Lobster (ME) 10/17

[buckyball1]

Lobster (2330')--near "not much" ---north of Greenville, NW of Millinocket

... unable to find anyone who had climbed Lobster or had any information...this one was a wing and a prayer, using topos and Delorme

I went through Millinocket and entered the Golden Rd at Spencer Cove (on the way to Baxter)- headed toward Ripogenus Dam and Hannibal's Crossing. I've never been on this section of the Golden Rd, but it was a joy, all the things the Baxter Park Loop Rd is not-open, wide, superb views of many lakes, mountains, woods (from the SW, the Magic Mountain was in a curtain of high cloud)-the best of Maine. The road is actually paved to well beyond Ripogenus Dam and decent/good dirt after that. I highly recommend the drive from Spencer Cove to Ripogenus Dam, but remember, the log trucks that frequent the road are large, going very fast and will not pull over for you. I drove to the NMW Caribou Gate (fee) and continued on just before Hannibal's crossing where I turned onto the Lobster Trip Road which is pothole filled this late in the year.

I planned to try to climb the west side of Lobster as there seemed no feasible way to reach the east side w/o taking a boat across Lobster Lake. A few miles before/near Northeast Carry, I tried to drive/walk my way to and partway up Lobster using old logging roads which were in pretty bad shape after last night's rain (not sure these are "legal"). At one point, a short loss of concentration caused me to miss the fact a narrow culvert had been pulled and the Forester bottomed very hard-worried I had done serious damage (the Prizm would still be there). I wasn't able to get nearly as close as planned, but parked and started walking over a terrain white with frost (33 degrees). Used Delorme, snowmobile trails and visuals to travel to my proposed start for the 'wack almost directly west of the peak.

The lower 1/2 of the peak was decent going through moderate density hardwoods. Faint traces of very old logging roads appeared, but were filled with trees and no better pathway than the woods itself. The slope then steepen markedly, the forest became mixed/thicker and there were numerous slick rocks/small slides. After a few tenths of this, the slides were larger and more open. The views to the West were superb-seldom seen north end of Moosehead Lake with some neat small hills/cliffs close to it's shore.

The summit was rocky and had an excellent 270+ degree view (all but the NE quadrant). I've been very fortunate of late to find super views on peaks. The Spencers looked very close and Moosehead Lake spread before me in its entirety. While the leaves are well past peak, the bright sun on the golds and yellows almost seared my retinas. The stay on top was short as I was soaked and it was windy/cold. The descent took care on the steep, leaf and lichen covered wet rocks. On the drive out, I managed to put a few logs in the "washout" and crossed without further incident.

Headed back to the Golden Rd, then swung south on the Greenville Rd (Sias Hill Rd) toward Kokadjo-road is not in great shape, especially Sias Hill. I stopped at the Kokadjo Trading Post to talk to whomever might be there about approaches to Shaw and Farrar Mtns for a later trip-good info on Shaw, nothing on Farrar. If you've climbed/know about either, I'd appreciate info via PM

jim

 

[Amicus]

Lobster (2330')--near "not much" ---north of Greenville, NW of Millinocket

... unable to find anyone who had climbed Lobster or had any information...this one was a wing and a prayer, using topos and Delorme

I went through Millinocket and entered the Golden Rd at Spencer Cove (on the way to Baxter)- headed toward Ripogenus Dam and Hannibal's Crossing.

Truly novel TR's to places that sound worth visiting aren't common, but you're on a roll.

...but remember, the log trucks that frequent the road are large, going very fast and will not pull over for you.

Like Hannibal's elephants.

 

[el-bagr]

I've climbed Lobster from the lake, having crossed by boat. As you hike up from the lakeside trailhead, you do cross some old skidder roads; I recall a few that looked like they might actually go somewhere.

I'd be curious which of the roads you used as your approach. Did you go over the bridge over Lobster Stream before turning south? There's a road about one mile east of NE Carry that runs a few miles south toward the peak.

 

[buckyball1]

e b, sorry, been gone a bit....

-when on top, i saw evidence of an old trail that initially left north from the summit in the direction of Lobster Lake-it was marked with dark red blotches on the rocks-heading down, i followed this a bit just out of curiosity, but it was clearly not going my way ..perhaps (probably?) went to the lake

--re approach from the "west"--i did quite a bit of walking on roads/tracks/trails show in Delorme--not "endorsing" any of these possibilities, but my take is that:

-one "might" (your call, not mine) drive either 1) south off the Lobster Trip Rd on the Burbank Rd or 2) SE off the road into NE Carry on an unnamed road and from either approach,follow the double dashed road running SE at least near to Halfway Brook--when i was in, there had been a ton of rain in the previous 36 hours and there were very large standing ponds on the roads obscuring what you may/may not hit underneath--i think in the "dry" you could probably continue (drive) past Halfway Brook on the single dash road headed east toward the Lobster Lake-- i was walking this as there were large amounts of water on the road before Halfway Brook (situation was better higher up)--then note the 2 roughly parallel roads headed "south" which bring you directly "west" of the summit--again, i was walking, but you may be able to drive at least to the first of these, probably the second and perhaps even south a ways on it (when dry and having a high clearance vehicle, etc)--i walked on the road going SE to Halfway Brook and then "up" --i took the higher "trail/road" going south to a spot directly west of summit and 'wacked straight up--

--i have no idea what the land ownership issues are on any of these roads--it's been logged in the past with no sign of current activity--

jim