buckyball1
New member
..getting down to precious few...this was another hike i've "dreaded" for a few years, because of potential driving issues rather than the hike itself as in the case of Barren last week...have driven in this "deep" on several occasions and never know what to expect..sometimes no problem, other times you feel like it's the end of the universe with potential road problems at every turn and no help for many miles.
Poland lies NW of Baxter State Park, in the N Maine Woods territory about 90 driving miles from Millinocket--30 miles of bad asphalt and 60 miles of dirt (Delorme page 55). I had planned 3 possible approach (driving) routes from Millinocket all starting with the Golden Rd, but then utilizing either 1) Ragmuff Rd after Hannibal's Crossing, then Caucomgomoc Dam Rd 2)Telos, Guy Allen roads or 3) Telos, Guy Allen, Grand Marche, Ledge. --my plan was option 2
Poland-1853'
Left home at 230, gassed up in Millinocket around 4 and headed out the Golden Rd (asphalt). I always suggest driving this way to get spectacular views of Katahdin from a perspective other than what many of us are used to-no more. The road has continued to deteriorate badly the past 4-5 years and is now so filled with unavoidable, deep potholes that it's almost dangerous to drive. I'm sure it's due to lack of gov't funds and the fact the Millinocket mills have closed, etc, but...it's a sad situation...anyway--just before Ripogenus Dam, you swing north on the Telos Rd, pass Soubunge Mt (cool) and enter NMW at the Telos gate. There's quite a bit of log hauling going on up that way (mostly to Canada) and due diligence is needed if you don't want to get run off the road. There's also quite a bit of "new shale" work on sections of the roads so again, care to protect your tires.
After talking to the gate crew and a number of loggers/drivers from Pellitier's operation (yes, the "famous" one), I decided to try option 3 and drove Telos to Chamberlain Lake, took Guy Allen west (6 miles of new shale on the road--slow going), then North on Grand Marche for 10 miles )log trucks flying) and 8 miles west on Ledge Rd to north side of Round Pd. The trip from Millinocket zig-zags thru so many Delorme pages that's it's a bit difficult to follow. The good thing is that there was the potential for "people" around most of these places-loggers, truckers, camps, etc so the vibe wasn't quite as "alone" as some of these drives can be. At the north end of Round Pd, i took the Johnson Pond Rd north not knowing how close to Poland i might drive. Thanks to Bill DC for info from his trip to Allagash Mt fire tower peak nearby. Fortunately the road was decent (for dirt in out of the way places) and i was able to park a bit more than a mile from the top of Poland-now it was beginning to feel "out there".
The hike was just a standard, moderate ME shortish bushwhack, about a mile up and 7-800' of elevation gain. I tried the NE ridge, passed north of the east summit before reaching the higher west summit. The woods was very slippery due to recent heavy rains, but open down low before becoming increasingly thick as i progressed up the ridge-thick and dark enough to make relying on the sun for direction rather difficult. However just thinking re the Barren hike made it seem "no big deal". The woods opened again near the top and i touched all 3 of the wooded bumps at the summit, the highest of which was open enough to allow some sunshine for my summit sit. I didn't stay long as the bugs had become fierce and i encountered my first 2012 batch of deer flies -mean and hurtful beasts. I descended on a different, circuitous line sticking to more open woods, losing altitude quickly and sacrificing minimum travel distance for easier going -a success--hit an old logging road which came out in a large log landing just around the "next" bend from where i was parked.
..forgot to mention, i saw my first bear in a few years on the road near my "trailhead"---he/she showed no interest and scurried away..but nice to see for someone who has become jaded by seeing sooo many moose over the past 10 years
I considered doing Allagash Mt because i was "there", but thought better of it-still faced a long, tough drive home. On the way out, i was held up as Pellitier was loading a Canadian bound truck on the Grand Marche Rd and was able to chat with a bunch of the crew for a bit--always interesting. Long, but unremarkable drive out. Spent about 9 1/2 tough hours in the car for a 2 1/4 hour hike.
This was the last long, crazy dirt drive i "had" to do--future ones are totally voluntary. There have been many difficult ones, but i think the drives to BM Drytown and Hudson, Harrow and Soper were some of the more memorable--not sure anyone would have found even the car at BM Drytown.
Only Mullen (Baxter) remains for 300--i need to find a few dry days where i can hike into Russell Pd, spend the night and head up from there--reservations hard to come by on short notice....just got last space in bunkhouse for Sat/Sun nights
--hoping for good weather (or no go?)
it's been a trip...
jim
Poland lies NW of Baxter State Park, in the N Maine Woods territory about 90 driving miles from Millinocket--30 miles of bad asphalt and 60 miles of dirt (Delorme page 55). I had planned 3 possible approach (driving) routes from Millinocket all starting with the Golden Rd, but then utilizing either 1) Ragmuff Rd after Hannibal's Crossing, then Caucomgomoc Dam Rd 2)Telos, Guy Allen roads or 3) Telos, Guy Allen, Grand Marche, Ledge. --my plan was option 2
Poland-1853'
Left home at 230, gassed up in Millinocket around 4 and headed out the Golden Rd (asphalt). I always suggest driving this way to get spectacular views of Katahdin from a perspective other than what many of us are used to-no more. The road has continued to deteriorate badly the past 4-5 years and is now so filled with unavoidable, deep potholes that it's almost dangerous to drive. I'm sure it's due to lack of gov't funds and the fact the Millinocket mills have closed, etc, but...it's a sad situation...anyway--just before Ripogenus Dam, you swing north on the Telos Rd, pass Soubunge Mt (cool) and enter NMW at the Telos gate. There's quite a bit of log hauling going on up that way (mostly to Canada) and due diligence is needed if you don't want to get run off the road. There's also quite a bit of "new shale" work on sections of the roads so again, care to protect your tires.
After talking to the gate crew and a number of loggers/drivers from Pellitier's operation (yes, the "famous" one), I decided to try option 3 and drove Telos to Chamberlain Lake, took Guy Allen west (6 miles of new shale on the road--slow going), then North on Grand Marche for 10 miles )log trucks flying) and 8 miles west on Ledge Rd to north side of Round Pd. The trip from Millinocket zig-zags thru so many Delorme pages that's it's a bit difficult to follow. The good thing is that there was the potential for "people" around most of these places-loggers, truckers, camps, etc so the vibe wasn't quite as "alone" as some of these drives can be. At the north end of Round Pd, i took the Johnson Pond Rd north not knowing how close to Poland i might drive. Thanks to Bill DC for info from his trip to Allagash Mt fire tower peak nearby. Fortunately the road was decent (for dirt in out of the way places) and i was able to park a bit more than a mile from the top of Poland-now it was beginning to feel "out there".
The hike was just a standard, moderate ME shortish bushwhack, about a mile up and 7-800' of elevation gain. I tried the NE ridge, passed north of the east summit before reaching the higher west summit. The woods was very slippery due to recent heavy rains, but open down low before becoming increasingly thick as i progressed up the ridge-thick and dark enough to make relying on the sun for direction rather difficult. However just thinking re the Barren hike made it seem "no big deal". The woods opened again near the top and i touched all 3 of the wooded bumps at the summit, the highest of which was open enough to allow some sunshine for my summit sit. I didn't stay long as the bugs had become fierce and i encountered my first 2012 batch of deer flies -mean and hurtful beasts. I descended on a different, circuitous line sticking to more open woods, losing altitude quickly and sacrificing minimum travel distance for easier going -a success--hit an old logging road which came out in a large log landing just around the "next" bend from where i was parked.
..forgot to mention, i saw my first bear in a few years on the road near my "trailhead"---he/she showed no interest and scurried away..but nice to see for someone who has become jaded by seeing sooo many moose over the past 10 years
I considered doing Allagash Mt because i was "there", but thought better of it-still faced a long, tough drive home. On the way out, i was held up as Pellitier was loading a Canadian bound truck on the Grand Marche Rd and was able to chat with a bunch of the crew for a bit--always interesting. Long, but unremarkable drive out. Spent about 9 1/2 tough hours in the car for a 2 1/4 hour hike.
This was the last long, crazy dirt drive i "had" to do--future ones are totally voluntary. There have been many difficult ones, but i think the drives to BM Drytown and Hudson, Harrow and Soper were some of the more memorable--not sure anyone would have found even the car at BM Drytown.
Only Mullen (Baxter) remains for 300--i need to find a few dry days where i can hike into Russell Pd, spend the night and head up from there--reservations hard to come by on short notice....just got last space in bunkhouse for Sat/Sun nights
--hoping for good weather (or no go?)it's been a trip...
jim
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