buckyball1
New member
watched the Cs wilt in the fourth 
Thurs night, but kudos to them going way beyond expectations...picked 12 qts of first local strawberries this season Friday morning; very sweet, but small crop due to heavy frost after early blossom set....then it was off to Stratton/Rangeley area..leaving home at 10AM seemed very strange....through Skowhegan, Kingfield, Stratton and past Eustis on Rt 27 almost to the Golden Brook Rd for
Bag Pond 3173'-turned into the "Penobscot" land and drove 5 miles to the Snow (COP) parking area-a few years ago, i thought this was real dirt road driving, but now it seems like a limited access expressway. I parked at the TH for Snow and started up the trail-had some beta on Bag Pond Mt, but it didn't help me a whole lot. Neither sat pics nor topo "trails/abandoned trails" are of much use as what you see on the ground bears little relation to the "maps". I quickly turned off the Snow Trail onto the old log? road headed in the general direction of Delaware Gap-wet, muddy and vegetation filled.
Perhaps i was just having a bad route finding day because nothing seemed to "work" for me. I thought i could follow an old trail around to the S/SE side of Bag Pond Mt and come in the SE ridge. When that seemed not a good option, i headed further NW on the old road toward Delaware Gap. Finally i just 'whacked "at" the mountain from the south and ended up on a "face" not a "ridge" approach-thick, steep, blowdowns, mossy boulders, holes -certainly not the "any thick spots can be easily avoided" i gleaned from the beta. Maybe it's the 50-100 foot rule or perhaps poor choices by me.
This was my first "hot weather" hiking of the year and sweat mixed with clouds of black and deer flies to fashion a monotonous slog. The top was wooded, no view with a brown jar tied high on a tree. In the jar were a page from the 1999 register and a "new" register with Nate, Albee and then Marc from a year ago. I descended an alternate direction which was different, but no better than the ascent- more open , but over a hellaciously long blowdown field on a knob-many chances for fall/impalement
I had a neat view of Round (i think) near the end of the descent and sunned myself in the parking lot until the bugs drove me to leave. I'm usually OK with the bugs even w/o DEET, but today....yuck.
Shower, burger/fries at the Loony Moose and a quiet night at the Road House-my 3rd night alone there this year. I was able to sit on the 2nd floor porch and read by the evening sun.
I awoke at 4, piddled around a bit and took off down Rt 16 toward Rangeley. This road is always Moose Alley in the early morning and today was no exception; 12 moose in about 8 miles with a group of 7 standing on the road/shoulder and chatting in one spot. I've never seen this many in one group before. There were also frequent beautiful fields of lupine, still in bloom this far north. [during the day, add 2 owls, a broad tailed hawk, several heron, numerous grouse, 2 fisher or weasel (not up on my low slung mammals) and a lot of rabbits]
I passed thought Rangeley, a town i like much less than Stratton (YMMV). Stratton always seems "real/authentic" with lots of nice people whereas Rangeley strikes me as a town "on the make/all about the $" with outside money/people/new businesses pouring in and "catering" to the more upscale tourist. I probably shouldn't opine like this, but...well
Then it was over through Oquossoc to the Morton Cutoff and an attempt to wend my way in 23 miles of dirt roads to
Oxbow (aka Heather)-3250'- I had some beta from DR and jt on an access using Morton, Lincoln Pond Rd, Wiggle Brook Rd around W Kennebago Mt and past Snow Mt (i had been that far in the past) and across Cupsuptic River and north on Cupsuptic Pond Rd. Having talked to some MFS Rangers, i decided to try a different approach-up Burnt Mtn Rd--this works very well and road is in pretty good shape in most places. However, you need to have your act together for all the turns as there are no signs that say "this way to Oxbow". I followed Burnt Mtn Rd to it's end and picked up a branch of Big Canyon which i followed past 14 Mile Camp and to the Bowmantown Express. Then I followed Cupsuptic Pond Rd further north and branched NW toward Heather
The first 22 3/4 miles went fine with a modest amount of care and a few minor mistakes. However about 0.3 miles from where i intended to park, i hit (at less than 15 mph) a "hidden in terrain/shadow", narrow, sharp washout which caused the front of the Forester to submarine with a sickening thud/crash into the opposite "bank". Fortunately the only damage (i think) was to tear the heat shield from the bottom of the engine (about $160 worth). Yes, you're right, i did this almost exactly a year ago on the approach to Day Mt near Farmington (passed right by it on the drive home). Parked, checked out the car and started up Heather.
It was a glorious day for a hike, as near to a "fern whack" as you'll ever see in W or N Maine, just a nice steady grade, mostly open woods with minimal blowdown. The mountain is laced and i mean laced with old skid trails and animal runs. Rapid ascent and easiest hike in a long time. A few peek-a-boo views from the wooded summit. The jar was high in a tree, needed a rock to open the lid --usual 3K group in jar, latest were DR, jt, Marc and Oncoman from last June-easy mountain.
On the way out, i met gold prospectors around the 14 Mile Camp area; we talked about the process and they showed me their gear and how they use it-also got to see some of the small gold flakes they collected. As i was about to leave, the guy said " i hope you didn't hit that washout near the big stone pile way up there". He hit the same place last year and showed me the damage to his truck and mounted camper. He has two other friends who have done $$ damage to their vehicles there. Also chatted with a pair of trout fisherman and two nice guys who politely declined to discuss their purpose in the woods. I really enjoy this whole world out there on the ME dirt road network-very different culturally from what most of us are used to.
enjoyed my days..
9
jim
Thurs night, but kudos to them going way beyond expectations...picked 12 qts of first local strawberries this season Friday morning; very sweet, but small crop due to heavy frost after early blossom set....then it was off to Stratton/Rangeley area..leaving home at 10AM seemed very strange....through Skowhegan, Kingfield, Stratton and past Eustis on Rt 27 almost to the Golden Brook Rd for Bag Pond 3173'-turned into the "Penobscot" land and drove 5 miles to the Snow (COP) parking area-a few years ago, i thought this was real dirt road driving, but now it seems like a limited access expressway
. I parked at the TH for Snow and started up the trail-had some beta on Bag Pond Mt, but it didn't help me a whole lot. Neither sat pics nor topo "trails/abandoned trails" are of much use as what you see on the ground bears little relation to the "maps". I quickly turned off the Snow Trail onto the old log? road headed in the general direction of Delaware Gap-wet, muddy and vegetation filled.Perhaps i was just having a bad route finding day because nothing seemed to "work" for me. I thought i could follow an old trail around to the S/SE side of Bag Pond Mt and come in the SE ridge. When that seemed not a good option, i headed further NW on the old road toward Delaware Gap. Finally i just 'whacked "at" the mountain from the south and ended up on a "face" not a "ridge" approach-thick, steep, blowdowns, mossy boulders, holes -certainly not the "any thick spots can be easily avoided" i gleaned from the beta. Maybe it's the 50-100 foot rule or perhaps poor choices by me.
This was my first "hot weather" hiking of the year and sweat mixed with clouds of black and deer flies to fashion a monotonous slog. The top was wooded, no view with a brown jar tied high on a tree. In the jar were a page from the 1999 register and a "new" register with Nate, Albee and then Marc from a year ago. I descended an alternate direction which was different, but no better than the ascent- more open , but over a hellaciously long blowdown field on a knob-many chances for fall/impalement
I had a neat view of Round (i think) near the end of the descent and sunned myself in the parking lot until the bugs drove me to leave. I'm usually OK with the bugs even w/o DEET, but today....yuck.
Shower, burger/fries at the Loony Moose and a quiet night at the Road House-my 3rd night alone there this year. I was able to sit on the 2nd floor porch and read by the evening sun.
I awoke at 4, piddled around a bit and took off down Rt 16 toward Rangeley. This road is always Moose Alley in the early morning and today was no exception; 12 moose in about 8 miles with a group of 7 standing on the road/shoulder and chatting in one spot. I've never seen this many in one group before. There were also frequent beautiful fields of lupine, still in bloom this far north. [during the day, add 2 owls, a broad tailed hawk, several heron, numerous grouse, 2 fisher or weasel (not up on my low slung mammals) and a lot of rabbits]
I passed thought Rangeley, a town i like much less than Stratton (YMMV). Stratton always seems "real/authentic" with lots of nice people whereas Rangeley strikes me as a town "on the make/all about the $" with outside money/people/new businesses pouring in and "catering" to the more upscale tourist. I probably shouldn't opine like this, but...well
Then it was over through Oquossoc to the Morton Cutoff and an attempt to wend my way in 23 miles of dirt roads to
Oxbow (aka Heather)-3250'- I had some beta from DR and jt on an access using Morton, Lincoln Pond Rd, Wiggle Brook Rd around W Kennebago Mt and past Snow Mt (i had been that far in the past) and across Cupsuptic River and north on Cupsuptic Pond Rd. Having talked to some MFS Rangers, i decided to try a different approach-up Burnt Mtn Rd--this works very well and road is in pretty good shape in most places. However, you need to have your act together for all the turns as there are no signs that say "this way to Oxbow"
. I followed Burnt Mtn Rd to it's end and picked up a branch of Big Canyon which i followed past 14 Mile Camp and to the Bowmantown Express. Then I followed Cupsuptic Pond Rd further north and branched NW toward HeatherThe first 22 3/4 miles went fine with a modest amount of care and a few minor mistakes. However about 0.3 miles from where i intended to park, i hit (at less than 15 mph) a "hidden in terrain/shadow", narrow, sharp washout which caused the front of the Forester to submarine with a sickening thud/crash into the opposite "bank". Fortunately the only damage (i think) was to tear the heat shield from the bottom of the engine (about $160 worth). Yes, you're right, i did this almost exactly a year ago on the approach to Day Mt near Farmington (passed right by it on the drive home). Parked, checked out the car and started up Heather.
It was a glorious day for a hike, as near to a "fern whack" as you'll ever see in W or N Maine, just a nice steady grade, mostly open woods with minimal blowdown. The mountain is laced and i mean laced with old skid trails and animal runs. Rapid ascent and easiest hike in a long time. A few peek-a-boo views from the wooded summit. The jar was high in a tree, needed a rock to open the lid --usual 3K group in jar, latest were DR, jt, Marc and Oncoman from last June-easy mountain
.On the way out, i met gold prospectors around the 14 Mile Camp area; we talked about the process and they showed me their gear and how they use it-also got to see some of the small gold flakes they collected. As i was about to leave, the guy said " i hope you didn't hit that washout near the big stone pile way up there". He hit the same place last year and showed me the damage to his truck and mounted camper. He has two other friends who have done $$ damage to their vehicles there. Also chatted with a pair of trout fisherman and two nice guys who politely declined to discuss their purpose in the woods
. I really enjoy this whole world out there on the ME dirt road network-very different culturally from what most of us are used to.enjoyed my days..
9
jim
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