Bullhead & Chimney 08-27-2011

[nundagao]

The national weather people were hyperventilating about Hurricane Irene but here it was warm and sunny. Climbing a mountain seemed a far far better thing to do than obsess about a storm that was still a day away. This was the third climb in three days for Christine, it was very humid, and I was feeling sort of lazy and didn't want to knock myself out with anything terribly strenuous, so we opted to climb Bullhead as a short and uncomplicated bushwhack. I proposed going up the ridge (NE) from the heighth of land on the Puffer Pond trail but Christine had a better idea which was to walk up the John Pond Crossover trail to the first drainage coming into Carroll Brook and go east from there. That was a good call. It was easy to stay on course as the woods at the bottom were quite open and we did not encounter any serious obstacles. It soon got steep and, of course, where it was steep is also where we had to push through some bands of balsam, but they never lasted long and there seemed always to be another fern gully up ahead. It was like that all the way. In fact, once we gained the crest of the ridge there was an lovely fern meadow almost the rest of the way to the top. The summit is wooded but open enough for a good view in the direction of Thirteenth Lake and we could see some structures high on the side of mountain in the distance which may have been the Hooper Garnet Mine. We left the car shortly past 9 and were back by 3, which still left time for a little side trip up Chimney Mountain. We could have spent a lot longer exploring the unusual rock formations up there but it was getting late and we had to get back. We were up and down in about an hour and half. Everyone has heard of Chimney and some people have heard of Puffer, but Bullhead is under-rated and under-appreciated. It's worth checking out. Try it. I think you'll like it.

 

[BlackSpruce]

Amazing to think the pretty, steep and rather large drainage we followed at first which was just about dry yesterday is likely and less than 24 hours later a raging torrent! Not to mention Hour Pond which from the summit area seemed totally dry then and there...

Some have suggested that Bullhead Mt. could replace Dunn Brook Mt. regarding the ADK 100 list since this last one is on private property, I say NO Way it is too easy a climb and too short a walk to even compare slightly with summiting DB. A 101 maybe but certainly not a 100 even if one, as we were, is treated while resting on the summit ledge by the visit of a low flying Turkey Vulture. Furthermore we were often reminded that countless, deer, moose and bear inhabit the high slopes of Bullhead.
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All pictures taken either very near or right on summit of Bullhead but for Chimney Mt sculpture.