Dave Bear
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During the spring of 2007 when I was camping out in the snow with my sister-in-law “Sunshine Chris” she told me about an adventurous hike with Joe Green. Joe had passed away the previous spring and Chris had shared the adventure with him when he was about seventy. It was the first of many they would do together but the story and the pictures from her album later on were pure bear bait for me. He had laid his route as a dogleg off the gentle sweeping backside of Franconia Ridge using the bluff overlooking Liberty Brook. His route went northeast from Liberty Spring Trail junction onto the bluff down across Liberty Brook at the fork of the north and middle branch and down the hill to the Lincoln Brook Trail on an old skidder road. His crafty route layout intrigued me and became the inspiration of much photography and reconnaissance hikes near this area. Therefore although my route was a variation of his, my weekend was an “Ode to Joe” adventure!
I was forgiven my evening out by my Valentine and headed up the trail at the crack of noon. Weather was supposed to turn more favorable Sunday afternoon, if you can trust the weatherman. It did not look as though it would clear much when I got to the ridge. I took a quick jaunt over to Liberty and looked out toward Owl’s Head and it was missing! That was fine by me because I wanted to navigate this straight course I had chosen by compass, altimeter and map. Once last year I had laid out what headings I thought Joe may have used and bearings to Flume and Little Haystack for reference. I decided on a straight run this year and wanted to see how the going would be without the summit or landmarks in the distance to reference. I had wondered on a couple of violently windy trips on the ridge whether this path would give you refuge from a storm and a gradual climb back to the ridge. I also wondered if this would be a route for high water occasions where you could cross Lincoln Brook more safely above the drainage from Liberty Brook.
I traveled to the col north of Liberty and when I got down to 4000ft I headed east at a bearing of 70 degrees true. It started out beautiful through open hardwoods and gentle grades. Soon there were a lot of spruces to the north and I found myself chest deep in a trap. This rekindled my awareness and made me travel more cautiously. I found a few more traps but most I settle into gradually and left a decent path for anyone to follow. The spruces drifted me too far south and there was a steep slope down and away to my right which would probably bring you down to where the “old Johnson logging camp” was. Does anyone know if the camp was named for Jigger Johnson?
At one point I came across a large string of clearings in a shallow valley. There appeared to be skid roads between them but it was so open there were many possibilities. A bit later I came down off a short somewhat steep ridge and reached the branch of Liberty brook below the junction of the north and middle branch. It was easily crossed and the woods on the north bank had numerous skid roads. Further down the woods thickened and at times it was better closer to the brook. Other times it was much easier a short distance north in the woods. I took gradual sweeps this way and that so my path may seem like a drunken whack but I didn’t even bring a drop with me. My trek brought me out midway between Lincoln Brook crossing and Liberty Brook crossing, only a few hundred yards south of my intended point on easy terrain to follow.
I knew a cast of characters were coming in to Owl’s Head on Monday so I made camp on the Brutus Bushwhack above the skidder road so I might get a wake up call if I slept in! During the night the wind howled in the valley and knocked me along with my tent around a bit until the wee hours of the morning. It was a good sign because it meant a high pressure was blowing in and replacing the previous low. Once the first hiker came by I packed essentials and headed up the mountain. I met him later on his way back down and he was a fine fellow from York Maine and Owl’s Head was his #46. Nice making your acquaintance Daniel! I enjoyed both summits as the sun began to shine through and light all the paths and possibilities on top. After a noontime snack I headed down and began to meet all the folks on their way up. The woman on her way to 48th summit looked pretty drawn with the climb so I gave her a dark chocolate bar to celebrate and perk her energy. I hurried to my camp and packed up so I might enjoy the company of friends on the long hike out. It would not have been wise to hike back up over the ridge and expect to be ready for work the next day!
The remnants of an upper Black Pond BW was pleasant but a hundred or so feet lower than the route I normally travel so the south end had some PUDs. It was a nice leisurely pace out with a sweet break to take in the day at Black Pond and a nice sunset on the way out Lincoln Woods trail. The mind numbing straights of LW trail quickly disappeared in the many conversations of a fun group to hike out with. Thanks for letting me join your journey out!
Joe Green was the original “eye in the sky” for WBZ and flying the helicopter and reporting traffic. I only know of his true character from discussions with Chris and never got to meet him. He was very unassuming and she hiked with him for months never knowing he was one in the same as the Boston news icon. From what she has told me he loved the woods and cleverly mastered finding solitude there while the woods were full of hikers. If on the trail with others he was quietly on his way but often searching for places where no one would go and going to lengths to break trail during the week so they may have weekend adventures. I’m sure there are others like him quietly out there doing their thing, but I am grateful to Chris for sharing theirs with me. I owe Joe a debt I can never repay other than instilling in others the gratitude you can get from adventures in the woods!
Some of my pictures:http://good-times.webshots.com/slideshow/576768382MQmLNA
I was forgiven my evening out by my Valentine and headed up the trail at the crack of noon. Weather was supposed to turn more favorable Sunday afternoon, if you can trust the weatherman. It did not look as though it would clear much when I got to the ridge. I took a quick jaunt over to Liberty and looked out toward Owl’s Head and it was missing! That was fine by me because I wanted to navigate this straight course I had chosen by compass, altimeter and map. Once last year I had laid out what headings I thought Joe may have used and bearings to Flume and Little Haystack for reference. I decided on a straight run this year and wanted to see how the going would be without the summit or landmarks in the distance to reference. I had wondered on a couple of violently windy trips on the ridge whether this path would give you refuge from a storm and a gradual climb back to the ridge. I also wondered if this would be a route for high water occasions where you could cross Lincoln Brook more safely above the drainage from Liberty Brook.
I traveled to the col north of Liberty and when I got down to 4000ft I headed east at a bearing of 70 degrees true. It started out beautiful through open hardwoods and gentle grades. Soon there were a lot of spruces to the north and I found myself chest deep in a trap. This rekindled my awareness and made me travel more cautiously. I found a few more traps but most I settle into gradually and left a decent path for anyone to follow. The spruces drifted me too far south and there was a steep slope down and away to my right which would probably bring you down to where the “old Johnson logging camp” was. Does anyone know if the camp was named for Jigger Johnson?
At one point I came across a large string of clearings in a shallow valley. There appeared to be skid roads between them but it was so open there were many possibilities. A bit later I came down off a short somewhat steep ridge and reached the branch of Liberty brook below the junction of the north and middle branch. It was easily crossed and the woods on the north bank had numerous skid roads. Further down the woods thickened and at times it was better closer to the brook. Other times it was much easier a short distance north in the woods. I took gradual sweeps this way and that so my path may seem like a drunken whack but I didn’t even bring a drop with me. My trek brought me out midway between Lincoln Brook crossing and Liberty Brook crossing, only a few hundred yards south of my intended point on easy terrain to follow.
I knew a cast of characters were coming in to Owl’s Head on Monday so I made camp on the Brutus Bushwhack above the skidder road so I might get a wake up call if I slept in! During the night the wind howled in the valley and knocked me along with my tent around a bit until the wee hours of the morning. It was a good sign because it meant a high pressure was blowing in and replacing the previous low. Once the first hiker came by I packed essentials and headed up the mountain. I met him later on his way back down and he was a fine fellow from York Maine and Owl’s Head was his #46. Nice making your acquaintance Daniel! I enjoyed both summits as the sun began to shine through and light all the paths and possibilities on top. After a noontime snack I headed down and began to meet all the folks on their way up. The woman on her way to 48th summit looked pretty drawn with the climb so I gave her a dark chocolate bar to celebrate and perk her energy. I hurried to my camp and packed up so I might enjoy the company of friends on the long hike out. It would not have been wise to hike back up over the ridge and expect to be ready for work the next day!
The remnants of an upper Black Pond BW was pleasant but a hundred or so feet lower than the route I normally travel so the south end had some PUDs. It was a nice leisurely pace out with a sweet break to take in the day at Black Pond and a nice sunset on the way out Lincoln Woods trail. The mind numbing straights of LW trail quickly disappeared in the many conversations of a fun group to hike out with. Thanks for letting me join your journey out!
Joe Green was the original “eye in the sky” for WBZ and flying the helicopter and reporting traffic. I only know of his true character from discussions with Chris and never got to meet him. He was very unassuming and she hiked with him for months never knowing he was one in the same as the Boston news icon. From what she has told me he loved the woods and cleverly mastered finding solitude there while the woods were full of hikers. If on the trail with others he was quietly on his way but often searching for places where no one would go and going to lengths to break trail during the week so they may have weekend adventures. I’m sure there are others like him quietly out there doing their thing, but I am grateful to Chris for sharing theirs with me. I owe Joe a debt I can never repay other than instilling in others the gratitude you can get from adventures in the woods!
Some of my pictures:http://good-times.webshots.com/slideshow/576768382MQmLNA
