Baxter State Park bushwhacks

[arm]

random dart toss at the intraweb, not sure if anyone reads these forums any more ...

wondering if anyone has found their way to the peak of Center Mountain ? from Center Pond or from dirt roads on the north side ?

or climbed Pinnacle Ridge on Peak of the Ridges (my old Maine Mountain Guide suggests it was the most interesting route up the Travelers, before they completed the Travelers loop in 2004)

or climbed "Witch Slide" on Doubletop ? or done the Squaws Bosom > Veto loop ?

made reservations for a week in BSP this september, hoping the Park will be open by then ...

 

[Mike P.]

Welcome back & good luck. I've only done Fort and with it being on the 100 Highest list, that one is pretty well defined.

 

[Catman]

random dart toss at the intraweb, not sure if anyone reads these forums any more ...

wondering if anyone has found their way to the peak of Center Mountain ? from Center Pond or from dirt roads on the north side ?

or climbed Pinnacle Ridge on Peak of the Ridges (my old Maine Mountain Guide suggests it was the most interesting route up the Travelers, before they completed the Travelers loop in 2004)

or climbed "Witch Slide" on Doubletop ? or done the Squaws Bosom > Veto loop ?

made reservations for a week in BSP this september, hoping the Park will be open by then ...

Pinnacle is excellent though I think I went a different way than the older amc guides suggested. I've done it twice. Once, I went to the open lower boulder field nearest the ridge proper and sidehilled that to the steeeep, sloughy (at least at first) ridge. Then right up the steep spine. There's one mandatory no looking back move and then smooth sailing through red pine and blueberry patches and a smaller upper boulder field until the first platform view just to south. Then a bit further puts one on a huge dance floor slab. From there quick down and up following the moose yards and interstitial hardwoods and blueberry openings all the way up to Peak of the Ridges. The other time I followed the ridge proper all the way. Shorter but steep. The return down the escape route is pretty fun once you reach the stream. The 2nd time contoured over above the stream a different time and that was falling away steep but manageable until you gain the lowest part of the ridge. Stream is more fun.

 

[peakbagger]

Welcome to VFTT Catman. Always nice to see some BSP experience added to the site.

Any hints on accessing Klondike Pond ?

 

[Catman]

Welcome to VFTT Catman. Always nice to see some BSP experience added to the site.

Any hints on accessing Klondike Pond ?

Of course. My route up and out is not worth reliving nor recommended.

 

[peakbagger]

Thanks for the very rare photos.

I talked with a botanist a few years ago that was doing a long term rare plant survey of the alpine region of BSP, he had been down to the pond down via the ridge on the east side of the pond from the Caribou Spring area. His recollection was a nasty bushwhack but worth the trip as he found some ultra rare plants on the trip.

 

[Catman]

We talked about that ridge when we go back. Our route down was more from the nw basin side. We even found a small cairns!

Thanks for the very rare photos.

I talked with a botanist a few years ago that was doing a long term rare plant survey of the alpine region of BSP, he had been down to the pond down via the ridge on the east side of the pond from the Caribou Spring area. His recollection was a nasty bushwhack but worth the trip as he found some ultra rare plants on the trip.

 

[Catman]

Has anyone on here gone up the Bald on the Center Pond side of the park? I was in there a couple weeks ago on a different type of adventure (old growth and virgin stand searches), and it seems intriguing. Same with Center Mtn from the Pond? I'll be back in there at the end of July and looking for any wisdom.