buckyball1
New member
I set out around three AM for a potentially ambitious day, unsure how it might go. The 3 peaks are fairly close together which is unusual for prominence peaks; was hoping i might get all 3 today.
Rt 2 to Skowhegan, Rt 201 to Bingham and turn left onto Lower Enchanter Road (dirt-active logging) just north of West Forks-follow L Enchanter to Hunter Rd and turn toward
Granny Cap-2709'- I had an ascent route suggestion from someone i trust (from the SE), but decided to try a longer, potentially more gentle approach (1300' of "ups") from the SW. In a word, the 'whack was a delight, fairly open woods, no major issues. The sky was alternately dark, then sunny, with a temp about 38, high winds and spitting flurries. A few minor evergreen bands were easily dealt with and i came up on the SW summit; open rocks, excellent views. I plunged on to the real summit and found a number of open ledges. The summit is open, rocky and unremarkable-there were two small cairns, a few rusty cans and an old "Construction Area" sign. -no jar (i looked hard on trees, under cairns, on the ground) and the "correct place" for it to be was pretty obvious. I traveled the entire summit ridge to the NE, a few ledges, definitely lower.
The descent was a fun, slip sliding affair on wet terrain-into the car, back to Lower Enchanter, turn north onto Upper Enchanter, take the south part of the Shutdown Loop and try to get close to
Hedgehog-2630'
Driving back to Hedgehog was very cool-cliffs on Granny Cap, the neat Shutdown Mt and the unique feel of an isolated high plateau. From the ENE, Coburn loomed over all this. Granny Cap had been so much easier than expected that i figured both Hedgehog and Bean Brook would be cake...not too much distance or ascent--so wrong.
I wasn't able to get as close to Hedgehog as i hoped, but figured that wasn't a problem. As often happens, some minor wrong choices down low led to problems higher up. I wasn't able to find my planned line and just turned W to gain the NE ridge and follow it to the top. Bushwhack hell--endless blowdown, thick evergreens (could not see your feet), rolling terrain (sort of analogous to a whiteout with no obvious "UP"), high bogs and lots of smallish ankle breaking rocks--it took so much longer than i planned and beat me unmercifully for a bit. The sole redeeming grace was finding a "JP" jar at the heavily wooded summit-glass Ball Mason jar, usual red cord string, dry blue paper and only the original sign-in from 7/01. No wonder i had to beat it viciously with a rock to open the rusted lid--9 years! I envisioned blood gushing from my cut palm
.
Descent from Hedgehog along my originally planned route was almost as ugly as going up. I headed back to Rt 201, braking hard for a very large moose (i had seen the entire skeleton of his friend on my hike). Then north on Rt 201 to Lake Parlin and in Hardscrabble/Spencer Rd to a logging rod which lead to "near "
Bean Brook-2690'
The logging road in was very rough- NO 2WD, low clearance vehicles should try-deep ruts, muddy spots and missing culvert chasms...there was also a bridge almost totally into its creek with no warning sign--couldn't get real close, but OK. The first part of the hike was easy-open woods, moderate ascent- small small, easily negotiated ledgy sections The last what i thought would be 0.2 miles was very bad with patches of deepish snow above 2500' and some "slithering".
I was tired/battered when i reached the western summit (where the "x" is on the topo; yes Roy has cautioned me)-heavily wooded and no jar no matter how hard i looked-discouraging. JP is very reliable in his jar placement and unless it's a more visited peak and it appears the jar is "gone", i feel i have to keep looking. I knew there was a similar height northern summit about 1/3 mile distant and to me it looked "maybe higher". The ridge was thick with unavoidable 2' deep snow here and there-not a happy camper. Reached the northern summit, looked just a bit and wala-a pill bottle "JP" jar, red string, green paper (wet) and dated May 1999-no other visitors, 11 years--i've run into a number of 8-10 year gaps between placement and my visit, but this is my first 11 year. Tried to dry the paper and rotting bag though i doubt anyone will see it -ever?
On the way out my sometimes anal planning paid dividends. There was a very large evergreen across the logging road (i mentioned the high wind) which 5 persons could not have moved-well, today i'm only "in" 5 miles from the main road, but...i drag out my trusty chainsaw and with effort slice up enough of the tree to get past
tired, very pleased with the day-still a way to go, but i glanced at peaks #200-250 on the ME "P" list tonight; probably never after i saw Barren (Baxter) in that batch
be well
jim
Rt 2 to Skowhegan, Rt 201 to Bingham and turn left onto Lower Enchanter Road (dirt-active logging) just north of West Forks-follow L Enchanter to Hunter Rd and turn toward
Granny Cap-2709'- I had an ascent route suggestion from someone i trust (from the SE), but decided to try a longer, potentially more gentle approach (1300' of "ups") from the SW. In a word, the 'whack was a delight, fairly open woods, no major issues. The sky was alternately dark, then sunny, with a temp about 38, high winds and spitting flurries. A few minor evergreen bands were easily dealt with and i came up on the SW summit; open rocks, excellent views. I plunged on to the real summit and found a number of open ledges. The summit is open, rocky and unremarkable-there were two small cairns, a few rusty cans and an old "Construction Area" sign. -no jar (i looked hard on trees, under cairns, on the ground) and the "correct place" for it to be was pretty obvious. I traveled the entire summit ridge to the NE, a few ledges, definitely lower.
The descent was a fun, slip sliding affair on wet terrain-into the car, back to Lower Enchanter, turn north onto Upper Enchanter, take the south part of the Shutdown Loop and try to get close to
Hedgehog-2630'
Driving back to Hedgehog was very cool-cliffs on Granny Cap, the neat Shutdown Mt and the unique feel of an isolated high plateau. From the ENE, Coburn loomed over all this. Granny Cap had been so much easier than expected that i figured both Hedgehog and Bean Brook would be cake...not too much distance or ascent--so wrong.
I wasn't able to get as close to Hedgehog as i hoped, but figured that wasn't a problem. As often happens, some minor wrong choices down low led to problems higher up. I wasn't able to find my planned line and just turned W to gain the NE ridge and follow it to the top. Bushwhack hell--endless blowdown, thick evergreens (could not see your feet), rolling terrain (sort of analogous to a whiteout with no obvious "UP"), high bogs and lots of smallish ankle breaking rocks--it took so much longer than i planned and beat me unmercifully for a bit. The sole redeeming grace was finding a "JP" jar at the heavily wooded summit-glass Ball Mason jar, usual red cord string, dry blue paper and only the original sign-in from 7/01. No wonder i had to beat it viciously with a rock to open the rusted lid--9 years! I envisioned blood gushing from my cut palm
. Descent from Hedgehog along my originally planned route was almost as ugly as going up. I headed back to Rt 201, braking hard for a very large moose (i had seen the entire skeleton of his friend on my hike). Then north on Rt 201 to Lake Parlin and in Hardscrabble/Spencer Rd to a logging rod which lead to "near "
Bean Brook-2690'
The logging road in was very rough- NO 2WD, low clearance vehicles should try-deep ruts, muddy spots and missing culvert chasms...there was also a bridge almost totally into its creek with no warning sign--couldn't get real close, but OK. The first part of the hike was easy-open woods, moderate ascent- small small, easily negotiated ledgy sections The last what i thought would be 0.2 miles was very bad with patches of deepish snow above 2500' and some "slithering".
I was tired/battered when i reached the western summit (where the "x" is on the topo; yes Roy has cautioned me
)-heavily wooded and no jar no matter how hard i looked-discouraging. JP is very reliable in his jar placement and unless it's a more visited peak and it appears the jar is "gone", i feel i have to keep looking. I knew there was a similar height northern summit about 1/3 mile distant and to me it looked "maybe higher". The ridge was thick with unavoidable 2' deep snow here and there-not a happy camper. Reached the northern summit, looked just a bit and wala-a pill bottle "JP" jar, red string, green paper (wet) and dated May 1999-no other visitors, 11 years--i've run into a number of 8-10 year gaps between placement and my visit, but this is my first 11 year. Tried to dry the paper and rotting bag though i doubt anyone will see it -ever?On the way out my sometimes anal planning paid dividends. There was a very large evergreen across the logging road (i mentioned the high wind) which 5 persons could not have moved-well, today i'm only "in" 5 miles from the main road, but...i drag out my trusty chainsaw and with effort slice up enough of the tree to get past
tired, very pleased with the day-still a way to go, but i glanced at peaks #200-250 on the ME "P" list tonight; probably never after i saw Barren (Baxter) in that batch
be well
jim
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