuggled in bed, I wasn't leaving the cabin to take the photo in reality!
Even with one mid-night stoke of the fire, the cabin was still pretty chilly by morning from the whipping winds and bitter temperatures. We loaded up the stove with wood and the kettle with water, then crawled back under the covers and listened for a boil. Once we heard the whistle, we ambled back down for some coffee and to get breakfast started. We learned about these instant coffee packets this summer and they have been a camping staple for us ever since. While the grit of camp coffee was always part of the experience, having an easy, delicious cup to start a morning in the woods is a luxury I’ll happily pack for!
Again, since we weren’t concerned with weight, we prepared a breakfast scramble in Mason jars — cracking and seasoning the eggs in one and layering the accessories in the other: butter, mushrooms, onions, and cheese from top to bottom. We offloaded all but the last quarter into the skillet to sauté (saving the cheese for last) and learned that our eggs had frozen overnight from the drafty door. As those thawed, the mushrooms and onions fried. Before long, a bomb backcountry breakfast was ready!
We played a few more rounds of Would You Rather and enjoyed some clementines before packing up the cabin and setting out for the day! The simplicity of this space was a reminder of what’s important — quality food, quality company, and a quality attitude. There were no frills or distractions and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We look forward to another visit, maybe next time we’ll bring friends to a different cabin with some more space to share.
For the way out, we decided to hike rather than ski and explore the ravine we had been viewing from the cabin. The bright winter forest felt warm from the lack of wind. On the hike, we found ourselves recounting our stay. While a primitive space like this may not be for everyone, it was a beautiful exercise in slowing down, fine-tuning the ambiance, and paying complete attention to the give and the take of the world around us.
Not wanting to blitz home, we extended our midcoast adventure and picked up some pizza from Oysterhead Pizza to enjoy alongside Oxbow beers.