buckyball1
New member
Still hoping to get in a few more peaks before the snow, i took off for Lake Parlin area (between the Forks and Jackman) about 4 in heavy fog after a rainy Wed. This probably wasn't the smartest thing to do as i knew the woods would be soaked and the dirt roads?? However it was supposed to be "warm" today and...drove thru Skowhegan, Solon, Bingham, Caratunk-heavy fog, slow going. I stopped at a roadside rest in the Forks to "gear up" and as i headed to higher elevations of Lake Parlin (on Rt201), the fog disappeared and it was perfectly "clear" under high clouds. It had been almost 60 when i left Orrington and was now down to 39.
I headed back in the Spencer/Hardscrabble Rd (toward #5 and #6, etc) for about 10 miles (good dirt that far) and swung south on Spencer Rips Road, etc for about 3 miles-not bad, but i should have walked the last 0.75 miles to
Hardscrabble 2354'-Much of the lower peak was cut over years ago, but the skid roads have thin, 12' hardwoods in them, are badly eroded with thickish brush and some slash. --very muddy. It was about a mile to the summit and i alternated between the skid roads and the woods-not much difference-totally soaked within 5 minutes-still in low 40s-yuck. About 0.4 from the top, i hit a band of thick smallish evergreen housing pick-up-sticks piles of blowdown. It was so dark in the scrum that i had trouble picking my way past/over the blowdown.
The last 0.2 miles eased in grade, became less thick and i easily found the "top" at the back or south end of the flattish summit plateau. There was a small old looking ring of stones and as the sun magically appeared, a good view to the South of Spencer Lake. I hit a better line descending (there may one have been a "trail" to the summit and was treated to expansive views north as i went down-Boundary Bald was especially fine. Back to Spencer Rd, headed west another 4 miles (this road is always worse after the 1st 10 miles in) and swung south on a road west of Spencer Lake. I drove roads of decreasing quality for about 3 miles to a very old log yard and parked for
Spencer 2430'-There were panoramic views north of Hardwood (next up), #5, #6, Boundary Bald, etc-very nice. I'm totally soaked,but the temp has soared quickly into the 50s and it's full sun out-change a few clothes and head up. Underfoot is still puddles and mud, but the brush and trees are drying out. Easy going, then the obligatory band of thick evergreens (a theme for today), two small cliff sections and i emerge on the summit ridge. I soon find a knob with a nice south view, but am convinced this isn't the top and head 300' further west-there it is, obvious, totally wooded-no view -and best of all a JP jar tied with the usual cord string. And a glass jar it is- rusted shut requiring care not to smash the glass while i pound the top open with a rock. The jar was placed in 2002 and i am the first person to sign in-there is a small comment from JP which i leave to the reader as an exercise. I love finding these jars-so many have had NO visitors since placement as much as 12 years ago.
I drive back toward the Spencer Rd and Hardwood Mt. I often "improvise " on my planned 'whacking routes (often to my sorrow), but never on my road approaches, However I see a road which might circle the south side of Hardwood and get me to my proposed parking spot w/o going back out to the main dirt road and coming back in from the North. The sun is beaming, things are going well, so i give it a shot. It's a bit muddy, a circuitous route and i need to make lucky guesses at several "crossroads", but yes!, it works. I find i can't drive the last 0.5 to the peak, but no problem and i start walking in a very old log road toward
Hardwood-2410'-I'm planning on this being easy as both sat pics and my views from Spencer showed me aa open, heavily cutover side of the mountain-almost to the top. Of course it turns out to be ugly with water everywhere and a field of chest high brambles with old slash and tons of blowdown everywhere. I'm totally in the open, but it's tedious going. The loggers made a real mess of this one-something i thankfully don't see very much of. (i remember Red Ridge? as my last poster child for bad woods practice)
The hike up isn't bad, there's the 3rd straight band of evergreens and i find a nice view ledge near the actual summit. The actual top is pretty clear, in thickish woods with a lot of the trees on the ground-no views of course. If there's a jar, i should be able to see it pretty easily-nothing after a thorough search, even a good "ground" search for fallen/broken jar. Pretty sure the jar is gone or maybe never there. The peak is just over 2400' and might not be in the NE1000 (then no jar). The wind suddenly picks up, the sky to the north turns black and i scurry back to the car. Sun returns for the drive back to Rt 201 and i'm soon headed home
good day
jim
I headed back in the Spencer/Hardscrabble Rd (toward #5 and #6, etc) for about 10 miles (good dirt that far) and swung south on Spencer Rips Road, etc for about 3 miles-not bad, but i should have walked the last 0.75 miles to
Hardscrabble 2354'-Much of the lower peak was cut over years ago, but the skid roads have thin, 12' hardwoods in them, are badly eroded with thickish brush and some slash. --very muddy. It was about a mile to the summit and i alternated between the skid roads and the woods-not much difference-totally soaked within 5 minutes-still in low 40s-yuck. About 0.4 from the top, i hit a band of thick smallish evergreen housing pick-up-sticks piles of blowdown. It was so dark in the scrum that i had trouble picking my way past/over the blowdown.
The last 0.2 miles eased in grade, became less thick and i easily found the "top" at the back or south end of the flattish summit plateau. There was a small old looking ring of stones and as the sun magically appeared, a good view to the South of Spencer Lake. I hit a better line descending (there may one have been a "trail" to the summit and was treated to expansive views north as i went down-Boundary Bald was especially fine. Back to Spencer Rd, headed west another 4 miles (this road is always worse after the 1st 10 miles in) and swung south on a road west of Spencer Lake. I drove roads of decreasing quality for about 3 miles to a very old log yard and parked for
Spencer 2430'-There were panoramic views north of Hardwood (next up), #5, #6, Boundary Bald, etc-very nice. I'm totally soaked,but the temp has soared quickly into the 50s and it's full sun out-change a few clothes and head up. Underfoot is still puddles and mud, but the brush and trees are drying out. Easy going, then the obligatory band of thick evergreens (a theme for today), two small cliff sections and i emerge on the summit ridge. I soon find a knob with a nice south view, but am convinced this isn't the top and head 300' further west-there it is, obvious, totally wooded-no view -and best of all a JP jar tied with the usual cord string. And a glass jar it is- rusted shut requiring care not to smash the glass while i pound the top open with a rock. The jar was placed in 2002 and i am the first person to sign in-there is a small comment from JP which i leave to the reader as an exercise. I love finding these jars-so many have had NO visitors since placement as much as 12 years ago.
I drive back toward the Spencer Rd and Hardwood Mt. I often "improvise " on my planned 'whacking routes (often to my sorrow), but never on my road approaches, However I see a road which might circle the south side of Hardwood and get me to my proposed parking spot w/o going back out to the main dirt road and coming back in from the North. The sun is beaming, things are going well, so i give it a shot. It's a bit muddy, a circuitous route and i need to make lucky guesses at several "crossroads", but yes!, it works. I find i can't drive the last 0.5 to the peak, but no problem and i start walking in a very old log road toward
Hardwood-2410'-I'm planning on this being easy as both sat pics and my views from Spencer showed me aa open, heavily cutover side of the mountain-almost to the top. Of course it turns out to be ugly with water everywhere and a field of chest high brambles with old slash and tons of blowdown everywhere. I'm totally in the open, but it's tedious going. The loggers made a real mess of this one-something i thankfully don't see very much of. (i remember Red Ridge? as my last poster child for bad woods practice)
The hike up isn't bad, there's the 3rd straight band of evergreens and i find a nice view ledge near the actual summit. The actual top is pretty clear, in thickish woods with a lot of the trees on the ground-no views of course. If there's a jar, i should be able to see it pretty easily-nothing after a thorough search, even a good "ground" search for fallen/broken jar. Pretty sure the jar is gone or maybe never there. The peak is just over 2400' and might not be in the NE1000 (then no jar). The wind suddenly picks up, the sky to the north turns black and i scurry back to the car. Sun returns for the drive back to Rt 201 and i'm soon headed home
good day
jim
