Great Pumpkin
Member
This expedition to BSP took form in November when we began assembling a crew to try to add Katahdin and Hamlin to our Winter NE 4K peakbagging list. The group of participants morphed a bit over the ensuing months (regrettably, Ironman (Larry), Jim W. and John B. had to withdraw from the final squad that ventured to Millinocket, all for very valid reasons). We had spent time and effort to review our equipment, transportation, and food responsibilities, and felt that we were well-prepared when we departed on Tuesday Feb. 8. Da Final Croo: Spaderman (Steve); Creaky Knees (Fred); Mad Dog (Mark); The Mighty Quinn (Mike); Roy Boy (Roy); The Keuka Kid (Kevin); and your humble correspondent.
At the outset of this report, let me say that "Joni" at BSP was always very kind and helpful in terms of our reservation, the paperwork, etc. We also want to give a shout out to Ben and Brendan, two of the BSP Rangers who were particularly helpful and informative to our group several times. Finally, another "thank-you" to Blaze (Jonathan) of VFTT, who provided excellent first-hand information to us from his group's very successful Baxter trip in January. If you haven't seen their photo-gallery, accessible on this Forum, do yourself a favor and take a look!!
Steve had taken care of reservations at the Pamola Motor Lodge. He and Creaky Knees (Fred) had their vehicles set up to haul sleds, gear, and all other required impedimenta. Took us about 6 hours plus/minus to reach the Millinocket metropolis, and we enjoyed dinner at Pelletier's before turning in for what would be an early start into the Park on Wednesday.
Day 1 - Wednesday Feb. 9: Into the Wild
After a delicious breakfast in the predawn hours at the AT Cafe (7 guys fed for a total of $50, including tip; thanks Uncle Fred!) we were off. Got ourselves a little bit off the beaten track on the way to the Golden Road, but no harm, no foul. It was -2F at the 8:00 a.m. start, where we met the aforesaid Ranger Ben, and began hauling along the Abol Stream Trail to the Tote Road. Made several stops along the way for pictures, clothing adjustments, etc., before reaching Togue Pond Gate at about 10:30 a.m.
Took the left turn, and headed for Roaring Brook, 8 miles up the road. We were all on snowshoes, since none of us considered ourselves good enough skiers to haul sleds, and we moved along at a pace of roughly 1.5 mph, well below the posted 20 mph limit
Passed Rum Pond picnic area, Windy Pitch (a sled slide for Fred), and Bear Brook group campsite (try to find it on the AMC Maine map). Saw a big ol' moose just past the Katahdin Lake Trail, and pulled in to RB at just about 4 p.m.
Settled into the bunkhouse, and everyone pitched in for the tasks of getting wood from the shed, water from the brook, etc. Fred served up an excellent dinner of homemade chili with cornbread, whilst vino was supplied by Mark, Kevin and Roy. The cabin was very warm and comfortable for our group of seven. We had a visit from Ranger Brendan, who would be moving up to Chimney Pond, and we were all pretty much ready to turn in at about 7:30 p.m. Several outstanding performances of the nose-hair symphony ensued.....
Day 2 - Thursday 2/10: Up to Chimney Pond
On Thursday morning, Steve was having hip problems from hauling the sled, and wisely decided to head back to Millinocket. We had a discussion about "splitting the group", but the weather was good, Steve is a Winter 48 finisher, and would be in touch with the patrolling Rangers during his walk out from RB.
My wife's breakfast casserole recipe (which I am calling Carrabasset Surprise) was very well-received. We cached a good deal of food and equipment that we decided we wouldn't need to haul to CP. We said our good-byes and good lucks at about 9:00 a.m., and the remaining six set out for CP.
Trail conditions for the CP trail were terrific, given the Rangers frequent snow-mobile travel and "grooming" of same (ditto the Tote Road). We met Rangers at Halfway Rock (totally buried), and got some early, but limited views into the Basin areas just beyond same. Very windy at Basin Pond, and glad to get into the trees on the other side. Reached the CP bunkhouse at about 11:30 a.m., with a routine similiar to yesterday's. Kevin took a brief (unintentional) dip at the edge of CP, but he managed to quickly change and get dry. His efforts were much appreciated, including yeoman work filtering the agua.
After a hot lunch, Mark, Roy and moi left at about 2 p.m. to see how much of the Hamlin Ridge Trail we could break out, borrowing a page from Blaze's playbook. The North Basin Trail was nicely broken out to the start of Hamlin Ridge Trail, but then......ouch! No sign of any recent traffic; perhaps none since the Blaze group? We dug in (literally) and took turns sinking thigh-deep at times in 2-3' of unconsolidated snow. Slow going. Mad Dog Mark and Roy did more than their share. We did make it to treeline, and Roy's altimeter said 3300'. Visibility was decreasing, and the wind was picking up a bit, so we turned around at about 3:15 p.m. and headed back, sliding and stumbling (me) back to camp.
Tonight's dinner fare was Jambalaya, supplied by our absent comrade John, which was fabulous. The only thing missing was his good company..... Several games of Hearts took place, with top honors going mostly to Mighty Mike. Amazingly enough, we were able to get cell phone (Verizon) back to Millinocket, and confirmed that Steve was out safely. Also managed to call my wife to advise as to our status. Met with Ranger Brendan, and confirmed our intended route and itinerary for tomorrow. Weather forecast appeared to be favorable, with temps in the teens, and winds at 10-15 mph. However, we knew that this was coming from Holton, ME, and there really is no "higher summits" forecast like what you get from the MWO. We spent a pretty warm night (slept on top of the bags), and hoped for the best on Friday.
Day 3 - Friday Feb. 11: No Summits For You!
On Friday morning CK (Fred) determined that he was a hurting unit (his hip), a new malady for him probably brought on by the sled hauling. Another Winter 4K finisher, he would join Steve in Millinocket, and left CP about 7:45 a.m. Injury and all, he still made it out to Abol Bridge by 2:30 p.m.! One tough hombre.....Breakfast a la Roy consisted of very fine and filling burritos; muy bueno!
The wind was whipping through the CP environs at probably 20-25 mph, and we could not see Hamlin Ridge, the Saddle, the Knife's edge, etc. We had hoped to perhaps get at least to Hamlin, but it quickly became obvious that the ill wind was blowing us no good. A trip above treeline today would have been foolhardy. We did get outside for about an hour and a half, taking the mostly sheltered lower portion of the Saddle Trail for no more than half a mile, and a few hundred feet of elevation gain before turning back in an area of deadfall when we lost the trail. The wind was very strong just at this elevation, and it was clear that we had made the right decision. The "Summit Nazi" (apologies to "Seinfeld") had spoken......
An afternoon of Hearts, Chess, Backgammon, power-napping, etc. followed, with tonight's piece de resistance being a very rich and delicious chicken soup supplied by Mike, accompanied by vino, scotch, schnapps, and so forth..... Made phone contact again (!) to verify that Fred had emerged safely, and had met up with Steve in Millinocket. Another very warm night...
Day 4 - Saturday Feb. 12: The Road Goes on Forever and the Pulling Never Ends
(Apologies to the Highwaymen).We had agreed that if we did not get a summit in on Friday, we would all come out on Saturday, even though we still had a reservation for the bunkhouse at RB on Saturday night. Wind was still pretty strong on Saturday a.m., but the cloud cover had lifted to give us dramatic parting shots of Pamola, the Knife Edge, Baxter, the Saddle, and Hamlin. An astonishing rock- walled amphitheater at the edge of Chimney Pond. Started the 16 mile haul at 8:30 a.m. Took a lot of pictures as we retraced our steps down the CP Trail, across a windswept Basin Pond.
Decided to try our hand at luging the CP Trail, with some hilarious results, including multi-sled pileups and faceplants.... Met some kids from Calais College and an avalanche SAR team-in-training who were on the way up, and well as several Rangers on their skidoos. Reached RB at 10:30 a.m., slower than Fred did, and got him on the horn to report our position. Estimated our "out" time at 4:30 p.m.
The long and winding Tote Road was pretty much like the Lincoln Woods Trail on steroids - except that it is more interesting, and certainly not dead flat. We decided that it was uphill both ways. Met a group of 4 snowmobilers going up the road, and again about half an hour later as a Ranger was escorting them out - no public snowmobiling the RB side of the Tote Road! Also a few XC skiers, some just out for the day, and several hauling loads, presumably to RB. Hit Togue Pond Gate by 2:30 p.m., and then up the West side of the Tote Road to Abol Stream Trail. My feet were hurting, but with only 2 miles to go, we pressed on, wanting to make our meet-up time of 4:30 p.m. Some light snow was falling, and the sun was setting as we passed the intersection of the Hunt Trail (the final segment of the AT), and we were thrilled to see Steve and Fred with waiting vehicles at the maintenance yard at Abol Bridge. We were out, not in record time, but we beat their "bets"
We got no summits, but everyone still had a tremendous time in this spectacular and challenging place. I am very grateful to all the Men of the High North who made this trip, and will always be glad to hike with them again!!
At the outset of this report, let me say that "Joni" at BSP was always very kind and helpful in terms of our reservation, the paperwork, etc. We also want to give a shout out to Ben and Brendan, two of the BSP Rangers who were particularly helpful and informative to our group several times. Finally, another "thank-you" to Blaze (Jonathan) of VFTT, who provided excellent first-hand information to us from his group's very successful Baxter trip in January. If you haven't seen their photo-gallery, accessible on this Forum, do yourself a favor and take a look!!
Steve had taken care of reservations at the Pamola Motor Lodge. He and Creaky Knees (Fred) had their vehicles set up to haul sleds, gear, and all other required impedimenta. Took us about 6 hours plus/minus to reach the Millinocket metropolis, and we enjoyed dinner at Pelletier's before turning in for what would be an early start into the Park on Wednesday.
Day 1 - Wednesday Feb. 9: Into the Wild
After a delicious breakfast in the predawn hours at the AT Cafe (7 guys fed for a total of $50, including tip; thanks Uncle Fred!) we were off. Got ourselves a little bit off the beaten track on the way to the Golden Road, but no harm, no foul. It was -2F at the 8:00 a.m. start, where we met the aforesaid Ranger Ben, and began hauling along the Abol Stream Trail to the Tote Road. Made several stops along the way for pictures, clothing adjustments, etc., before reaching Togue Pond Gate at about 10:30 a.m.
Took the left turn, and headed for Roaring Brook, 8 miles up the road. We were all on snowshoes, since none of us considered ourselves good enough skiers to haul sleds, and we moved along at a pace of roughly 1.5 mph, well below the posted 20 mph limit
Passed Rum Pond picnic area, Windy Pitch (a sled slide for Fred), and Bear Brook group campsite (try to find it on the AMC Maine map). Saw a big ol' moose just past the Katahdin Lake Trail, and pulled in to RB at just about 4 p.m.Settled into the bunkhouse, and everyone pitched in for the tasks of getting wood from the shed, water from the brook, etc. Fred served up an excellent dinner of homemade chili with cornbread, whilst vino was supplied by Mark, Kevin and Roy. The cabin was very warm and comfortable for our group of seven. We had a visit from Ranger Brendan, who would be moving up to Chimney Pond, and we were all pretty much ready to turn in at about 7:30 p.m. Several outstanding performances of the nose-hair symphony ensued.....
Day 2 - Thursday 2/10: Up to Chimney Pond
On Thursday morning, Steve was having hip problems from hauling the sled, and wisely decided to head back to Millinocket. We had a discussion about "splitting the group", but the weather was good, Steve is a Winter 48 finisher, and would be in touch with the patrolling Rangers during his walk out from RB.
My wife's breakfast casserole recipe (which I am calling Carrabasset Surprise) was very well-received. We cached a good deal of food and equipment that we decided we wouldn't need to haul to CP. We said our good-byes and good lucks at about 9:00 a.m., and the remaining six set out for CP.
Trail conditions for the CP trail were terrific, given the Rangers frequent snow-mobile travel and "grooming" of same (ditto the Tote Road). We met Rangers at Halfway Rock (totally buried), and got some early, but limited views into the Basin areas just beyond same. Very windy at Basin Pond, and glad to get into the trees on the other side. Reached the CP bunkhouse at about 11:30 a.m., with a routine similiar to yesterday's. Kevin took a brief (unintentional) dip at the edge of CP, but he managed to quickly change and get dry. His efforts were much appreciated, including yeoman work filtering the agua.
After a hot lunch, Mark, Roy and moi left at about 2 p.m. to see how much of the Hamlin Ridge Trail we could break out, borrowing a page from Blaze's playbook. The North Basin Trail was nicely broken out to the start of Hamlin Ridge Trail, but then......ouch! No sign of any recent traffic; perhaps none since the Blaze group? We dug in (literally) and took turns sinking thigh-deep at times in 2-3' of unconsolidated snow. Slow going. Mad Dog Mark and Roy did more than their share. We did make it to treeline, and Roy's altimeter said 3300'. Visibility was decreasing, and the wind was picking up a bit, so we turned around at about 3:15 p.m. and headed back, sliding and stumbling (me) back to camp.
Tonight's dinner fare was Jambalaya, supplied by our absent comrade John, which was fabulous. The only thing missing was his good company..... Several games of Hearts took place, with top honors going mostly to Mighty Mike. Amazingly enough, we were able to get cell phone (Verizon) back to Millinocket, and confirmed that Steve was out safely. Also managed to call my wife to advise as to our status. Met with Ranger Brendan, and confirmed our intended route and itinerary for tomorrow. Weather forecast appeared to be favorable, with temps in the teens, and winds at 10-15 mph. However, we knew that this was coming from Holton, ME, and there really is no "higher summits" forecast like what you get from the MWO. We spent a pretty warm night (slept on top of the bags), and hoped for the best on Friday.
Day 3 - Friday Feb. 11: No Summits For You!
On Friday morning CK (Fred) determined that he was a hurting unit (his hip), a new malady for him probably brought on by the sled hauling. Another Winter 4K finisher, he would join Steve in Millinocket, and left CP about 7:45 a.m. Injury and all, he still made it out to Abol Bridge by 2:30 p.m.! One tough hombre.....Breakfast a la Roy consisted of very fine and filling burritos; muy bueno!
The wind was whipping through the CP environs at probably 20-25 mph, and we could not see Hamlin Ridge, the Saddle, the Knife's edge, etc. We had hoped to perhaps get at least to Hamlin, but it quickly became obvious that the ill wind was blowing us no good. A trip above treeline today would have been foolhardy. We did get outside for about an hour and a half, taking the mostly sheltered lower portion of the Saddle Trail for no more than half a mile, and a few hundred feet of elevation gain before turning back in an area of deadfall when we lost the trail. The wind was very strong just at this elevation, and it was clear that we had made the right decision. The "Summit Nazi" (apologies to "Seinfeld") had spoken......
An afternoon of Hearts, Chess, Backgammon, power-napping, etc. followed, with tonight's piece de resistance being a very rich and delicious chicken soup supplied by Mike, accompanied by vino, scotch, schnapps, and so forth..... Made phone contact again (!) to verify that Fred had emerged safely, and had met up with Steve in Millinocket. Another very warm night...
Day 4 - Saturday Feb. 12: The Road Goes on Forever and the Pulling Never Ends
(Apologies to the Highwaymen).We had agreed that if we did not get a summit in on Friday, we would all come out on Saturday, even though we still had a reservation for the bunkhouse at RB on Saturday night. Wind was still pretty strong on Saturday a.m., but the cloud cover had lifted to give us dramatic parting shots of Pamola, the Knife Edge, Baxter, the Saddle, and Hamlin. An astonishing rock- walled amphitheater at the edge of Chimney Pond. Started the 16 mile haul at 8:30 a.m. Took a lot of pictures as we retraced our steps down the CP Trail, across a windswept Basin Pond.
Decided to try our hand at luging the CP Trail, with some hilarious results, including multi-sled pileups and faceplants....
Met some kids from Calais College and an avalanche SAR team-in-training who were on the way up, and well as several Rangers on their skidoos. Reached RB at 10:30 a.m., slower than Fred did, and got him on the horn to report our position. Estimated our "out" time at 4:30 p.m.The long and winding Tote Road was pretty much like the Lincoln Woods Trail on steroids - except that it is more interesting, and certainly not dead flat. We decided that it was uphill both ways.
Met a group of 4 snowmobilers going up the road, and again about half an hour later as a Ranger was escorting them out - no public snowmobiling the RB side of the Tote Road! Also a few XC skiers, some just out for the day, and several hauling loads, presumably to RB. Hit Togue Pond Gate by 2:30 p.m., and then up the West side of the Tote Road to Abol Stream Trail. My feet were hurting, but with only 2 miles to go, we pressed on, wanting to make our meet-up time of 4:30 p.m. Some light snow was falling, and the sun was setting as we passed the intersection of the Hunt Trail (the final segment of the AT), and we were thrilled to see Steve and Fred with waiting vehicles at the maintenance yard at Abol Bridge. We were out, not in record time, but we beat their "bets" We got no summits, but everyone still had a tremendous time in this spectacular and challenging place. I am very grateful to all the Men of the High North who made this trip, and will always be glad to hike with them again!!
