buckyball1
New member
...hoping for an easy morning-both peaks are near Rockport and west of the Camden Hills, a nice little range near the ocean and only a bit over an hour from home...numbing drive in the dark down Rt 1...
Pleasant-1070' was a bit tougher than i expected. I hoped to approach from the east off Mt Pleasant Avenue (good dirt), but found what looked steep on the topo to be serious ledges and small cliffs covered with icicles-no good. My backup approach was from the gentler SW side, but i found road problems and potential property issues which made that direction problematic.
I returned to a spot NW of the mountain where the "ledges" are less steep and just started up through steep, open hardwood forest thinking about all the hunters vehicles i'd seen parked along the road
; i'm in "civilization" today and the vibe is very different than my usual (and preferred) "nowhere, ME". In a series of "up", then slab a bit north when the terrain gets too steep steps, i thread my way though the ledges making sure to note some landmarks for descent. Verglas covers the slabs.
The top is a series of open rock bumps overlooking the steepest section of east side ledges i avoided. Even on a sunless, gray day the views of the ocean and the small mountains to the east, including the cliffy "back" side of Ragged Mt (home to Camden's small Snow Bowl ski slopes) are ample reward. The best views are from the NE end of the summit, though I suspect the "top" is on the SW end.
Down and off to S Hope and E Union, then Rt 235 to a bit west of Hope itself for
Hatchett-1103'-The only issue on Hatchett is which of the power line cuts, snowmobile trails or old roads to utilize for getting near the summit. I had chosen a combo of snowmobile trail/power line from the SW, but after a "pleasant", but disingenuous exchange with a landowner i decided to try another route. As happens now and then, he wanted me to believe my preferred line was "his property" (i'm smiling and thinking no way) and that he'd really rather i didn't go that way. No big deal.
I circled the peak to the east side and found a nice rough, abandoned road to nowhere behind a land trust gate-hikers welcome. Not sure why the road was put in as only heavy construction equipment or daring 4 wheelers were ever on it in non-snow condition; lots of large, loose rock. The road just ended and i was easily able to head from there to the summit- be embarrassed to even call it a bushwhack. On the top i find four communications towers (1 large) and three hunters (all normal size). I have a nice chat with the hunters and they assure me that my preferred route is "public" (one hunter had helped build the original road back when). The top is obvious and just a few hundred feet from the big tower--great views of Ragged, the Camden Hills (a nice place for casual hikes if you're in the area) and the brooding Atlantic in it's almost-winter splendor
fun morning; perhaps one last short excursion tomorrow?
jim
Pleasant-1070' was a bit tougher than i expected. I hoped to approach from the east off Mt Pleasant Avenue (good dirt), but found what looked steep on the topo to be serious ledges and small cliffs covered with icicles-no good. My backup approach was from the gentler SW side, but i found road problems and potential property issues which made that direction problematic.
I returned to a spot NW of the mountain where the "ledges" are less steep and just started up through steep, open hardwood forest thinking about all the hunters vehicles i'd seen parked along the road
; i'm in "civilization" today and the vibe is very different than my usual (and preferred) "nowhere, ME". In a series of "up", then slab a bit north when the terrain gets too steep steps, i thread my way though the ledges making sure to note some landmarks for descent. Verglas covers the slabs.The top is a series of open rock bumps overlooking the steepest section of east side ledges i avoided. Even on a sunless, gray day the views of the ocean and the small mountains to the east, including the cliffy "back" side of Ragged Mt (home to Camden's small Snow Bowl ski slopes) are ample reward. The best views are from the NE end of the summit, though I suspect the "top" is on the SW end.
Down and off to S Hope and E Union, then Rt 235 to a bit west of Hope itself
for Hatchett-1103'-The only issue on Hatchett is which of the power line cuts, snowmobile trails or old roads to utilize for getting near the summit. I had chosen a combo of snowmobile trail/power line from the SW, but after a "pleasant", but disingenuous exchange with a landowner i decided to try another route. As happens now and then, he wanted me to believe my preferred line was "his property" (i'm smiling and thinking no way) and that he'd really rather i didn't go that way. No big deal.
I circled the peak to the east side and found a nice rough, abandoned road to nowhere behind a land trust gate-hikers welcome. Not sure why the road was put in as only heavy construction equipment or daring 4 wheelers were ever on it in non-snow condition; lots of large, loose rock. The road just ended and i was easily able to head from there to the summit- be embarrassed to even call it a bushwhack. On the top i find four communications towers (1 large) and three hunters (all normal size). I have a nice chat with the hunters and they assure me that my preferred route is "public" (one hunter had helped build the original road back when). The top is obvious and just a few hundred feet from the big tower--great views of Ragged, the Camden Hills (a nice place for casual hikes if you're in the area) and the brooding Atlantic in it's almost-winter splendor
fun morning; perhaps one last short excursion tomorrow?
jim
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