SATURDAY
Chain Of Ponds Snow
After a very late start driving, headed up the ATV trail just before 6pm. Easy going up to the pond where there is much mud. Up the trail to Snow I bonked (hard) when I got to the large rock face that you have to climb around. All that sitting in the car for hours caught up with me. Took a more leisurely pace from that point on. Just before the summit you walk thru a fir wave and since the sun was low in the sky, it came streaming in sideways lighting up the western side of the half-dead trees. Very beautiful. Took a moment of reflection at the top inspired by a plaque in the shack dedicated to a woman that had passed away (Marie Hunnewell?). Started down in the shadows, afraid and jumping at the least little thing. I had just finished a Dean Koontz novel and had visions of unseen monsters, and crazy cannibals with no teeth and bad hair jumping out at me. Yikes!
SUNDAY
East Kennebago
Easy driving in on the logging roads following papabears directions, however, I was able to make it about .4 miles further up the road, not that that makes such a big deal. Headed up the woods road, found a cairn next to a nice herd path, but no yellow splotches anywhere. Whatever. Headed in at that point and followed the intermittent herd path to the col, turned left onto another herd path and followed it to the summit. Wandered around and around on the summit for 30 minutes looking for the dang canister before giving up and heading down. Came right back out to the cairn. Never did see one yellow splotch. Wonder if this was the same spot?
White Cap / North Kennebago Divide
Drove in from Rangeley after grabbing some breakfast at some diner in town. Made it about .7 up Bear Brook(?) then there was a large washout where the logging tractors have dug in and destroyed the possibility of passing in a regular vehicle. Lots of activity here. The road has been widened and graded out for a good mile or so, then the grading stops, but the clearing of the trees on both sides continues for another mile before you connect with the woods road. Once that washout becomes passable, you’ll be able to drive a good 3 miles or so up the road. Past the col, found the small cairn in the field of small new growth and headed into the woods NW. Someone had mentioned there was flagging in the woods but I didn’t see any. Got to the canister in about 15minutes of easy walking.
Back to the woods road, hit the cairn on the nose, and started down keeping an eye out for a good place to start in towards NKD. Saw one or two herd paths going in the direction of Porter, and passed these by. About 7 minutes down from the cairn, before the col, found a nice herd path that went off in the right direction and figured I’d give it a try. Wouldn’t you know, that herd path took me right to the summit. It just doesn’t get any easier. Followed the herd path back to where it began to flatten out, then turned East in open woods for 5 minutes before hitting the woods road quite a bit further down from the col. Nice little shortcut.
MONDAY
Cupsuptic Snow
Followed Wiggle Brook Road to mile marker 22, parked and headed in the logging road that was very muddy and rutted. I didn’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere so decided the added woods road walk was worth it. The logging road turned into a field where the grass was so high it was above my shoulders in some places. It varied from this to a field of thigh-high ferns where you couldn’t see your feet. Found a small cairn at an intersection, took a compass bearing, and started up. Followed herd paths all the way to the top. At more than one spot, I found cut/sawed branches where it appeared that someone was bushwhacking with a saw? Instead of bending the branches out of the way and pushing thru, they cut them off, then made a blaze of sorts on the tree by removing a 6-8inch slice of bark. Needless destruction. Otherwise, very enjoyable walk up to the summit, found the canister right off and headed down.
Boundary Peak
Parked at Cupsuptic Pond and walked the short distance on the herd path to the boundary swath. First mile is uneven footing, tall grass, mud, roots, rocks, and kamikaze mosquitoes as big as raisins. After that discouraging start, it got better with intermittent herd paths, although on the whole, the swath varied from easy walking to slugging thru a bog to pushing your way thru 4feet tall grasses. In the winter, I’m bringing my skis, those slopes are steep! Met Kath and Oldlurp around mile marker 446. They had come up from the Canada side. On the way back, the sun had come out and the wind had died down, I was making my way up the steep (did I say steep?) slope towards marker 450 (holy smokes). I was dripping with sweat and the sun was relentless. I pretty much knew at this point in the day that I wasn’t going to run into anyone else on this stretch of the swath, so I peeled off my shirt and hiked in my bra.
ahhhhh, so free, so cool, why had I never done this before? After a while I started singing out loud. Ha!! Thankfully, no one materialized from a side herd path or anything. What a sight… me hiking by in my bra, hair all crazy, smelly, dirty, and loudly murdering some poor song. What a great hike!
Chain Of Ponds Snow
After a very late start driving, headed up the ATV trail just before 6pm. Easy going up to the pond where there is much mud. Up the trail to Snow I bonked (hard) when I got to the large rock face that you have to climb around. All that sitting in the car for hours caught up with me. Took a more leisurely pace from that point on. Just before the summit you walk thru a fir wave and since the sun was low in the sky, it came streaming in sideways lighting up the western side of the half-dead trees. Very beautiful. Took a moment of reflection at the top inspired by a plaque in the shack dedicated to a woman that had passed away (Marie Hunnewell?). Started down in the shadows, afraid and jumping at the least little thing. I had just finished a Dean Koontz novel and had visions of unseen monsters, and crazy cannibals with no teeth and bad hair jumping out at me. Yikes!
SUNDAY
East Kennebago
Easy driving in on the logging roads following papabears directions, however, I was able to make it about .4 miles further up the road, not that that makes such a big deal. Headed up the woods road, found a cairn next to a nice herd path, but no yellow splotches anywhere. Whatever. Headed in at that point and followed the intermittent herd path to the col, turned left onto another herd path and followed it to the summit. Wandered around and around on the summit for 30 minutes looking for the dang canister before giving up and heading down. Came right back out to the cairn. Never did see one yellow splotch. Wonder if this was the same spot?
White Cap / North Kennebago Divide
Drove in from Rangeley after grabbing some breakfast at some diner in town. Made it about .7 up Bear Brook(?) then there was a large washout where the logging tractors have dug in and destroyed the possibility of passing in a regular vehicle. Lots of activity here. The road has been widened and graded out for a good mile or so, then the grading stops, but the clearing of the trees on both sides continues for another mile before you connect with the woods road. Once that washout becomes passable, you’ll be able to drive a good 3 miles or so up the road. Past the col, found the small cairn in the field of small new growth and headed into the woods NW. Someone had mentioned there was flagging in the woods but I didn’t see any. Got to the canister in about 15minutes of easy walking.
Back to the woods road, hit the cairn on the nose, and started down keeping an eye out for a good place to start in towards NKD. Saw one or two herd paths going in the direction of Porter, and passed these by. About 7 minutes down from the cairn, before the col, found a nice herd path that went off in the right direction and figured I’d give it a try. Wouldn’t you know, that herd path took me right to the summit. It just doesn’t get any easier. Followed the herd path back to where it began to flatten out, then turned East in open woods for 5 minutes before hitting the woods road quite a bit further down from the col. Nice little shortcut.
MONDAY
Cupsuptic Snow
Followed Wiggle Brook Road to mile marker 22, parked and headed in the logging road that was very muddy and rutted. I didn’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere so decided the added woods road walk was worth it. The logging road turned into a field where the grass was so high it was above my shoulders in some places. It varied from this to a field of thigh-high ferns where you couldn’t see your feet. Found a small cairn at an intersection, took a compass bearing, and started up. Followed herd paths all the way to the top. At more than one spot, I found cut/sawed branches where it appeared that someone was bushwhacking with a saw? Instead of bending the branches out of the way and pushing thru, they cut them off, then made a blaze of sorts on the tree by removing a 6-8inch slice of bark. Needless destruction. Otherwise, very enjoyable walk up to the summit, found the canister right off and headed down.
Boundary Peak
Parked at Cupsuptic Pond and walked the short distance on the herd path to the boundary swath. First mile is uneven footing, tall grass, mud, roots, rocks, and kamikaze mosquitoes as big as raisins. After that discouraging start, it got better with intermittent herd paths, although on the whole, the swath varied from easy walking to slugging thru a bog to pushing your way thru 4feet tall grasses. In the winter, I’m bringing my skis, those slopes are steep! Met Kath and Oldlurp around mile marker 446. They had come up from the Canada side. On the way back, the sun had come out and the wind had died down, I was making my way up the steep (did I say steep?) slope towards marker 450 (holy smokes). I was dripping with sweat and the sun was relentless. I pretty much knew at this point in the day that I wasn’t going to run into anyone else on this stretch of the swath, so I peeled off my shirt and hiked in my bra.
ahhhhh, so free, so cool, why had I never done this before? After a while I started singing out loud. Ha!! Thankfully, no one materialized from a side herd path or anything. What a sight… me hiking by in my bra, hair all crazy, smelly, dirty, and loudly murdering some poor song. What a great hike!
