buckyball1
New member
a day of the unexpected--
I would normally never consider driving into North Maine Woods land this early in the year, but with the lo snow winter i decided to call around to see if roads were at least semi-decent. I had a good chat with a gentleman at NMW and he felt that with a little care/judgment, my goals might be reachable even in April. He said this is the earliest the frost has been going out of the roads that he can remember. My goal for today was..
Seboomook 2330'-("near" Pittston Farm and north of Seboomook Lake)I headed out just after 3 toward Greenville (two moose on the road in the usual area between Monson and Shirley). I passed through Rockwood just in time to see the morning sun gleaming on the cliffs of Mt Kineo and turned into 20 Mile Road (dirt pathway to NMW near Pittston Farm). I've spoken re North Maine Woods before, but if you haven't, you should check out their road network (all accessible for $6 fee). NMW is a landowner (lots of logging) consortium which opens it's large dirt road network in nothern/western Maine for recreational use. Much of it is really "out there" and if you want a sense of solo/on your own, give it a try
20 Mile Road was in pretty sad shape, -frost still coming out of the ground and very rutted-there was one partially exposed rock in the middle of the road about the size of a 32" CRT TV--a surely busted car if you hit it in the dark; you won't get stuck, but you will beat hell out of your car right now. When i reached the 20 Mile Gatehouse it "wasn't there"-thought i was losing it. I know it's not manned until later in Spring, but "not there"?. I headed up Northern Rd, swung east on Golden and parked at Gulliver Brook Rd (big iron gate)about 32 miles in from Rockwood. The roads were all "OK, but wet and rutted. Too bad re the gate as Gulliver Brook Rd was a 4 1/2 mile road walk in on a road in perfect shape. It was 31 degrees and perfectly clear/sunny/still-superb hiking weather. Like a fool, i did some running on my way in-not the best idea in my leather Scarpas and with enough stuff in my pack to survive a below freezing night should things go wrong.
The hike up Seboomook was anticlimactic and very nice-fairly open hardwood and wet, but not swimming-no problems. There was a bit of snow above 2000' on the north side of the mountain and when i reached the point i had "spotted", i was in the middle of the summit plateau with higher ground on both ends. I visited both "high points" (about 200 yards apart) and they are with 5-10' of each other; i think the southern end is higher, but...Very limited views, but pretty easy going.
I was running early and on the way back to Pittston Farm, i ran into and talked to a census team-i kid you not. I find this pretty amazing as you would also should you be familiar with the area. They are looking for people of course (very few up there), but also structures of any type. They did give me the name of a guy in Millinocket who has already been a wealth of information on that area when i called him this evening.
I stopped in Pittston Farm (this is another really cool place/history you should check out with a google) and talked to some guys there about two future hikes, Ironbound and Telephone. I really enjoyed our 1/2 hour chat about everything/nothing and am getting better at being conversant with chip plants, log yards and the types of heavy equipment now used in the woods (i spoke of these before-harvester(with chainsaw like teeth almost as big as your hand), grapple skidders and the coolest-the limbers--crazy $$$-love to watch them work ). I had planned to approach Ironbound using Soldiertown Rd from 20 Mile Gate which looked OK on sat pics or perhaps come in the other way from Jackman past Boundary Bald/Heald Pond area. No go either way-from Soldiertown, the road ends at "the outhouse" and become a snowmobile road and "if you try to drive any further, you'll be walking back to get us to pull you out"--from Jackman, it also doesn't go through. Oh, did i mention the 20 mile gatehouse has been physically moved maybe 4? miles to just past the Pittston Farm (long story)
Instead of heading home early, i decided to check out the condition of the Soldiertown Rd for a future hike. As per usual, when i reached "the outhouse" and was about 3 miles from my planned "start", i got the compulsion to sort of "wing it" and try for the top. Sure i had it "planned", but not like this. My only real worry (other than the usual "what if i break my leg out here") was if i'd be "late" in calling home and worry my wife...so it was on to
Ironbound-2274' (also "near" Pittston Farm and south of Canada Falls Lake)
I parked by the outhouse, put my pack on and again "ran" as best i could down/up the snowmobile trail. There were some outstanding views from a perspective i've never seen of the Boundary Bald ridge-another cool place if you've never been. Sweat poured off me as i was in "whack" clothes and it was full sun and up to 61 degrees-not a cloud in the sky. I was making it up as i went trying to decide whether to follow the "trail" to my intended start (circuitous) or to straight line thru the woods for the peak.My fondness for direttissima and the relatively open looking woods got the best of me and in i went-going all out and puffing like a locomotive.
It wasn't Southern VT open woods, but neither was it normal Maine; easy going thru hardwoods most of the way with the obligatory snow/steeps/evergreens/blowdowns in the last 0.2 miles. Most of the whack was perfect-decent going, warm, full sun-they should all be like this. Not having planned to hike Ironbound today, i had only an "almost" top scoped out, but the summit was fairly obvious, decent, but no views. Of course neither summit today had a JP jar as they were under 2400'. When i returned to the snowmobile trail, i was pretty shot from pushing so hard all day on little sleep-it took me a minute to think which was the correct direction to the car
.
My next hike up there is Telephone hill about 77 miles in one way on dirt roads from Rockwood (or maybe from Millinocket end). I got some good info on the roads, but even the long time "residents" i spoke with had never heard of Telephone Hill and i'm not sure how close i can get (that end of Russell Mt Rd was terrible when i was last in there)--i am stupid enough that i was going to get up before 3 again tomorrow and drive back up-fortunately it's already raining there, so i'll do it another day--good thing as i'm not sure what my legs might feel like tomorrow from the running/pushing-few mild cramps from electrolyte lose already tonight
yes many of them are becoming crazy hikes in very remote spots, making for super long days-but i love it (as long as my car doesn't breakdown/get stuck)--the fellow i talked with tonight from Millinocket broke down in Seboomook Mt area last week and the tow cost was going to be $800 ($5 per mile round trip)-yikes-i try not to consider that
jim
I would normally never consider driving into North Maine Woods land this early in the year, but with the lo snow winter i decided to call around to see if roads were at least semi-decent. I had a good chat with a gentleman at NMW and he felt that with a little care/judgment, my goals might be reachable even in April. He said this is the earliest the frost has been going out of the roads that he can remember. My goal for today was..
Seboomook 2330'-("near" Pittston Farm and north of Seboomook Lake)I headed out just after 3 toward Greenville (two moose on the road in the usual area between Monson and Shirley). I passed through Rockwood just in time to see the morning sun gleaming on the cliffs of Mt Kineo and turned into 20 Mile Road (dirt pathway to NMW near Pittston Farm). I've spoken re North Maine Woods before, but if you haven't, you should check out their road network (all accessible for $6 fee). NMW is a landowner (lots of logging) consortium which opens it's large dirt road network in nothern/western Maine for recreational use. Much of it is really "out there" and if you want a sense of solo/on your own, give it a try
20 Mile Road was in pretty sad shape, -frost still coming out of the ground and very rutted-there was one partially exposed rock in the middle of the road about the size of a 32" CRT TV--a surely busted car if you hit it in the dark; you won't get stuck, but you will beat hell out of your car right now. When i reached the 20 Mile Gatehouse it "wasn't there"-thought i was losing it. I know it's not manned until later in Spring, but "not there"?. I headed up Northern Rd, swung east on Golden and parked at Gulliver Brook Rd (big iron gate)about 32 miles in from Rockwood. The roads were all "OK, but wet and rutted. Too bad re the gate as Gulliver Brook Rd was a 4 1/2 mile road walk in on a road in perfect shape. It was 31 degrees and perfectly clear/sunny/still-superb hiking weather. Like a fool, i did some running on my way in-not the best idea in my leather Scarpas and with enough stuff in my pack to survive a below freezing night should things go wrong.
The hike up Seboomook was anticlimactic and very nice-fairly open hardwood and wet, but not swimming-no problems. There was a bit of snow above 2000' on the north side of the mountain and when i reached the point i had "spotted", i was in the middle of the summit plateau with higher ground on both ends. I visited both "high points" (about 200 yards apart) and they are with 5-10' of each other; i think the southern end is higher, but...Very limited views, but pretty easy going.
I was running early and on the way back to Pittston Farm, i ran into and talked to a census team-i kid you not. I find this pretty amazing as you would also should you be familiar with the area. They are looking for people of course (very few up there), but also structures of any type. They did give me the name of a guy in Millinocket who has already been a wealth of information on that area when i called him this evening.
I stopped in Pittston Farm (this is another really cool place/history you should check out with a google) and talked to some guys there about two future hikes, Ironbound and Telephone. I really enjoyed our 1/2 hour chat about everything/nothing and am getting better at being conversant with chip plants, log yards and the types of heavy equipment now used in the woods (i spoke of these before-harvester(with chainsaw like teeth almost as big as your hand), grapple skidders and the coolest-the limbers--crazy $$$-love to watch them work ). I had planned to approach Ironbound using Soldiertown Rd from 20 Mile Gate which looked OK on sat pics or perhaps come in the other way from Jackman past Boundary Bald/Heald Pond area. No go either way-from Soldiertown, the road ends at "the outhouse" and become a snowmobile road and "if you try to drive any further, you'll be walking back to get us to pull you out"--from Jackman, it also doesn't go through. Oh, did i mention the 20 mile gatehouse has been physically moved maybe 4? miles to just past the Pittston Farm (long story)
Instead of heading home early, i decided to check out the condition of the Soldiertown Rd for a future hike. As per usual, when i reached "the outhouse" and was about 3 miles from my planned "start", i got the compulsion to sort of "wing it" and try for the top. Sure i had it "planned", but not like this. My only real worry (other than the usual "what if i break my leg out here") was if i'd be "late" in calling home and worry my wife...so it was on to
Ironbound-2274' (also "near" Pittston Farm and south of Canada Falls Lake)
I parked by the outhouse, put my pack on and again "ran" as best i could down/up the snowmobile trail. There were some outstanding views from a perspective i've never seen of the Boundary Bald ridge-another cool place if you've never been. Sweat poured off me as i was in "whack" clothes and it was full sun and up to 61 degrees-not a cloud in the sky. I was making it up as i went trying to decide whether to follow the "trail" to my intended start (circuitous) or to straight line thru the woods for the peak.My fondness for direttissima and the relatively open looking woods got the best of me and in i went-going all out and puffing like a locomotive.
It wasn't Southern VT open woods, but neither was it normal Maine; easy going thru hardwoods most of the way with the obligatory snow/steeps/evergreens/blowdowns in the last 0.2 miles. Most of the whack was perfect-decent going, warm, full sun-they should all be like this. Not having planned to hike Ironbound today, i had only an "almost" top scoped out, but the summit was fairly obvious, decent, but no views. Of course neither summit today had a JP jar as they were under 2400'. When i returned to the snowmobile trail, i was pretty shot from pushing so hard all day on little sleep-it took me a minute to think which was the correct direction to the car
.My next hike up there is Telephone hill about 77 miles in one way on dirt roads from Rockwood (or maybe from Millinocket end). I got some good info on the roads, but even the long time "residents" i spoke with had never heard of Telephone Hill and i'm not sure how close i can get (that end of Russell Mt Rd was terrible when i was last in there)--i am stupid enough that i was going to get up before 3 again tomorrow and drive back up-fortunately it's already raining there, so i'll do it another day--good thing as i'm not sure what my legs might feel like tomorrow from the running/pushing-few mild cramps from electrolyte lose already tonight
yes many of them are becoming crazy hikes in very remote spots, making for super long days-but i love it (as long as my car doesn't breakdown/get stuck)--the fellow i talked with tonight from Millinocket broke down in Seboomook Mt area last week and the tow cost was going to be $800 ($5 per mile round trip)-yikes-i try not to consider that
jim
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