buckyball1
New member
This was a trip planned for several weeks ago and aborted due to rain/cold. I noticed Fri/Sat/Sun were going to be very cold, but totally clear in Aroostook County and couldn't resist. I knew the cold, short days and plethora of hunters presented potential issues, but decided to give it a try.
I left late on Friday (9AM) due to having the heat shield on the Forester replaced (see Day Mtn climb) and journeyed up to Portage, about 2 3/4 hours. I glanced over at Katahdin from 95 around the 255 mile mark and it was glowing, covered with snow from maybe 3500'-always a beauty. Passing through Masardis and Ashland (north of Patten), i saw an incredible number of moose in the back of trucks/on trailers (Friday and today were the last days of that season). The bird hunters were everywhere.
I'm always glad to be in The County because it's a great, wild place and the people have always treated me very well. My first peak was
Debouille 1970' a fire tower south of St Francis/Allagash. Instead of coming in from the north, i went up dirt roads from Portage (good roads, but as with all these peaks, make very sure you've done your homework as the roads are a maze). The roads i used this trip were generally good (a relief as i put 150 dirt miles on the Forester in 2 days) and the woods for the 'whacks were moderate to open. Debouille is a trailed peak with a fire tower about 30 miles from Portage -enter North Maine Woods (fee-worth it) at Fish River gate. The trail is flat for 1.3 miles along the lake (the views from the base of the slide were worth the entire trip) and then rears up steeply for 0.7 miles to the tower. The view from the straight up tower ladder (up 13 steps-i'm getting better at this) was stunning-the Allagash and St John's Valley are a neat place. I've noticed that on almost all the towers, you need to go up 12-14 steps to get a view above the trees. It's interesting that almost all the ladders are still in Maine's standing towers, very different from elsewhere. Saw nary a soul on this one (or any others) I did chat with dozens of bird hunters each day.
As throughout the trip, i was on a mission with each hike and travel between trips thought out in advance-no choice with the sort daylight. I hustled out through the St Francis gate (20 more dirt miles distant)and headed over through Allagash (small and wild--makes Jackman look metropolitan) and back into NMW land through the Allagash gate. I went in 10 miles and found a logging road I spotted on the sat pics which brought me close to BM (bench mark) McKinnon 1730'. The road was good except for having lots of slate "gravel" on it-a commonly used tire buster in N Maine. I did a short 'whack through open woods to a flat top with "0" chance of finding the benchmark (if still there)-blowdown and a carpet of leaves made it impossible. However i did find a "witness post"- a gray metal sign on a metal post saying a survey point was near--the top, who knows. After my discussion last week with Roy, i covered every possible "top" even two outliers about 0.25 miles each way from what i'm sure is the top
I chatted with the person at Little Black gate about road conditions, etc and found a place to stay in Allagash-got an entire rustic camp for 8 hunters for $30, lights, hot shower, fridge, stove, wood heat etc -really cozy when the overnight temp dipped to 16-yikes. Up super early and managed to maul my ankle badly loading the car. The choices were go home (the wise decision) or gut it out, hope it didn't swell too badly or get damaged worse and keep truckin'-i'd come too far (now 4 3/4 hours from home)
The stars were beautiful in the jet black sky as i headed for the Little Black gate (really getting up there, check it out-beyond Dickey). The bird hunters were out in droves and the computer at the gate was bulky, but that extra time for more daylight just saved the Forester from unseen holes on the road into Point 1600+. 1610' north of Falls Pond. I parked at the end of my logging road and laced the boots really tight (hoping i could get the left one off later). Even carrying a lot of "extra" gear all day (it was 18 degrees here) the hike was a pretty mellow 1.5 mile up old road/'whack through easy woods to a flat top-no views, no nothing.
Then down, check the plan and head toward Hafey 1779' a rocky peak further north. I encountered the first of 5-6 moose i saw on Saturday as he trotted in front of the car for 0.5 miles at 18mph. The moose and birds are both rampant up here this year. After another 16 miles on dirt, i see Hafey and am not sure which of my 3 possible routes to try. I choose the old road going south of the peak, then a straight whack up. It looks very steep, rocky high up and i can't see the tower (Bill DC is now rolling on the floor laughing). The hike was nothing out of the ordinary, but pretty steep with slides near the top-very tough on my "OK" , but hurting/swelling ankle. I get to the top, no tower, no sign of a tower recently removed. I've come to grips with missing a jar or two, but a tower??. So I search and even spend too much time visiting lower subsidiary bumps (0.2 miles through crap)-no tower, i go down ( and notice i have kidney stone issues to add to the ankle-if you have them, you know what i saw
). I decide what the hell and head still further north another 10 miles to
Bench Mark Beau 1790' near Jones Pond. On the way I talk to a guy who's lived in Dickey for 56 years and he looks at me strangely when i ask him about the Hafey tower. Of course there's never been a tower there-stupid me, wasted all that time, but it happens when you're juggling too much info. BM Beau is very close to the northernmost part of Maine. After a good/lucky choice of approach ( i had to "stick" a few large puddles to make sure i'd emerge from them), i find an easy walk/whack of a mile+ to an obvious top, with of course no BM i can find. It's "getting late"-getting cold and with the low sun of "winter" even 3 PM on a clear day isn't very bright in the woods. I'd completed my plan for the day, but knew my ankle would balloon up by tomorrow so decided to try to squeeze in another peak--wow, really happy how well this has all gone--headed over for Rocky 2030' which does have a tower. I went by a circuitous route, but had no time for my planned journey up that last few miles to Escourt (dirt of course) -end of the Earth or at least Maine-(border crossing only open a few hours per day).
I figure Rocky is "cake" since it has a trail. There's a newish road for a bit of the way up, but only a lunatic would try to drive to the warden's camp-don't do it. It's an easy walk to the warden's camp; then head up continuing on the old road--be careful, the "trail" branches off left less than 100 feet beyond the camp and even knowing this on the way down, i couldn't really "see' it easily. So of course i end up with a straight up whack for 10 minutes on some cliffs which are hell on the ankle, but soon recover the trail and arrive at the tower--wow, what a view (again from step 13)--doubt many will ever be there, but this and Debouille are stunning views. I head down, really pleased with a very long day.
I evaluate my condition as i head out the Dickey gate and find the ankle very large. Couple the fact i may not even get a boot on my left foot tomorrow with the chance of further injury and the friendly kidney stone and even i decide it's time to go home--had 2 more peaks to do on Sunday.-bummer. (edit Sunday to add that today ankle looks like a sausage all the way to the toes-done 'til Spring 2010?)
The 4 3/4 hour drive home is pretty tough save for the way from Dickey to Fort Kent along the St John River (another must see). All i can think of is collecting a moose on the endless dark stretch of Rt 11 around Eagle Lake/Portage/Ashland/Masardis-i get lucky and only see one standing on the edge of the road watching me whiz by
very very happy with what i was able to do--McLean and BM Kent will still be there when i return in Spring, along with 5-6 more peaks deep in NMW thru the 6 Mile gate at Ashland.
jim
I left late on Friday (9AM) due to having the heat shield on the Forester replaced (see Day Mtn climb) and journeyed up to Portage, about 2 3/4 hours. I glanced over at Katahdin from 95 around the 255 mile mark and it was glowing, covered with snow from maybe 3500'-always a beauty. Passing through Masardis and Ashland (north of Patten), i saw an incredible number of moose in the back of trucks/on trailers (Friday and today were the last days of that season). The bird hunters were everywhere.
I'm always glad to be in The County because it's a great, wild place and the people have always treated me very well. My first peak was
Debouille 1970' a fire tower south of St Francis/Allagash. Instead of coming in from the north, i went up dirt roads from Portage (good roads, but as with all these peaks, make very sure you've done your homework as the roads are a maze). The roads i used this trip were generally good (a relief as i put 150 dirt miles on the Forester in 2 days) and the woods for the 'whacks were moderate to open. Debouille is a trailed peak with a fire tower about 30 miles from Portage -enter North Maine Woods (fee-worth it) at Fish River gate. The trail is flat for 1.3 miles along the lake (the views from the base of the slide were worth the entire trip) and then rears up steeply for 0.7 miles to the tower. The view from the straight up tower ladder (up 13 steps-i'm getting better at this) was stunning-the Allagash and St John's Valley are a neat place. I've noticed that on almost all the towers, you need to go up 12-14 steps to get a view above the trees. It's interesting that almost all the ladders are still in Maine's standing towers, very different from elsewhere. Saw nary a soul on this one (or any others) I did chat with dozens of bird hunters each day.
As throughout the trip, i was on a mission with each hike and travel between trips thought out in advance-no choice with the sort daylight. I hustled out through the St Francis gate (20 more dirt miles distant)and headed over through Allagash (small and wild--makes Jackman look metropolitan) and back into NMW land through the Allagash gate. I went in 10 miles and found a logging road I spotted on the sat pics which brought me close to BM (bench mark) McKinnon 1730'. The road was good except for having lots of slate "gravel" on it-a commonly used tire buster in N Maine. I did a short 'whack through open woods to a flat top with "0" chance of finding the benchmark (if still there)-blowdown and a carpet of leaves made it impossible. However i did find a "witness post"- a gray metal sign on a metal post saying a survey point was near--the top, who knows. After my discussion last week with Roy, i covered every possible "top" even two outliers about 0.25 miles each way from what i'm sure is the top
I chatted with the person at Little Black gate about road conditions, etc and found a place to stay in Allagash-got an entire rustic camp for 8 hunters for $30, lights, hot shower, fridge, stove, wood heat etc -really cozy when the overnight temp dipped to 16-yikes. Up super early and managed to maul my ankle badly loading the car. The choices were go home (the wise decision) or gut it out, hope it didn't swell too badly or get damaged worse and keep truckin'-i'd come too far (now 4 3/4 hours from home)
The stars were beautiful in the jet black sky as i headed for the Little Black gate (really getting up there, check it out-beyond Dickey). The bird hunters were out in droves and the computer at the gate was bulky, but that extra time for more daylight just saved the Forester from unseen holes on the road into Point 1600+. 1610' north of Falls Pond. I parked at the end of my logging road and laced the boots really tight (hoping i could get the left one off later). Even carrying a lot of "extra" gear all day (it was 18 degrees here) the hike was a pretty mellow 1.5 mile up old road/'whack through easy woods to a flat top-no views, no nothing.
Then down, check the plan and head toward Hafey 1779' a rocky peak further north. I encountered the first of 5-6 moose i saw on Saturday as he trotted in front of the car for 0.5 miles at 18mph. The moose and birds are both rampant up here this year. After another 16 miles on dirt, i see Hafey and am not sure which of my 3 possible routes to try. I choose the old road going south of the peak, then a straight whack up. It looks very steep, rocky high up and i can't see the tower (Bill DC is now rolling on the floor laughing). The hike was nothing out of the ordinary, but pretty steep with slides near the top-very tough on my "OK" , but hurting/swelling ankle. I get to the top, no tower, no sign of a tower recently removed. I've come to grips with missing a jar or two, but a tower??. So I search and even spend too much time visiting lower subsidiary bumps (0.2 miles through crap)-no tower, i go down ( and notice i have kidney stone issues to add to the ankle-if you have them, you know what i saw
). I decide what the hell and head still further north another 10 miles to Bench Mark Beau 1790' near Jones Pond. On the way I talk to a guy who's lived in Dickey for 56 years and he looks at me strangely when i ask him about the Hafey tower. Of course there's never been a tower there-stupid me, wasted all that time, but it happens when you're juggling too much info. BM Beau is very close to the northernmost part of Maine. After a good/lucky choice of approach ( i had to "stick" a few large puddles to make sure i'd emerge from them), i find an easy walk/whack of a mile+ to an obvious top, with of course no BM i can find. It's "getting late"-getting cold and with the low sun of "winter" even 3 PM on a clear day isn't very bright in the woods. I'd completed my plan for the day, but knew my ankle would balloon up by tomorrow so decided to try to squeeze in another peak--wow, really happy how well this has all gone--headed over for Rocky 2030' which does
have a tower. I went by a circuitous route, but had no time for my planned journey up that last few miles to Escourt (dirt of course) -end of the Earth or at least Maine-(border crossing only open a few hours per day).I figure Rocky is "cake" since it has a trail. There's a newish road for a bit of the way up, but only a lunatic would try to drive to the warden's camp-don't do it. It's an easy walk to the warden's camp; then head up continuing on the old road--be careful, the "trail" branches off left less than 100 feet beyond the camp and even knowing this on the way down, i couldn't really "see' it easily. So of course i end up with a straight up whack for 10 minutes on some cliffs which are hell on the ankle, but soon recover the trail and arrive at the tower--wow, what a view (again from step 13)--doubt many will ever be there, but this and Debouille are stunning views. I head down, really pleased with a very long day.
I evaluate my condition as i head out the Dickey gate and find the ankle very large. Couple the fact i may not even get a boot on my left foot tomorrow with the chance of further injury and the friendly kidney stone and even i decide it's time to go home--had 2 more peaks to do on Sunday.-bummer. (edit Sunday to add that today ankle looks like a sausage all the way to the toes-done 'til Spring 2010?)
The 4 3/4 hour drive home is pretty tough save for the way from Dickey to Fort Kent along the St John River (another must see). All i can think of is collecting a moose on the endless dark stretch of Rt 11 around Eagle Lake/Portage/Ashland/Masardis-i get lucky and only see one standing on the edge of the road watching me whiz by
very very happy with what i was able to do--McLean and BM Kent will still be there when i return in Spring, along with 5-6 more peaks deep in NMW thru the 6 Mile gate at Ashland.
jim
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