Kibby versus Caribou. Also DeLorme.

[Puma concolor]

So I’m up in way yonder Maine closing out the New England Fifty Finest.

Did Saddleback (no, not that one) today for what is kinda sorta #50. Attempting Caribou tomorrow for some bonus credit. Long story, but Caribou is shorter than Kibby by a few feet and therefore doesn’t count for squat … except most 50 Finest completers hike it.

So I’m looking at Kibby and Caribou on the DeLorme map tonight. And being 54 years old and blinder than a bat decided to take a pic with my iPhone and then zoom in. Well, what the hell?!? Kibby is showing an elevation of 3202‘ instead of 3656’ with not a single 3500’ contour to be seen. I mean, I know I was on top as verified by a bunch of other corraborating factors, most notably the summit register telling me I was there.

So what’s the deal? Anyone know? Is DeLorme just screwed up here and drew a bunch of squiggly lines because they didn’t know what’s really going on with this peak?

 

[Puma concolor]

OK.

So wow. If you follow the ”road” to the southwest (left and a little down) of the wind farm project, you get the real summit location as seen by the contours. Not sure why they slapped a wrong elevation and a misplaced fire tower where they don’t belong.

And still no 3500’ contour circle.

 

[Puma concolor]

More rant.

So I took a little bit of a wrong turn on my hike today and wound up on the Maine/Quebec border swath. I knew I was high on Caribou and spent quite a bit of time investigating various possibilities. During this, I repeatedly referenced the above Delorme topo pic and found it completely useless. Just one big amorphous 3500‘ contour circle with no 3600’ line and certainly no X-marks the spot.

Only figured it all out by going over and over in my head all of the web research I’d done and retracing my steps based on this. Tip of the cap to Papa Bear for his 2005 trip report, which lives on in infamy. Everything single thing he reported in that TR is still spot on bomber. Yeah, it’s all a little different back there now, but just add 18 years onto all of what he said and you’re still good to go!

Peakbagging in Maine

If anyone wants a 2023 update to the PB route, feel free to PM me. But if you’re not a member here, helpful hint … don’t take the brand new cut on the right just a couple hundred yards before the end of West Branch Road. It’s sooooo enticing but also WRONG if the Caribou summit is your goal!

 

[TEO]

Ha! I drove up there on Friday to do Kibby. Alack, alas, I don't have my snows on my 2WD sedan yet and I only got 1.5 in on Gold Brook Road before I couldn't go any further.

Are you using the DeLorme maps to locate the summits and navigate?

 

[Puma concolor]

Oh man! I would have definitely helped you out there if I’d known. Was very happy to have a rental 4WD Suburu Outback with brand new tires for Beaudry/Gold Brook Road on Friday morning. Turned off of Route 27 sometime around 7:30 AM. Those first few miles are pretty steadily uphill.

And yes, I have relied on Delorme topo maps as a navigation tool in Maine through the years. Didn’t need it so much for Kibby in Nov. 2021 since the online directions I’d found were pretty clear. Park here, follow the old road and boom. But I was really examining it closely for Caribou when I noticed the Kibby inaccuracies described above.

Back home as of this afternoon.