100 mile start Monson Question

Hi all,
The 100 mile hike is on my wife's bucket list and we leave Friday morning for the hike.

We will get to Monson about noon. Looking at Google maps and my Delorme it appears there is a dirt road (Mountain Road) that you can take over the train tracks beyond the Borestone Mountain pullout and up to the AT. My AMC map does not show this road. The last time I was up there (over 20 years I hate to say) I remember the road going. Does anyone know if this road is passable for apassenger car to the trail?

Any suggestions for campsites to try to aim for? Although I did not camp at the Antlers campsite before, I would like to this time.

Cheers

I am not sure about that road. However, I do know that logging roads are always cropping up for that section so it is certainly possible. You might want to call Shaw's in Monson. They will know.

http://www.backpackingengineer.com

There is definitely a road that crosses the AT just W of Barren, however I came in from the N near Greenville

Not sure why you care, if you use enough logging roads the HMW is just a series of day hikes

Want to start there as my brother who is helping with the car shuttle would like to get over to Gulf Hagas and back to the car in two nights and we will be starting about noon after dropping one car up at Abol Bridge.

Thanks backpackingengineer for the heads up. I know about Shaw's, but thought it might be easier to post the question here.

Heading north from Monson on Elliotsville Rd continue to Borestone. Drive past Borestone and road becomes dirt and drops fairly steeply with great view of Barren Slide. You will cross a narrow bridge and pass through grassy area called Bodfish Intervale. Take the first left past the bridge, mile tops. Follow this road staying on the most worn tread and you will come to a dead end that you can park several cars. There is an old skidder road that leads to the AT. It is easy to follow and flagged at places. It tends to be muddy near the beginning. I don't think it's .75 miles tops to AT just north (.25-.5 ) miles north of the shelter and Slugundy Gorge and maybe 1-1.5 south of Barren Slide.

Cloud Pond Shelter is just after Barren's summit. It is .5 miles off AT on the side trail but a scenic 16 acre pond at 2200' and very remote. I don't think it's that used even among thru hikers and if you don't want to stay in the shelter there is space for tent near shelter just feet from the pond. Chairback Pond is also another spot where you can't camp on a higher elevation Pond.

Thank you kindly tom

Cat in January said:

Want to start there as my brother who is helping with the car shuttle would like to get over to Gulf Hagas and back to the car in two nights and we will be starting about noon after dropping one car up at Abol Bridge.

Click to expand...

If you are coming from Abol Bridge, the route I used is shorter than going via Monson. Either take the road past Gulf Hagas (fee) or go via Rip Dam and Greenville. Take the road S from Indian Pond which eventually crosses the AT near the crossing of Long Pond Stream. Check with MFS in Greenville about road conditions.

One tidbit, of all the campsites/shelters in the 100 mile wilderness,I liked Chairback Gap the least. It has been rehabbed since but, it was right on the trail, there werent a lot of tentsites, the water supply was drainage from a moose bog, and the privy was long way off from the campsite. If I remember, the Cloud Pond site wasnt that far away and there may have been a campsite a few miles back at an old fire tower site (been a few years).

Definitely go for Antlers campsite, one of those places that people dream about when planning a hike, Cooper Brook is also in this category due to the swimming.

My hiking partner most likely got giardia from Potowayjo spring. It sure doesnt look like it would need treatment but that was the only spot we didnt treat.

Probably my last time on before heading out.

Cloud pond was the site we targeted for the first night.

peakbagger, I remember copper brook as a nice swim the last time through. We definitely are carrying swim trunks.

Roy, thanks for the thought about coming around from the top. Just had it stuck in my mind to go down to Milo and Dover and then up to Monson because they are roads I am familiar with.

Could be some interesting weather on Saturday when the front comes through to break this heat.

Happy Trails everyone

To add to Tomcat's post, having been in this area recently, I found the easiest way to get to Barren (especially when coming from Monson), is via Elliotsville Road (which is the well-marked road that goes to Borestone Mountain). Starting your odometer where Elliotsville Road departs Route 6/15, at 8.7 miles you'll get to the parking lot for Borestone Mountain, which is also where the asphalt ends. Continuing onward, the road passes over the shoulder of Borestone, then drops into the valley beyond. At 11.0 miles you'll cross a bridge, and at 11.5 miles a lesser woods road comes in on the left. Turn down this, and stay on the main track. At 12.3 miles this ends in a clearing. Here, there are two ATV trails that head into the woods. Take the one on the right. When I was there, I didn't find any flagging, but this trail initially passes through a low wet area, then bears to the right a little and starts to climb uphill. Around here is where you'll encounter a small memorial to Anthony Robinson. In about 0.6 miles from the car, you'll get to a fork. Bearing to the right here, you'll pass through a level, wet area, but once you get beyond this you'll reach the AT, just east of the Long Pond Stream Shelter.