buckyball1
New member
I've had a lot of hikes on this list that I really enjoyed (new, interesting places, neat routes, great views), but of late a few seem to fall into "necessary, but no fun"-unfortunately North Pogy was in that category for me. I think the weather has been a factor as it's been miserable to bushwhack for much of the year-soaked in two minutes, poor footing, socked in tops etc
North Pogy is in a lightly used section of Baxter State Park. Looking at the weather pattern, I decided on a spur of the moment drive to Baxter last night, sleep inside the park and try N Pogy before the rain. You can tell how obsessed I am right now considering the weather forecast and that an ankle injured on N Turner a few days ago hasn't healed.
Useful advice for N Pogy from Roy/Spencer/JP-thanks. (not sure I used it wisely)
I arrived about 8PM at the gate, had no problem getting a lean-to at Nesowadnehuk and drove 17 slow miles to the campsite. There are now 5-6 lean-tos that form a circle around a small meadow. I arrived to find no other campers (all too frequent on weekdays this year)- a large moose lurking next to my lean-to greeted me. A quick review of the route for N Pogy, a few crossword puzzles and lights out.
Up about 445 to a partly sunny sky, got my gear ready and headed for the old Wassataquoick Trail. After considering advice from the above, all of whom have done this peak, I decided to try the old, rather than the new trail, trading overgrown trail and Wettness problems for shorter approach. I found the trail in considerably worse shape than when I was in there to do Center Mt last Sept, more blowdowns and of course more water-wet feet very quickly-trail looks like a steeplechase course with extra water hazards.
I was aware I'd probably lose the trail near the South Branch of Trout Brook, but lost it just after passing Center Mt in a maze of flooded meadows=a real mess; found it again only to lose it where expected-trail approaching non-useful point beyond Center Mt. I had waypointed what I thought was the new trail on the east side of Trout Brook and figured I'd bushwhack to there ala Spencer/Roy in 2006. I managed to navigate this low lying section (taking a smal beating) and get across all the flows of Trout Brook w/o getting wet. I then found an old road going north which matched my waypoints (ah, what a fool I am). While the road looked "right", it became thick,eventually petered out and left me "nowhere" in the middle of scrappy "swamp". After an hour of thrashing around and trying to hit my waypoints only to find them "in the woods", I finally popped out on the "new" Wassataquoick trail perhaps a mile from the Wassataquoik lean-to. I had mistakenly "waypointed" an old road closer to Trout Brook which parallels the "new trail" for a bit, then veers and disappears. Already tired and way behind schedule , I made my way to the lean-to to consider options.
The actually wack of N Pogy seems a small part of the day. I approached from the lean-to and the WSW ridge and as expected, hit a few boulder fields, then moderate woods, then fern/small maple glades, and just a bit of crap up higher-standard easy/moderate 'whack. The top is wooded and just plain ugly, lots of blowdown, a few minor bumps, no views and no obvious top- it's no woder people have struggled to "find" things up there.Knowing what lay ahead going out, I wasn't about to do an epic jar search, but I did look around for a bit and concluded I missed it or more likely a Ranger had removed it (though why a ranger would be on N Pogy is beyond me)-seems a few of them are taking down jars and asking they not be replaced. I did find a moose antler near the "top" that I thought Spencer may have left. One last sweep and wala a JP plastic jar with only JP (placed in 2001?) and Spencer/Roy in 2006 (but no cigar in it
)
I hustled down to the lean-to (slowly) and sat to decide how to get out-options not great. Try the way i came in (pretty tired to fight that crap again and hate to think about "missing" the old trail near Center or take the "new" trail -10 long miles to Nesowadnehuk for a tired bunny-then another 4+ on the road to get back to the car. I decided well, it's a "new" (read "better") trail and i can just walk with my brain on autopilot. I must say, I found little worthwhile on the "new" trail. There are a few very nice stretches, but there's mud everywhere (deep mud in places) and this for a guy who had already been thigh deep in the ankle sucking stuff 2-3 times near Trout Brook. The worst places are near Center Mt lean-to and around Center Pond. Much of the "new" trail must be muddy even in drier conditions. Then there were the endless and I mean endless bog bridges around Center Pond--i have never seen anywhere near this many on a trail-necessitates eyes glued, balancing to stay on the often narrow, wet wood-must be tough with a full pack. Nice views at Center Pond.
Maybe my opinion of the trail was colored by deep gloom of midday darkness in the woods or the now intermittent rain, but this doesn't seem like a much better option to approach the Pogys than the "old" trail. I'm now tired, soaked and wondering if i'm going to get out today--have map only (no book, waypoints, nothing descriptive for this trail and had told people I was using the old trail-yikes). The trail is a shade sketchy in a few places and there are no signs after Center lean-to (last 7 miles out) Now on my 3rd and last pairs of socks, have been taking off boots and using Tevas on several "no-hop in high water" brooks and thinking about spending my 63th birthday (tomorrow) curled up beside the trail in the rain waiting for daylight-never reached anywhere near that point, but the mind does wander when in the woods alone all day. Soon it began to pour and I just waded through the last brooks in my boots-at least 1, maybe 2 of these brooks look like "no-hop" even in lower water levels
With legs aching I finally near Nesowadnehuk (can hear a kid yelling) and stumble onto the perimeter road in a downpour--happy to be "done", but 4 miles from my car. After walking about 35 minutes, a truck finally passes and gives me a ride to the car (in my stupor I manage to sit on my glasses, probably bent beyond repair).--see several moose on perimeter road on way out and drive south on 95, not too exhausted, but leg weary--better climbs ahead.
1 (Bear)
jim
North Pogy is in a lightly used section of Baxter State Park. Looking at the weather pattern, I decided on a spur of the moment drive to Baxter last night, sleep inside the park and try N Pogy before the rain. You can tell how obsessed I am right now considering the weather forecast and that an ankle injured on N Turner a few days ago hasn't healed.
Useful advice for N Pogy from Roy/Spencer/JP-thanks. (not sure I used it wisely)
I arrived about 8PM at the gate, had no problem getting a lean-to at Nesowadnehuk and drove 17 slow miles to the campsite. There are now 5-6 lean-tos that form a circle around a small meadow. I arrived to find no other campers (all too frequent on weekdays this year)- a large moose lurking next to my lean-to greeted me. A quick review of the route for N Pogy, a few crossword puzzles and lights out.
Up about 445 to a partly sunny sky, got my gear ready and headed for the old Wassataquoick Trail. After considering advice from the above, all of whom have done this peak, I decided to try the old, rather than the new trail, trading overgrown trail and Wettness problems for shorter approach. I found the trail in considerably worse shape than when I was in there to do Center Mt last Sept, more blowdowns and of course more water-wet feet very quickly-trail looks like a steeplechase course with extra water hazards.
I was aware I'd probably lose the trail near the South Branch of Trout Brook, but lost it just after passing Center Mt in a maze of flooded meadows=a real mess; found it again only to lose it where expected-trail approaching non-useful point beyond Center Mt. I had waypointed what I thought was the new trail on the east side of Trout Brook and figured I'd bushwhack to there ala Spencer/Roy in 2006. I managed to navigate this low lying section (taking a smal beating) and get across all the flows of Trout Brook w/o getting wet. I then found an old road going north which matched my waypoints (ah, what a fool I am). While the road looked "right", it became thick,eventually petered out and left me "nowhere" in the middle of scrappy "swamp". After an hour of thrashing around and trying to hit my waypoints only to find them "in the woods", I finally popped out on the "new" Wassataquoick trail perhaps a mile from the Wassataquoik lean-to. I had mistakenly "waypointed" an old road closer to Trout Brook which parallels the "new trail" for a bit, then veers and disappears. Already tired and way behind schedule , I made my way to the lean-to to consider options.
The actually wack of N Pogy seems a small part of the day. I approached from the lean-to and the WSW ridge and as expected, hit a few boulder fields, then moderate woods, then fern/small maple glades, and just a bit of crap up higher-standard easy/moderate 'whack. The top is wooded and just plain ugly, lots of blowdown, a few minor bumps, no views and no obvious top- it's no woder people have struggled to "find" things up there.Knowing what lay ahead going out, I wasn't about to do an epic jar search, but I did look around for a bit and concluded I missed it or more likely a Ranger had removed it (though why a ranger would be on N Pogy is beyond me)-seems a few of them are taking down jars and asking they not be replaced. I did find a moose antler near the "top" that I thought Spencer may have left. One last sweep and wala a JP plastic jar with only JP (placed in 2001?) and Spencer/Roy in 2006 (but no cigar in it
)I hustled down to the lean-to (slowly) and sat to decide how to get out-options not great. Try the way i came in (pretty tired to fight that crap again and hate to think about "missing" the old trail near Center or take the "new" trail -10 long miles to Nesowadnehuk for a tired bunny-then another 4+ on the road to get back to the car. I decided well, it's a "new" (read "better") trail and i can just walk with my brain on autopilot. I must say, I found little worthwhile on the "new" trail. There are a few very nice stretches, but there's mud everywhere (deep mud in places) and this for a guy who had already been thigh deep in the ankle sucking stuff 2-3 times near Trout Brook. The worst places are near Center Mt lean-to and around Center Pond. Much of the "new" trail must be muddy even in drier conditions. Then there were the endless and I mean endless bog bridges around Center Pond--i have never seen anywhere near this many on a trail-necessitates eyes glued, balancing to stay on the often narrow, wet wood-must be tough with a full pack. Nice views at Center Pond.
Maybe my opinion of the trail was colored by deep gloom of midday darkness in the woods or the now intermittent rain, but this doesn't seem like a much better option to approach the Pogys than the "old" trail. I'm now tired, soaked and wondering if i'm going to get out today--have map only (no book, waypoints, nothing descriptive for this trail and had told people I was using the old trail-yikes). The trail is a shade sketchy in a few places and there are no signs after Center lean-to (last 7 miles out) Now on my 3rd and last pairs of socks, have been taking off boots and using Tevas on several "no-hop in high water" brooks and thinking about spending my 63th birthday (tomorrow) curled up beside the trail in the rain waiting for daylight-never reached anywhere near that point
, but the mind does wander when in the woods alone all day. Soon it began to pour and I just waded through the last brooks in my boots-at least 1, maybe 2 of these brooks look like "no-hop" even in lower water levelsWith legs aching I finally near Nesowadnehuk (can hear a kid yelling) and stumble onto the perimeter road in a downpour--happy to be "done", but 4 miles from my car. After walking about 35 minutes, a truck finally passes and gives me a ride to the car (in my stupor I manage to sit on my glasses, probably bent beyond repair).--see several moose on perimeter road on way out and drive south on 95, not too exhausted, but leg weary--better climbs ahead.
1 (Bear)
jim
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