BSP Bushwacks; Squaws Bosom & Barren Mtn

[bogorchis]

Beaver activity on Mullen Pond Tote Road

We were there about four years ago, so depending upon which Maine Mountain Guide that you are looking at, I suppose there could now be beaver activity. I don't remember any at all.

 

[Nate]

Route to Mullen Mountain

For reaching Mullen Mountain, has anyone tried bushwhacking in from the northwest, from the Wassataquoik Lake Trail, from a little before before it reaches Center Pond? By skirting to the west of Bald Mountain, perhaps it wouldn't be too bad of a route, but then again, it's really contingent on how thick the vegetation is on that approach.

 

[RoySwkr]

For reaching Mullen Mountain, has anyone tried bushwhacking in from the northwest, from the Wassataquoik Lake Trail, from a little before before it reaches Center Pond?

Gene Daniell & co did it that way ~30 years ago, before the WL trail went that way so they were just following old logging roads. Apparently there was a very thick section in the middle where they almost gave up but it got better. I had always expected to go that way but the PeakMaster convinced me to go from Russell Pond so we could climb other peaks in the area which we then didn't have time for.

Spencer & I came out by Center Pond last fall and some sections of the trail went through very thick blowdown for which you would want a chainsaw to step off the trail - an ax would take too long. Perhaps I should have spent more time looking for a way up but I was foolishly trying not to be too far behind.

The route from North Brother was adopted by the "Group II" folks who were fast trail hikers but not as crazy about bushwhacks as "Group I".

 

[dms]

Mullen

Nate, Mullen can be done from the N. Brother/Fort col. Once you are in the Fort/ Mullen col follow the the ridge northeast to the summit of Mullen. Don't try to leave from the summit of Fort, the woods are horrible. It's a long day no matter which way you try it.

 

[Nate]

If the first 0.3 of the bushwhack over from the summit of Fort isn't bad, how is it the route from the North Brother-Fort col is preferred? Fairly early on, doesn't this route merge in with the path taken from the top of Fort (so that for much of the way they pass through the same woods)? Or is it that the top of the ridge extending north from Fort is very thick, while staying to the west of it is much better going?

 

[dms]

while staying to the west of it is much better going?

That's the key, we went too far to the east and directly at the summit of Mullen, it was a huge error, the woods to west, though not exactly open, were much better, and col was wide open, where to the east it was bushwacking hell. Going up the ridge to Mullen from the col was much easier as well.