New England Hundred Highest Finish, Chain of Ponds Snow, 9/13/11

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una_dogger

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2005
Messages
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Location
The Hinterlands of North Central MA
Who: MichaelJ, Silverfox, Eric Rathbun, Madison and Terra the Traildoggies, Una_dogger

Today, we drove 298 miles to hike ~6.3. This is, in fact, why I have waited two years to finish the NEHH!

The day began with MichaelJ, Silverfox, Terra, Pemi and I packed into the car driving to Bethel to meet Eric and his lovely wife, Lynn, who had kindly offered to puppysit Pemi all day. Lynn had a full day of activities planned for Pemi, and Pemi's shortlist basically made us all look like a bunch of slackers for sitting on our bums all day, tooling about the Maine back roads, and doing a little out and back hike before turning 'round to come pick her up. :)

We reached the trailhead at about 11:45 am and began the hike up the logging roads. The roads are muddy in spots but not too terrible. Signs of washouts along the logging road from Irene were many but passable with a high clearance SUV.

The Hike:

The trail begins on logging roads which are signed for "Snow Mountain" in a couple of places. We encountered a logging road junction with small cairn and suspected it marked the "new route" away from the Pond but decided to stick with the older route which goes around the right side of the pond. This route was quite muddy with large puddles in some areas. About a quarter mile up the road we turned off onto the herdpath that was marked with a small wooden arrow.

LOVE the Snow Mountain herdpath!! Steep but lightly trodden and very green. We crossed over a logging road, and recognized it as the one that must be the "new route" and decided to explore it on the way down.

Up some more and over a very neat rock overhang, we slowly climbed the ridge to a magnificent outlook over the Bigelow Range and the ponds below. We continued up another small pitch and were at the summit with its old iron fire tower, dilapidated cabin, and new wooden trail register.

Silverfox presented me with a container of Organic Cherry Tomatoes from Blue Ox Farm (lovingly grown by Cynthia); and Eric gave me #100 peices of candy and a scroll hereby certifying that I am the NEHH finisher with the longest span of time between peaks 99 and 100. :D Thanks, friends!! My husband gave me a big kiss. :)

We headed back on the "new route" and found it to be much more direct and dryer than the "old route".

We saw a Mother Moose and Calf on the Oqqossuc Overlook -- very beautiful. Back in Bethel, we met Lynn and Pemi and had a dinner of yummy BarbeQue from the "Scary Orange Truck", before driving home.

298 miles, 1 peak.

Huge thanks to Michael and Mark for sharing all the driving, for Eric for many miles of trails and laughter, and for Lynn for being the best puppysitter a young pup could ever ask for!
 
Last edited:
Today, we drove 298 miles to hike ~6.3. This is, in fact, why I have waited two years to finish the NEHH!

Exactly. But at least you're in Massachusetts, a full state closer than NY. I've been stuck on 88 for 8 years now. Just couldn't do it anymore. Long drives, short hikes. So many non-listbag options much closer to home.

But a big congratulations nonethless ... it's a cool list for sure.
 
It was a wonderful day that featured all the good things in life:
Iced coffee
A puppy
Good friends
A wonderful wife
A terrific accomplishment
Delicious BBQ (ribs and pulled pork)
The most amazing sky on the drive back (beams of orange light interspersed with the dark blue sky from above)

And actually, Puma, that distance was measured from Twin Mountain, NH … from home it would have been around 520 miles round-trip!

Pics are coming very soon!
 
photo courtesy of Silverfox

ry%3D400
 
Congratulations! You beat me! Looks like you had a wonderful day, and sorry I could not be there to celebrate.

Thank You! I considered getting in touch with you! But not many people have the flexibility or desire to take a week day off to drive 6.5 hours and hike 3 :D

We hope to be at your BIG finish!!!
 
Very cool! I hope that someday I'll make it out to the Rangeley Six-Pack, but I have many more of the hundred highest to go, as well. It seems like such an exciting list. Congratulations on finishing it all!
 
Congratulations Sabrina! Sounds like you are having a very enjoyable and successful vacation. :)
 
Congrats! That's a lot of hills. I hope each and every hosts a fond memory for you.

LOL! Mostly! But it can't all be fun or it would be too easy!

Some least favorite moments:
~long hot,buggy July day on the US Canadian Boundary Swath
~long, hot, buggy day on Scar Ridge
~a scratch fest on E Kennebago Divide after a long, hot and buggy July day on the Boundary Swath :)

Some favorite moments:
~getting snowbombed by falling snow from branches on Breadloaf after a very early and heavy November snow on a bluebird day
~hiking Mendon Peak with Silverfox shortly after his knee replacement
~a sunny summit and fine views from Peak Above the Nubble with Rocket21 and Terra
~spending five days camping and bushwacking in Maine with MichaelJ and Terra checking off (most of) the six pack peaks
 
The team:

IMG_6950.jpg


Receiving her scroll from Eric & Lynn for the longest time passed between #99 and #100:

IMG_6966.jpg


The view from the old tower:

IMG_6969.jpg


Running the gauntlet at the finish:

IMG_6983.jpg


Full album (only 15 more photos) is here.
 
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