New Peak Index on my Web Site

[Papa Bear]

Hey Pb,

I am getting vaguely interested in hiking your 50 most prominent New England peaks, or at least the ones I haven't hiked already. Is there a FF patch? There's gotta be a patch, yes?

It is always nice to have company, especially on bushwacks umpteen miles from anywhere in Maine. I'll keep you posted on any trips I have planned.

Patches? We don't need no stinkin' patches!

Pb

 

[Tramper Al]

Patches? We don't need no stinkin' patches!

I say there's going to be a patch, but we'll see.

Pb, I have looked over your NE FF list, to see if I might be passing close to a prominent peak on my Maine AT section hike in May. I would hate to miss an opportunity.

My hike is from Flagstaff Lake to Monson, and the only one I see that is close is Moxie Mountain. As my time is tight, however, it's probably too far off the AT for me to get to and back on this trip.

Also, are any of these within reach of the 100 Mile AT section?

Thanks in advance . . .

 

[Papa Bear]

I say there's going to be a patch, but we'll see.

Pb, I have looked over your NE FF list, to see if I might be passing close to a prominent peak on my Maine AT section hike in May. I would hate to miss an opportunity.

My hike is from Flagstaff Lake to Monson, and the only one I see that is close is Moxie Mountain. As my time is tight, however, it's probably too far off the AT for me to get to and back on this trip.

Also, are any of these within reach of the 100 Mile AT section?

Thanks in advance . . .

Al
You'll hit White cap (the one on the AT) which is on the list, and once you get to Baxter, Doubletop and Traveler are on the list. The only other ones on or near the AT in Maine (excluding the biggies like Katahdin) are Goose Eye, Baldpate and Elephant. You've already done Elephant, but you might mave walked by Goose Eye since it's all of .1 miles off the trail.

Those somewhat near the trail like Baker, Saddleback (a different Saddleback) or Moxie are bushwhacks and are too far (like 5 miles) from the trail without car spots, extra days, etc.

Best bet: do the two in Baxter when you get there.

 

[Tramper Al]

Hey thanks, Pb.

So nice to have added motivation for hikes like Doubletop and the Traveler! Maybe I can work the Traveler into my IAT-ME BSP traverse one day.

I did manage to be alert enough to pursue the 0.2 mile RT to Goose Eye, thank you very much. However, I believe I did miss the slightly off-AT true summit of Mahoosuc Arm, but so far that hasn't haunted me too much.

Please do keep me in mind for those not on AT Maine bushwhacks, then.

Thanks again . . .

 

[spencer]

Both of you might be interested in my upcoming trip (will likely precede me joining Tramper for the Caratunk-Monson section) which involves paddling the West Branch, Lobster Lake, hiking Big and Little Spencer Mtns. and then continuing on the West Branch to Rip Dam.

It sounds like it won't work for you Al, but PB, are you interested in hooking up for the Spencers? I'll be bushwhacking from Lobster Lake, but could walk around to the normal trailhead if you are intereted.

spencer

 

[Papa Bear]

Both of you might be interested in my upcoming trip (will likely precede me joining Tramper for the Caratunk-Monson section) which involves paddling the West Branch, Lobster Lake, hiking Big and Little Spencer Mtns. and then continuing on the West Branch to Rip Dam.

It sounds like it won't work for you Al, but PB, are you interested in hooking up for the Spencers? I'll be bushwhacking from Lobster Lake, but could walk around to the normal trailhead if you are intereted.

spencer

Yes, I'm interested. Give me an approximate timeframe. Unfortunatly if you are paddling, you are probably not likely to join my in assaulting Baker which I thought I might get when I did Big Spencer. I was thinking Big Moose, Baker and Big Spencer might make a nice long weekend.

OTOH I could go west to east, hit Big Squaw, oops, I mean Big Moose, Baker and then meet you at Big & Little Spencer. And if I didn't show up, you wou would know I got lost on Baker.

bigmoose: Are you out there? Interested in any of these peaks?

You are planning on going paddling in the north woods in July: have you developed Black Fly immunity as some are reputed to have?

 

[spencer]

I think I have developed immunity, at least mentally, but I'm going in a week or two, not July...

I want quickwater, not flatwater.

Next Thursday I should be able to make my plans concrete. I will give you a shout then.

by the way, my itinerary isn't set in stone. I would be willing to meet you in Kokadjo first, hike Baker, the Spencer's and then put in at Lobster and go along my way on to Chesuncook.

Let's talk next week...

spencer

 

[spencer]

by the way, what did I miss? why do you keep referring to Big Squaw as Big Moose? who changed the name?

Are we going to hear about Moose's Bosom next???

spencer

 

[Papa Bear]

by the way, what did I miss? why do you keep referring to Big Squaw as Big Moose? who changed the name?

Are we going to hear about Moose's Bosom next???

spencer

I believe it was changed last year by the Maine Legislature. I heard as a way to become politically correct in one fell swoop, they said "OK, all Sqaws become Moose"

It is not in the USGS database though. I figured as a Mainer you would know.

Anyone out there know the details?

Pb

 

[Papa Bear]

... I'm going in a week or two, not July...
...
Next Thursday I should be able to make my plans concrete. I will give you a shout then.

by the way, my itinerary isn't set in stone. I would be willing to meet you in Kokadjo first, hike Baker, the Spencer's and then put in at Lobster and go along my way on to Chesuncook.
...
spencer

Good. As long as it doesn't conflict with the VFTT Escarpment Hike in the Catskills (May 21st) I'll be interested.

 

[Papa Bear]

...
I did manage to be alert enough to pursue the 0.2 mile RT to Goose Eye, thank you very much.
...
I did miss the slightly off-AT true summit of Mahoosuc Arm, but so far that hasn't haunted me too much.

Sorry for a misstatement here: Goose Eye is on the Hundred Highest list, not the Fifty Finest. I got too many lists I'm rying to keep track of. But I'm glad you did get Goose Eye. Mahoosuc Arm - who needs it, even 50' off the trail . The Arm was the worst mile on the AT (as opposed to Mahoosuc Notch,the slowest mile on the AT) Pb

 

[spencer]

"OK, all Sqaws become Moose"

That in itself is probably not politically correct

Well, I hadn't heard but I don't pay attention to everything. It'll take a looong time for the name change to stick...

I've skied Big Squaw (the ski area of course; not the hiking trail), but haven't walked up it yet.

spencer

 

[el-bagr]

I've skied Big Squaw (the ski area of course; not the hiking trail)

The hiking trail from the south/east is a worthy ski, very steep near the top... though the ski area will once again have lift access to the top (not quite the summit) next year. The views are best from the cut trails, of course -- outstanding.

 

[Tramper Al]

Both of you might be interested in my upcoming trip (will likely precede me joining Tramper for the Caratunk-Monson section) which involves paddling the West Branch, Lobster Lake, hiking Big and Little Spencer Mtns. and then continuing on the West Branch to Rip Dam.

It sounds like it won't work for you Al, but PB, are you interested in hooking up for the Spencers? I'll be bushwhacking from Lobster Lake, but could walk around to the normal trailhead if you are intereted.

That does sound fun, but I'm already pushing the envelope to get away by 4 AM that Wednesday to get to Caratunk.

Besides, it would be hard for me to think about going all the way into Lobster Lake without having another week available to continue on down the Allagash.

Spencer, isn't that bit of the West Branch more flat than quick? Are you starting up by the Northeast Carry or what?

 

[spencer]

Tramper,

it is rated as mostly flat, but with the volume of water moving through it now, I expect plenty of pushing from behind. My biggest fear is what's going to happen when I get to Chesuncook in my tuna can...

I'll be working out the details of the trip over the next week.

spencer

 

[HikerBob]

PB et al,

Just as an aside, prompted by the slow loading reference. Careful use of JPG compression can make a huge difference in final size and therefore download speed.

As an example take a look at these two pics...

... see any difference? At a quick glance, probably not. A closer look shows some pixelation (look at the sky bordering the hikers) The big difference is that the second image is 9kb the original 32kb The second image was saved at 50% JPG compression.

Next way to save on space and download time is to make the image the same size that you intend to use it. PB used this image with the image tag setting the display size to 120 x 113 pixels, half the actual size. If we make the images the display size we get...

The sizes now? The original with no loss of quality is 12kb the second at 50% compression is a mere 2kb. Using the last example we can get 16 thumbnail images for the same space used by the original image.

Food for thought for web builders.

Bob

 

[Papa Bear]

The hiking trail from the south/east is a worthy ski, very steep near the top... though the ski area will once again have lift access to the top (not quite the summit) next year. The views are best from the cut trails, of course -- outstanding.

BTW the map shows a lookout tower. Is that still standing?

 

[Tramper Al]

Prominence fine, but 50?

Hey Pb,

So I've made a nice list to check off NE 50 Finest as I hike them, and I found that I only have 21 to go! And that's including such classics as Mansfield and Katahdin, which I might have gotten around to eventually anyway. Is that possible? By the time you hike a bunch of 4000 footers, 100 Highests, county highpoints, and log some miles on the AT and LT, only a handful of these prominent mountains are left. But they are odd mountains, obscure mountains, mountains that I can't even find. So, I thank you for that.

 

[funkyfreddy]

Hi Richard, I notice from your website that you have a lot of peaks left in Vermont. Maybe if we both go to the Sept. gathering we could do some Vermont peaks together. I've only climbed 2 mountains in Vermont, Camel's Hump and Equinox, as opposed to dozens and scores in every other NE state. 4,000 footers, 100 highest, prominence peaks, county high points, 3,000 footers, etc. - I don't care. I want to hike them all!

 

[Papa Bear]

Hi Richard, I notice from your website that you have a lot of peaks left in Vermont. Maybe if we both go to the Sept. gathering we could do some Vermont peaks together. I've only climbed 2 mountains in Vermont, Camel's Hump and Equinox, as opposed to dozens and scores in every other NE state. 4,000 footers, 100 highest, prominence peaks, county high points, 3,000 footers, etc. - I don't care. I want to hike them all!

Fred

Yes, I'll be there for the gathering and I'll push to get some of my peaks. All the ones I need are on or near the LT (Mansfield, Jay Peak, Ellen and Camels Hump) as are a few VT HHs that are not FFs (Abraham, Breadloaf, Wilson & Big Jay). The only one off the LT is Cold Hollow which I would welcome company in bushwhacking. I had been saving the ones on the LT till I could hike that trail, but since that will not happen this year, I'm going for day hikes.

See you in the Catskills in a month.
Pb