Gulf Hagas help

[focusonbalance]

I'm taking a group of scouts ages 11-17 to Maine August.We plan to spend some time near Moosehead lake after whitewater rafting a few days before. I plan to bring them to Gukf Hagas for a day, hiking and swimming. The scoutmaster saw a website that says it is a dangerous place for kids, I'm reading it as possibly dangerous for kids like 2-5 years old, not kids who hike Monadnock easily. I need as much feedback as possible from those of you who have been there. I think it would be a sin to miss the spot because of one website and a skiddish scoutmaster. Can you equate the spot to something in the whites that I can compare with? Thanks for any help you all can offer!

 

[Stan]

There are some spots that are truly hazardous, sharp drops of deadly distances, that I'd be nervous about, having hiked with energetic scouts. It depends upon the numbers and how well under control the group is ... if you've got scouts who tend to speed up ahead of the group know that they can be getting into a few inviting but dangerous locations. I don't know your scoutmaster but "skiddish" is not an adjective I'd ascribe to someone concerned about the safety of other people's children.

The hyperactivity and overconfidence created by the excitement of a relatively safe whitewater rafting experience can lead to a disaster anyplace, especially one like the Gulf.

I can remember no swimming holes in the Gulf itself but at the upstream end there is a spot that seemed inviting. Watch out for the current.

I can think of nothing comparable in the Whites. It is a beautiful stretch and it promises to be there a long time. There are lots of hikes in the area that are dramatic but safer.

 

[king tut]

If the kids really want to swim, they should go in the pool at this waterfall.
http://www.shutterbook.com/photos/23169295570_13324.jpg
It is on a branch of the river, not the main river, near the junction of the AT. There is a pool of water about 4-5 feet deep at these falls, great to cool off in. The main river is just too strong for kids to actually swim in. There is a nice picnic area about two thirds of the way to the head of the falls. It is a large rock on the river, in a rather flat spot of the river. I have done some swimming there, away from the current of the river. But i wouldn't suggest kids going in there. (I'm 6-2, 210) It takes a good current to get me carried downstream. It is a good spot to dip your feet and legs in the water, but the current can be stronger than it looks.

 

[focusonbalance]

History of "skiddish", stopped a bike trip in Miles Standish park because he read a website quote saying it may be hilly and tough for young children. That's the reference here. Safety is always the first concern, hence the post to hear from those who have been there first hand.

I realize there is no landmass comp in the whites, I am curious of the hiking comp. Is the trail around the walls a constant skirting, skinny trails, or is there room to stay away from the edges?

And, we would not go there in wet weather.

 

[slowmo68]

I took my daughter at age 10 and her friend to do this hike. There were a few moments of anxiety after it started raining and the trail got slippery.There are a few extremely long drops with some poor footing ( loose and muddy when wet). I would not hesitate to bring a responsible bunch of kids. If they are a wild bunch I would not even think about it. There have been a few deaths in the swimming holes as well in the past few years. Have fun but be careful if recent rain.

 

[Papa Bear]

You should also be aware that to get to the trail there are two fords. The first (West Branch of the Pleasant) is fairly wide and can be dangerous after a rain:


Fording the West Branch of the Pleasant River

The second (Gulf Hagas Brook) is not as wide and can be a rock hop if you're lucky. We were not lucky, so we had to scout a ways to find a crossing. Eventually we just took off our boots and forded this as well:


Gulf Hagas Brook

I couldn't get any good shots of the drop offs, but they were impressive.

 

[focusonbalance]

Thank Matt for the info on the swimming hole off the main branch, just what I wanted to know. Slowmo and Papa Bear, thanks for the additional info, I appreciate you taking the time to reply! I have no intention of going there in wet weather. Am I correct in assuming that the water levels come August may be a bit lower, hoping that it is not a bad summer of rainfall? Or is that just wishful thinking?

 

[king tut]

yea, the water level in august theoretically should be the lowest. There shouldn't be any problem crossing the main river at that time of year unless there has been a very large amount of water.

 

[lumberzac]

Thank Matt for the info on the swimming hole off the main branch, just what I wanted to know. Slowmo and Papa Bear, thanks for the additional info, I appreciate you taking the time to reply! I have no intention of going there in wet weather. Am I correct in assuming that the water levels come August may be a bit lower, hoping that it is not a bad summer of rainfall? Or is that just wishful thinking?

I was there in August of 2004. The first water crossing required us to remove our shoes and socks (the deepest spots where about mid calf to knee deep), but the second crossing we could rock hop across.

 

[RoySwkr]

As others have said, this hike should be avoided with careless or reckless kids, adults, or pets. As with similar trails, the greatest danger is in not staying on the trail but in climbing out on rocks for a better view, etc.

The crossing of the East Branch Pleasant River could once be avoided by approaching the hike from Pugwash Pond or Little Lyford Camps, not sure what the AMC has done to the trail system there.

 

[Lawn Sale]

I was there on Labor Day in '04 and it was nice. The crossings were easy, we didn't even get our calves wet, but the first crossing is wide and very slippery, so I'd recommend sandals or wet socks. The bugs were also really bad near the water, not so bad on the trail.

The rest of it was nice, but long. The views were spectacular, but the dropoffs sharp, so just watch the hooligans. It's no problems for kids though, there were lots of them around. There is room on the trail to stay away from the ledges. Most of the ledges are accessible by very short side trails off the main trail.

The swimming hole is at the end of the trail just at the turnaround, above the rapids on the other side of these falls on a small tributary. It's fairly deep and the way the outlet is oriented it'd be very hard to leave the pool unintentionally. It's above this and to the right...lots of people were swimming there and it's a welcome site on a hot day. This is not the same place King Tut mentioned.

By the way, this campsite is nearby (yes, that's Katahdin in the background), PM me for details if you're looking to tent. You can just see some of my stuff to the right in the picture and there are only 4 sites on the whole beach, but plenty of room for lots of people.

 

[Don]

Be sure to pack the Deet. The mosquitoes are man eaters. In the past few years, they were the worst I have come across.

 

[focusonbalance]

My thanks to you guys who are willing to take the time to help me on my quest for information. I truly appreciate it. From what I see so far I certainly plan to bring the guys to the Gulf, providing weather is dry. We have plenty of adult:kid support, 1:3, and the kids are a great group, smart, well trained, and eager to learn. I'm hoping the weather is as nice for us as in some of the pics you guys posted, beautiful!

Stan mentions in his reply that there are other, dramatic but safer, hikes in the area but did not enlighten me as to what they might be. Any ideas?

 

[Stan]

Sounds like this is an appropriate hike for your group. Enjoy.

Other hikes to consider include Whitecap, Spencer, and Kineo, where the boat ride might be as much fun for the scouts as the hike which does have nice vistas of Moosehead Lake. Here is a link to more hikes: scroll down to the pdf file for trail directions etc.

Chamber of Commerce hiking page

The B-52 crash site is a very short hike but probably of immense interest to a group that age.

Boarstone Mountain has great views for the effort and the nature center may be open and of interest.

Boarstone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary

 

[askus3]

I just thought I'd kick in my photo album and hike data for your perusal. Note the distances and times labeled in the photos are from the Gulf Hagas spur junction with the AT. All include elevation, time and distance. Several of the photos are not that good but ME AT III-055-GH07 & GH09 give you a better idea of what the cliffs are like there. So look through all the ME AT III-055-GH (photos 3-12). Hopefully that will give you a better idea of what it is like there. Also note that water levels were low at the time we did this hike.
Here is the link to my photo album.

Also don't miss the outdoor historical display on the Katahdin Ironworks at the eastern gatehouse. This stop is worth about 20 minutes of your time exploring. See photos ME AT III-064-GH01 & 02

Enjoy!