buckyball1
New member
long drive, modest hike 
--North from Orrington on RT 95, exit at miles 286, drive thru Smyrna and toward Masardis on Rts 212 and 11, turn before Masardis toward Oxbow and
Reed-1885'--"Big Reed" was a total unknown {the Reed in Delorme is "Little Reed" near the 43 Mile Rd}, no beta, found nobody who'd heard of it much less climbed it and no real clues as to route from sat pics, so...I drove through the town of Oxbow (cool little place) and through the North Maine Woods Oxbow gate on the Oxbow (naturally) Rd. I chose this approach rather than thru Ashland and 6 Mile Gate because "6 Mile" is my "norm" approach to this area and i'd never been on Oxbow Rd.
It was 26 miles on Oxbow Rd (dirt of course)-nice surface, but pretty narrow and curvy (sort of like Baxter perimeter road) til i reached Pinkham Rd (mile 39) which is in superb shape-i was doing 45-50 on it with no problems. Logging activity is almost pitifully low the past 2 years-passed only 2 trucks all day. I turned onto the 47 Mile Connector ,and went about 1.75 miles (good road)and parked - overly cautious, but remember i lost a $175 heat shield last week. I walked in the old log road for about 0.6 miles. It was heavily overgrown, but i could easily have driven in-no issues at all.
Lacking any route info, i used a straight line approach to the peak-about 1.3 bushwhack miles from the old log road. The hike was uneventful, fun and "fair". The woods was mixed hard/softwoods, moderately thick the entire way, decent slopes, blowdown ranging from light to bothersome. There were no really thick spots and no steep or problem areas. Good route choices were rewarded with better going. The deer flies were crazy thick-i think they are related to cockroaches in terms of being unable to kill them.
The top was flattish, but with a modest summit bump-no sign of human visitation though some people must climb it because it's there. Easy descent into the cloud of deer flies that awaited as i passed from darker woods to sunlight again. At the car were a horde of black and white butterflies that seemed to "swarm". Another good sun drenched lounging opportunity until there were too many welts from my deer fly friends
(3 moose, 2 porcupine, a gaggle of grouse and several Osprey or Golden Eagle in the sky-both nest on the Aroostook River)
8 1/2 hr driving for 2+ hr whack--bit silly-should have combined it in 1 1/2 day trip with 2 peaks i have left in N Aroostook County--ah well
good day
8
jim
--North from Orrington on RT 95, exit at miles 286, drive thru Smyrna and toward Masardis on Rts 212 and 11, turn before Masardis toward Oxbow and Reed-1885'--"Big Reed" was a total unknown {the Reed in Delorme is "Little Reed" near the 43 Mile Rd}, no beta, found nobody who'd heard of it much less climbed it and no real clues as to route from sat pics, so...I drove through the town of Oxbow (cool little place) and through the North Maine Woods Oxbow gate on the Oxbow (naturally) Rd. I chose this approach rather than thru Ashland and 6 Mile Gate because "6 Mile" is my "norm" approach to this area and i'd never been on Oxbow Rd.
It was 26 miles on Oxbow Rd (dirt of course)-nice surface, but pretty narrow and curvy (sort of like Baxter perimeter road) til i reached Pinkham Rd (mile 39) which is in superb shape-i was doing 45-50 on it with no problems. Logging activity is almost pitifully low the past 2 years-passed only 2 trucks all day. I turned onto the 47 Mile Connector ,and went about 1.75 miles (good road)and parked - overly cautious, but remember i lost a $175 heat shield last week. I walked in the old log road for about 0.6 miles. It was heavily overgrown, but i could easily have driven in-no issues at all.
Lacking any route info, i used a straight line approach to the peak-about 1.3 bushwhack miles from the old log road. The hike was uneventful, fun and "fair". The woods was mixed hard/softwoods, moderately thick the entire way, decent slopes, blowdown ranging from light to bothersome. There were no really thick spots and no steep or problem areas. Good route choices were rewarded with better going. The deer flies were crazy thick-i think they are related to cockroaches in terms of being unable to kill them
.The top was flattish, but with a modest summit bump-no sign of human visitation though some people must climb it because it's there. Easy descent into the cloud of deer flies that awaited as i passed from darker woods to sunlight again. At the car were a horde of black and white butterflies that seemed to "swarm". Another good sun drenched lounging opportunity until there were too many welts from my deer fly friends
(3 moose, 2 porcupine, a gaggle of grouse and several Osprey or Golden Eagle in the sky-both nest on the Aroostook River)
8 1/2 hr driving for 2+ hr whack--bit silly-should have combined it in 1 1/2 day trip with 2 peaks i have left in N Aroostook County--ah well
good day
8
jim
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