Croaking on the Crockers

[alpinista]

Talk about a warm up hike. This one was a scorcher!

AMSTony, SteveHiker and I headed up to Maine yesterday with the goal of scoring the Crockers and the bushwack to Redington. Well, best-laid plans...

For one, it took us a long time to figure out where the AT trailhead was off the Caribou Pond Road. Poor Steve's SUV was taking quite a bruisin' not-so-cruisin' along this bumpy, rutted out road. We were just about to give up and head back down this road to park at the AT trailhead off of Routes 16/27. But as luck would have it -- and we hate to admit this -- but we passed a cyclist who was actually out in this 90-plus heat, and we decided to ask him for directions.

We doubled back while he pedaled up the trail, and he stopped to show us the entry way. Phew!

It was 11:30 a.m. by the time we hit the trail. The heat was thick, barely a breeze. It was do-able when we were under tree cover -- though barely. But by the time you make it to the first slide, the sun is radiating off those rocks, and it just wipes you out.

We all started to slow down, and by the time we made it to South Crocker, I for one was absolutely out of it. This was chest-heaving stuff, the kind of heat that makes your heart pound even if you're standing still.

The South Crocker summit was mostly tree covered. But if you crane your neck, you can see sky and some of the mountains off in the distance. But this was not a summit to linger. Besides, we had a plan: to tag South Crocker, head over to Crocker, then double back and do the bushwack to Redington.

So we pressed on.

Almost as soon as you leave South Crocker, the trail descends. Great! What goes down, must go up if the next summit over is 200 feet higher!

On the way back, I knew I wouldn't be heading to Redington. My camelback was drained, leaving me with just half a Nalgene bottle of Cytomax. I was feeling chills along my back, which had sweated up a storm. But I figured the guys could head to Redington while I headed back the trail.

When he traced our steps back to South Crocker, Steve gave me his car keys, while he and Tony headed into the woods to head to Redington. I decided I'd sit a while and rest up for the slog back. But within minutes, they were back in the clearing. I hear Tony say, "the mountain's not going anywhere."

They were low on water -- and energy -- too, and we all were thinking the same thing: We didn't want to end up in the accident reports of Appalachia, or the subjects of Unsolved Mysteries!

So back we went, all three of us.

Two outta three ain't bad!

The best part of the day just might have been before we started. Wildlife was all around. We spotted a bear cub running across I-93 just south of Franconia Notch, then heading into the woods. We then spotted what appeared to be a gangly, teenage bear crossing Route 115 just beyond 302.

Soon after, we saw a dead moose along Route 115/2, and then a live moose along Route 16. Wow!

Here are pix:
http://community.webshots.com/album/379066780JnLYVs

 

[amstony]

Lisa,

Nice trip report and good pictures. That was a real scorcher, but a good hike, I felt pretty good at the end at the trailhead. The heat was bad but at least we were under tree cover. It was 92 degrees on the summit of Crocker at 2:30 PM. No relief in Maine from the heat.

I was glad I brought along all that extra water........... Water wise I used the one Poland Springs bottle, the Powerade in my Nalgene bottle, and my camelback was about a 1/3 full when I got back to the car, plus the bottle I gave you when we got back to S. Crocker.

So when do we go back? The peaks are calling me!!!

 

[SteveHiker]

So you didn't mention the funniest thing that happened. Since I got back to the car about 5 minutes before you guys did, I figured I'd change into dry clothes. Hey, I'm on Caribou Valley Road, not the most accessible place around, so seemed like there'd be no problem. As soon as I took by boots off, I could hear a vehicle approaching. Well, it's slow going, so I think I have time. I went around to the driver's side and dropped my drawers. The other vehicle emerged, quicker than I thought. I think I had my clean stuff pulled back up before they saw me, but if not... well I hope they enjoyed the show.


You might have been napping in the backseat, but on the way back near the turn for Evan's Notch, I saw another moose run across the road and later along 115 something else ran across. It was small and dark, could have been as exotic as a fisher or as ordinary as a housecat. I couldn't tell.


And I was very disappointed that there doesn't appear to be any Mexican restaurants in Mexico, Maine.

One other thing, Tony. From my odometer, it looks like the way back might have been about 10 miles longer, but it was definitely faster. So now we know for next time.

 

[poison ivy]

Great job getting both the Crockers in on such a hot day! We were all wondering if you'd end up doing the bushwhack or not!

-- Ivy

 

[askus3]

If you want to try the Crocker/Reddington trio trip again, you are welcome to join my group on Monday, August 22. I will be doing a traverse of the AT from north to south with a bushwack excursion to Reddington. We will be planting a car shuttle for it.

 

[David Metsky]

I'll be up there next weekend, finishing up my 67. I've already done Reddington, so it'll be simpler hike for me, just an up and back. Hopefully the drive will be uneventful and the heat less oppresive. After my experience this weekend on Moosilauke it pays to take it easy in the this heat.

-dave-

 

[amstony]

better late than never on my pics!

JPG 12: Nice slide up S. Crocker on the AT.
JPG 15: Stevehiker arrives at S. Crocker summit.
JPG 17: Alpinista arriving at S. Crocker summit.
JPG 20: Amstony on Crocker summit.
JPG 19: Sugarloaf ftom S. Crocker as we descend on the AT

 

[arghman]

neat trip report & pix. Terrain looks interesting but a bit on the rocky side, bleah.

I suggest the Mexico Chicken Coop. Last summer, I was there with Audrey and Pat. The food was good, the salad bar was nice and the service was good.

I finally went there last month after passing it a couple of times on Rt 2 on previous trips. I second the comments about the salad bar & service, and they sure know how to make good french fries, but I was a bit disappointed by the menu as I was in the mood for fried chicken or chicken fingers and they didn't have many chicken dishes on the menu. Someone who lives near there told me they used to be better when they served mainly chicken; now they've "diversified". mmm, thoughts of salad bar are making me hungry.

 

[Gris]

How were the bugs (blackflies)? There were BRUTAL in Baxter last weekend!

 

[alpinista]

Actually, all in all, the black flies/'squiters weren't as bad as I've seen. Though judging from Poison Ivy's pix, they were pretty nasty not that far away in the Bigelows.