buckyball1
New member
Saddleback, Pennington, Peaked (all Aroostook County, ME) 9/26
-you're right, i can't spell Aroostook
The moon was just a bright sliver as I traveled north on 95 this morning, but a welcome sight as I was trying to "steal" a hiking day as rain punished more normal haunts this weekend. I hoped to get one more day of sun by heading for Aroostoock County and trying a few minor peaks-haven't been up that way in a few years and always enjoy my trips to The County
Saddleback-(near Bridgewater) is a really minor (1710') peak that sits behind "#9" which is one of the old "numbered" fire tower peaks that dot the Maine landscape. It's a 14 mile drive back in from Bridgewater, most of it dirt, but decent road-many not obvious road fork decisions. I saw a number of moose cavorting as I passed the turn to #9 Lake and neared my proposed trail head--stopped for a bit to watch a large bull in an open field. I was able to get much closer to the peak than expected and found (if you've read my recent posts, you already guessed it) another cell tower. It was only "newish", but identical to the very new ones I saw this last week near Beaver and Burnt Hill (Bingham). The bright side is that they make for better road approaches to the peaks. It was a modest, unremarkable 'wack to the summit which was surprisingly open with a very nice 360 of an area I don't often see. On the other hand, the small ridge crest I climbed was covered with recently cut trees--just lying there, not from any logging operation-perhaps the tower constructors?
I left Bridgewater and headed for Ashland passing through Mars Hill and Presque Isle. I managed to pick up 10 ibs of new red potatoes for $3 at one of the many roadside potato stands and also grabbed a huge pumpkin super cheap.There are about 20 wind turbines on the Mars Hill ridge which are new since I was last there. On the way to Ashland you can stop at the " first TransAtlantic Balloon" departure site-the Double Eagle was launched form here--a few "things" in a field. There are also nice scale models of the planets at intervals along Rt 163 that I assume are the actual interstellar distance ratios? I also saw the first of many signs advertising "Moose Processing 0.55/lb-local". While the area is economically poor and has a "Northern Exposure" type architecture, I always have a good feel when up there and the people I talk with treat me well-had my usual store, Post Office, Maine Forest Service visits for information, but nothing worthwhile today. When I got to Ashland, I saw the "moose processing" site mentioned on all the posters which was running a "special" of $399 to do the whole moose--I saw no hunters all day which seemed odd.
Pennington (1750')-swinging north from Ashland on Rt 11, you go about 25 miles to just south of Winterville, take one of the numerous dirt roads in toward the Pennington Massif and park at a good spot. I could have driven closer, but this is supposed to be hiking, not driving. The hike didn't go quite as I planned, but no big issues-used roads, skidder trails and short 'wacks to work my way to the top. It was one of the ugliest tops I've seen recently; no views and covered with a ton of trees cut down by a long vanished logging operation who were was unable/uninterested? in removing any of them -the whole trees are still scattered everywhere.
That was to be the end of a long drive, short hike day, but I decided to drop by the entrance to the American Realty Road about 6 miles west of Ashland, a network of dirt roads owned by North Maine Woods and heavily used by the logging industry. I hoped to get some information on how to approach Peaked and Mooseleuk for future hikes. The roads are great; nicest dirt roads I've seen in a long time and a welcome change. They are open 24/7 and cost $6 for ME residents to use and $10 for "others"--also have inexpensive camping sites- good value. After a chat with the women at the checkpoint I decided to do...
Peaked (2230')-about 23 miles back in from Ashland using American Realty Rd, Pinkham Rd and Jack Mountain Rd-all these roads are in super shape, you can easily go 30-35 mph on them and I'd even drive on them after dark.At the Machias River crossing, I came down the hill and saw a telltale plume of dust in the woods on the other side of the river. I pulled over to the side and of course a loaded log truck appeared and barreled by at high speed across the narrow bridge. I parked off the Jack Mountain Road and found an old road network I saw on the sat pics and used it to wend my way up the mountain. It was a bit circuitous, but allowed me to gain altitude fairly easily. There was a problem with tons of blowdowns which required walk around or limbo under )tough on the knees especially as I came down after a long day). The roads began to peter out as they circumnavigated the peak so I headed "up". The last 0.15 turned very thick-evergreens close and prickly. The top was wooded with a small view window--nothing of note. I decided it couldn't be any worse if i straight-lined it down to a point i passed circling the peak on the way up--wrong of course. It was awful for 10-15 minutes, boxed in continually by blowdown, slithering under stuff-boots filled with duff; made you wish you never did these type of hikes-soon over and an uneventful descent.
As I whistled south on 95, I saw the Magic Mountain looming out of the dusk in the distance and then hit the rain just outside Bangor
The day was long, 16 hours, the 3 mountains were pretty mediocre, but the journey was really fun.
jim
-you're right, i can't spell Aroostook
The moon was just a bright sliver as I traveled north on 95 this morning, but a welcome sight as I was trying to "steal" a hiking day as rain punished more normal haunts this weekend. I hoped to get one more day of sun by heading for Aroostoock County and trying a few minor peaks-haven't been up that way in a few years and always enjoy my trips to The County
Saddleback-(near Bridgewater) is a really minor (1710') peak that sits behind "#9" which is one of the old "numbered" fire tower peaks that dot the Maine landscape. It's a 14 mile drive back in from Bridgewater, most of it dirt, but decent road-many not obvious road fork decisions. I saw a number of moose cavorting as I passed the turn to #9 Lake and neared my proposed trail head--stopped for a bit to watch a large bull in an open field. I was able to get much closer to the peak than expected and found (if you've read my recent posts, you already guessed it) another cell tower. It was only "newish", but identical to the very new ones I saw this last week near Beaver and Burnt Hill (Bingham). The bright side is that they make for better road approaches to the peaks
. It was a modest, unremarkable 'wack to the summit which was surprisingly open with a very nice 360 of an area I don't often see. On the other hand, the small ridge crest I climbed was covered with recently cut trees--just lying there, not from any logging operation-perhaps the tower constructors?I left Bridgewater and headed for Ashland passing through Mars Hill and Presque Isle. I managed to pick up 10 ibs of new red potatoes for $3 at one of the many roadside potato stands and also grabbed a huge pumpkin super cheap.There are about 20 wind turbines on the Mars Hill ridge which are new since I was last there. On the way to Ashland you can stop at the " first TransAtlantic Balloon" departure site-the Double Eagle was launched form here--a few "things" in a field. There are also nice scale models of the planets at intervals along Rt 163 that I assume are the actual interstellar distance ratios? I also saw the first of many signs advertising "Moose Processing 0.55/lb-local". While the area is economically poor and has a "Northern Exposure" type architecture, I always have a good feel when up there and the people I talk with treat me well-had my usual store, Post Office, Maine Forest Service visits for information, but nothing worthwhile today. When I got to Ashland, I saw the "moose processing" site mentioned on all the posters which was running a "special" of $399 to do the whole moose
--I saw no hunters all day which seemed odd.Pennington (1750')-swinging north from Ashland on Rt 11, you go about 25 miles to just south of Winterville, take one of the numerous dirt roads in toward the Pennington Massif
and park at a good spot. I could have driven closer, but this is supposed to be hiking, not driving. The hike didn't go quite as I planned, but no big issues-used roads, skidder trails and short 'wacks to work my way to the top. It was one of the ugliest tops I've seen recently; no views and covered with a ton of trees cut down by a long vanished logging operation who were was unable/uninterested? in removing any of them -the whole trees are still scattered everywhere.That was to be the end of a long drive, short hike day, but I decided to drop by the entrance to the American Realty Road about 6 miles west of Ashland, a network of dirt roads owned by North Maine Woods and heavily used by the logging industry. I hoped to get some information on how to approach Peaked and Mooseleuk for future hikes. The roads are great; nicest dirt roads I've seen in a long time and a welcome change. They are open 24/7 and cost $6 for ME residents to use and $10 for "others"--also have inexpensive camping sites- good value. After a chat with the women at the checkpoint I decided to do...
Peaked (2230')-about 23 miles back in from Ashland using American Realty Rd, Pinkham Rd and Jack Mountain Rd-all these roads are in super shape, you can easily go 30-35 mph on them and I'd even drive on them after dark.At the Machias River crossing, I came down the hill and saw a telltale plume of dust in the woods on the other side of the river. I pulled over to the side and of course a loaded log truck appeared and barreled by at high speed across the narrow bridge. I parked off the Jack Mountain Road and found an old road network I saw on the sat pics and used it to wend my way up the mountain. It was a bit circuitous, but allowed me to gain altitude fairly easily. There was a problem with tons of blowdowns which required walk around or limbo under )tough on the knees especially as I came down after a long day). The roads began to peter out as they circumnavigated the peak so I headed "up". The last 0.15 turned very thick-evergreens close and prickly. The top was wooded with a small view window--nothing of note. I decided it couldn't be any worse if i straight-lined it down to a point i passed circling the peak on the way up--wrong of course. It was awful for 10-15 minutes, boxed in continually by blowdown, slithering under stuff-boots filled with duff; made you wish you never did these type of hikes-soon over and an uneventful descent.
As I whistled south on 95, I saw the Magic Mountain looming out of the dusk in the distance and then hit the rain just outside Bangor
The day was long, 16 hours, the 3 mountains were pretty mediocre, but the journey was really fun.
jim
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