buckyball1
New member
After my day on Attean, I looked at the weather, got carried away and decided to try North Turner, a companion peak to the nice, oft climbed South Turner in Baxter State Park-no trail on N Turner, but reputed to have superb views from several boulder fields and from the top. I called when I got home from Jackman (Attean) to reserve a parking spot at Roaring Brook under the new program for ME residents, but alas the sunny skies brought out lots of "parkers". Probably should have waited for another day (especially after the long walk into Attean), but I decided to drive up to the Park last evening, hoping to to get a lean-to/tent site within the park-leanto at Roaring Brook and settled in for another night of limited sleep.
Up early and off toward N Turner. I expected this to be a challenging hike and wasn't disappointed. I did read a TR where it was described as a "pretty easy 'whack" and think I climbed another mountain, had very bad luck or perhaps age is showing. A Park Panger told me his friend who has 'whacked everything in the park thought it was pretty tough and I suspect he was eying me to decide if I was rescue material.
I had researched what I though was a good route which incorporated the "talus" (boulder) field described by a few others and several other boulder fields on the north side of the peak rather than using the NW ridge as suggested by Nate (should have listened, but i thought I'd make time out in the open).
Headed in the 4+ mile approach to the climb on the Russell Pond Trail; as usual rocky and rooty, but now also slathered in mud. The brooks were high and I managed to dunk a foot early in the day. I branched off onto the Wassataquoick Trail (in nice shape), crossed the two major brooks not bridged and looked for a good place to head into the woods. Lots of "ups" today,about 2000' of "ups" in the 'whack portion.
The woods on the lower part of the hike are pretty mellow, but kick up and thickened as you approach the boulder field-not as benign as some have suggested. I reached the boulders- superb views, perhaps as nice as any in the Park, but as far as a good approach??, well...Maybe it's my loss of agility and flexibility, but I found the rocks slow going-not hard energy wise, but so many places to make a serious injury type mistake (never hike alone)--the "slide" also seems to have several branches and some of it is grown in. There was no obvious "exit" and many spots were very thick. After wasting too much time, I headed over to the ridge and started going up, but kept trying to "slab" around to hit my planned route and the other boulders--very thick, boulders in the trees, holes, no fun. I finally went back to the ridge and trudged up through/around thick spots with one unavoidable band nearer the top.
I finally popped out into smaller, less dense evergreens, the slope eased and the top seemed near, but it was a bit of a trudge through this until I reached a top cairn. Great open summit, excellent view, crazy backflies. I had wasted way too much time and energy thrashing around to find "my" route (it looked so good in the sat pics ) and fely pretty shot with 1/2 the hike remaining. Jar with newish register, Albee and I think Marc (hard to read) last fall and me as only 2009 signee.
Like a dope, rather than stick with the devil I knew, I went looking for my original planned route to descend. I found the boulder fields intermixed with woods on the N side, but after carefully climbing down in them for way too long, I wouldn't suggest using them-just very hard going. So now I had to slab back to the NW ridge through the thick stuff and descend as best I could. So down the ridge I go, hit the original talus field again and head directly toward the trail. A quick slip on a wet limb hidden from sight, a sprained ankle and slow going down to the "W" Trail and then the endless walk out on a very uneven trail. I think the injury just occurred "because" and not through tired "laziness" of foot placement-there were again waaaay too many places on this hike to injure a foot/leg.
Reached Roaring Brook with no difficulties, but expect to see the ankle blow up overnight. Regardless, I was very pleased with the effort today and loved the views. Chatted it up with lots of people coming off big "K" (my favorite place) and then winged my way down 95--tired bunny after the last two days
2
jim
Up early and off toward N Turner. I expected this to be a challenging hike and wasn't disappointed. I did read a TR where it was described as a "pretty easy 'whack" and think I climbed another mountain, had very bad luck or perhaps age is showing. A Park Panger told me his friend who has 'whacked everything in the park thought it was pretty tough and I suspect he was eying me to decide if I was rescue material.
I had researched what I though was a good route which incorporated the "talus" (boulder) field described by a few others and several other boulder fields on the north side of the peak rather than using the NW ridge as suggested by Nate (should have listened, but i thought I'd make time out in the open).Headed in the 4+ mile approach to the climb on the Russell Pond Trail; as usual rocky and rooty, but now also slathered in mud. The brooks were high and I managed to dunk a foot early in the day. I branched off onto the Wassataquoick Trail (in nice shape), crossed the two major brooks not bridged and looked for a good place to head into the woods. Lots of "ups" today,about 2000' of "ups" in the 'whack portion.
The woods on the lower part of the hike are pretty mellow, but kick up and thickened as you approach the boulder field-not as benign as some have suggested. I reached the boulders- superb views, perhaps as nice as any in the Park, but as far as a good approach??, well...Maybe it's my loss of agility and flexibility, but I found the rocks slow going-not hard energy wise, but so many places to make a serious injury type mistake (never hike alone
)--the "slide" also seems to have several branches and some of it is grown in. There was no obvious "exit" and many spots were very thick. After wasting too much time, I headed over to the ridge and started going up, but kept trying to "slab" around to hit my planned route and the other boulders--very thick, boulders in the trees, holes, no fun. I finally went back to the ridge and trudged up through/around thick spots with one unavoidable band nearer the top.I finally popped out into smaller, less dense evergreens, the slope eased and the top seemed near, but it was a bit of a trudge through this until I reached a top cairn. Great open summit, excellent view, crazy backflies. I had wasted way too much time and energy thrashing around to find "my" route (it looked so good in the sat pics
) and fely pretty shot with 1/2 the hike remaining. Jar with newish register, Albee and I think Marc (hard to read) last fall and me as only 2009 signee.Like a dope, rather than stick with the devil I knew, I went looking for my original planned route to descend. I found the boulder fields intermixed with woods on the N side, but after carefully climbing down in them for way too long, I wouldn't suggest using them-just very hard going. So now I had to slab back to the NW ridge through the thick stuff and descend as best I could. So down the ridge I go, hit the original talus field again and head directly toward the trail. A quick slip on a wet limb hidden from sight, a sprained ankle and slow going down to the "W" Trail and then the endless walk out on a very uneven trail. I think the injury just occurred "because" and not through tired "laziness" of foot placement-there were again waaaay too many places on this hike to injure a foot/leg.
Reached Roaring Brook with no difficulties, but expect to see the ankle blow up overnight. Regardless, I was very pleased with the effort today and loved the views. Chatted it up with lots of people coming off big "K" (my favorite place) and then winged my way down 95--tired bunny after the last two days
2
jim
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