buckyball1
New member
This is a weird way to start a trip report, but I have never seen anything like the mosquito hordes i encountered today--and regardless of how this sounds, I did have fun...
I got a 230 start from Orrington so as to beat afternoon thunderboomers. The trip over was uneventful and I arrived at the Paugus Mill lot just after 6 to a warm, windless morning. As I opened the door, the car was filled with mosquitoes. I never use DEET, but always carry the industrial strength stuff and before I could get it from my pack, my mouth, ears, eyes were filled with them and they covered my arms and legs-wow. I slathered on the repellent and tried to go about my usual pre-hike prep/check, but it was hard to think about anything but the mosquitoes. I staggered to the trail head figuring they'd let up a bit when i got moving......
The plan was Brook, Bolles, then Old Paugus to the south knob and wack to the true summit. The mosquitoes just would not let up. They flew around me by the hundreds and feasted in spite of the DEET. This kept up as I hustled for the better part of 2 miles ('til past the Big Rock Cave trail). I couldn't stop to read my notes, drink or add more DEET as the situation would go from bad to unbearable. The swarm was particularly cunning in redoubling their attacks every time I slowed just a bit to rock hop the brooks, hoping to spill me into the drink. Several times I seriously considered abandoning the hike.
As I passed about 2200', the situation became tolerable and I got back into "the hike". ( the same beating occurred when i descended) The trail itself was almost dry underfoot, but could use some serious work. It's starting to grow in and littered with blowdowns both new and ancient-good practice for a 3000m steeplechase. The steep parts weren't bad, but there are several fairly large slab sections which were wet and a bit treacherous--views of Chocoura through the trees now and then and some excellent outlooks to the west (Whiteface, Passac, etc)
Arriving at the south knob outlook (where the Old Paugus and Lawrence meet and having very nice views to west and south), i was finally able to sit, eat and think a bit before starting the wack to the true summit. I never saw any sign of a herd path and assume there is none. The straight line distance between the knob and the true summit is about 0.35 miles and you need to descend maybe 75 feet or so before heading up perhaps 250 or 300 to the summit. The "50 feet" theory surely applies to this wack. On the way up, I found it a medium thick go, nothing awful though of course I got cut up being in my usual shorts/short sleeve T (don't think I'll ever change-will burn like hell in the hot tub tonight). If you don't GPS the thing, I'd suggest a TNorth bearing of maybe 349-350 degrees from the outlook knob-just look, you can see the "summit" before you enter the woods. Following advice from Audrey, I strayed to the right of derettissima on the way up to avoid a pretty serious patch of blowdown covering the last 0.1 or so. As per usual, I explored a number of possible "ledges" looking for the jar and finally found it in a small open spot (more a "knob" and not any of the obvious, more open to the sky clearings). There were only 2 entries in the jar since last fall (Albee being one ) Of course I tried to get cute and "straight-line" the descent only to end up in blowndown hell for 10-12 minutes with the trees from waist to foot level all hidden by eye high new evergreens. Finally battled through this, found my former line and came out near the "campsite" on the spur path before the south knob.
The return was mellow except for my buds waiting to once again pounce on my flesh--yes, I've gone a bit overboard about this, but I've just never had this experience in "lo these many years"--used more DEET today than in the past 4-5 years.--now some sleep and a Celts game tonight
jim
I got a 230 start from Orrington so as to beat afternoon thunderboomers. The trip over was uneventful and I arrived at the Paugus Mill lot just after 6 to a warm, windless morning. As I opened the door, the car was filled with mosquitoes. I never use DEET, but always carry the industrial strength stuff and before I could get it from my pack, my mouth, ears, eyes were filled with them and they covered my arms and legs-wow. I slathered on the repellent and tried to go about my usual pre-hike prep/check, but it was hard to think about anything but the mosquitoes. I staggered to the trail head figuring they'd let up a bit when i got moving......
The plan was Brook, Bolles, then Old Paugus to the south knob and wack to the true summit. The mosquitoes just would not let up. They flew around me by the hundreds and feasted in spite of the DEET. This kept up as I hustled for the better part of 2 miles ('til past the Big Rock Cave trail). I couldn't stop to read my notes, drink or add more DEET as the situation would go from bad to unbearable. The swarm was particularly cunning in redoubling their attacks every time I slowed just a bit to rock hop the brooks, hoping to spill me into the drink. Several times I seriously considered abandoning the hike.
As I passed about 2200', the situation became tolerable and I got back into "the hike". ( the same beating occurred when i descended) The trail itself was almost dry underfoot, but could use some serious work. It's starting to grow in and littered with blowdowns both new and ancient-good practice for a 3000m steeplechase. The steep parts weren't bad, but there are several fairly large slab sections which were wet and a bit treacherous--views of Chocoura through the trees now and then and some excellent outlooks to the west (Whiteface, Passac, etc)
Arriving at the south knob outlook (where the Old Paugus and Lawrence meet and having very nice views to west and south), i was finally able to sit, eat and think a bit before starting the wack to the true summit. I never saw any sign of a herd path and assume there is none. The straight line distance between the knob and the true summit is about 0.35 miles and you need to descend maybe 75 feet or so before heading up perhaps 250 or 300 to the summit. The "50 feet" theory surely applies to this wack. On the way up, I found it a medium thick go, nothing awful though of course I got cut up being in my usual shorts/short sleeve T (don't think I'll ever change-will burn like hell in the hot tub tonight). If you don't GPS the thing, I'd suggest a TNorth bearing of maybe 349-350 degrees from the outlook knob-just look, you can see the "summit" before you enter the woods. Following advice from Audrey, I strayed to the right of derettissima on the way up to avoid a pretty serious patch of blowdown covering the last 0.1 or so. As per usual, I explored a number of possible "ledges" looking for the jar and finally found it in a small open spot (more a "knob" and not any of the obvious, more open to the sky clearings). There were only 2 entries in the jar since last fall (Albee being one ) Of course I tried to get cute and "straight-line" the descent only to end up in blowndown hell for 10-12 minutes with the trees from waist to foot level all hidden by eye high new evergreens. Finally battled through this, found my former line and came out near the "campsite" on the spur path before the south knob.
The return was mellow except for my buds waiting to once again pounce on my flesh--yes, I've gone a bit overboard about this, but I've just never had this experience in "lo these many years"--used more DEET today than in the past 4-5 years.--now some sleep and a Celts game tonight
jim
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, and never found a jar. No plans to go back though. The breeze was nice on Chocorua today 
