The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday found us enjoying the January thaw by hiking the Spirit Pond Preserve in Phippsburg.

Scores of people drive by it on their way to Popham Beach. It’s located off state Route 209 on the right about three-tenths of a mile from Parker Head Road. The parking area is small and unfortunately can only accommodate two or three vehicles. The trail head begins behind a wooden kiosk where there’s a sign-in book; I noticed one recent visitor was from Baltimore, Maryland.

You can hike around the property by either the eastern or western loop blazed in blue. We took the eastern loop that forks a short ways into the woods. Bearing left here on the orange-blazed path brings you to the adjoining McDonald Preserve on the opposite side of Spirit Pond.

The woods here include some pretty huge northern pine trees and longstanding oaks and maples. We heard a pair of woodpeckers tapping away and soon caught sight of them high above us. Later we spotted a flock of 14 Canada geese swimming in Spirit Pond. They quickly took to the air when we emerged from the woods flying in V-formation over the horizon. Canada geese are somewhat unique birds in that they mate for life.

Spirit Pond is a good-sized body of water that’s tidal-fed by the Morse River. The pond and surrounding marsh provide an important habitat for fish and migratory birds. I spotted four mallard ducks swimming further out in the water.

We passed several tumbling stone walls along with a foundation footprint showing where some past settler once lived. On a small wooded knoll was a rock formation. From our vantage point, it looked like a giant spearhead pointed at the sky. Seeing it reminded me of a story associated with Spirit Pond and three unusual stones discovered in this area with strange carvings on them.

As the story goes, in 1971 a local man named Walter J. Elliott, Jr. found what he thought were three rune stones, one of them appearing to have a map inscribed on it. The stones were initially believed to be of Nordic origin offering proof to the theory that the Norsemen had visited the New World long before Columbus claimed the honor.

Others quickly debunked the find, challenging the stones’ authenticity. The Spirit Pond Rune Stones as they came to be called were nonetheless deemed important enough to be made part of the collection at the Maine State Museum. I contacted the museum for more information but as of this writing have not heard back.

The trail follows the western edge of Spirit Pond past several secluded coves. On the shore of one was a handmade camouflaged duck blind littered with a dozen spent shotgun shells. The preserve is open to hunting during the hunting seasons.

The morning was breezy but by the time the sun had climbed to its noontime height we had shed our gloves and mittens. The temperature was warming up to a balmy 38 degrees.

At the southern end of the pond, we looked over what remains of the old dam that once  powered a mill. We arrived just as the tide was rushing in. Looking southwards, we could see Campbell Island and the summit of Morse Mountain beyond.

The return loop took us past an immense salt marsh remarkably clear of snow. The rutted tote road we followed was submerged in several places along the route back. We carefully avoided pools of murky water beneath a layer of thin ice. The road snakes its way northward through the woods. In 10 minutes we were back at the parking area.

Later, after we returned home, we were quite surprised to find Bo, our dog, had picked up a tick along the way. A tick in mid-January, that’s hard to believe!

Wiscasset’s Steve Christianson of Willow Lane accompanied my wife and me on this most enjoyable 90-minute hike. He remarked several times on the absence of mid-winter snow, even in the most shaded areas. We hope to return soon to explore McDonald Preserve.

Phippsburg is about a 30-minute ride from Wiscasset. There are a number of excellent hiking trails to enjoy here along with several state parks, too. The trails are managed and maintained by the Phippsburg Land Trust made up of volunteers. Nearby are the Wilbur Preserve at Cox Head offering a splendid view of Atkins Bay and historic Fort Popham on the mouth of the Kennebec River. There are also the Perkins Farm and Denny Reed Point trails to enjoy.

You can learn more, including rules for visiting the preserves, by visiting www.phippsburglandtrust.org.