Spencer Road in norther Maine?

[Papa Bear]

Anyone know how drivable Spencer Road is? It's a logging road that connects Baudery Road over to Route 201. (Delorme map 39 & 40).

I've heard it's usually OK once mud season is over.

Thanks

 

[bigmoose]

A bunch of us were up in the Beaudry over Memorial Day weekend, Richard.
Some traveled the whole length of the Gold Brook-Spencer Roads between 27 & 201, but I can only speak for the stretch between Appleton Corner (where another logging road branches off toward Merrill and Van Dyke) and the Three-Slide/#5 Mountain area. The road was mostly fine, but there was a washed-out culvert in a low-lying area approaching the #5 "trailhead". The eroded section was filled with spruce logs placed transversely alongside the bared pipe. That bridging got us across, but on the return the tires of the Subaru I was riding in kicked up one of the logs as we passed over, resulting in a sidewall puncture and flat tire.
When I go up in that area, I load four 2x10 planks into my trunk for just such situations.

 

[Gamehiker]

It's been a couple of years but the first 12 miles or so in from Rt 201 are usually 35-45 MPH easy. After that the road narrows a little and you have to slow down. The section that Bigmoose mentioned is winding, narrow and has several culverts that may washout in wet conditions.

Jim

 

[Papa Bear]

Sounds like going from Rte. 27 to Rte 201 through Canada is the safer and undoubtedly faster route. We did that in late Fall of 2004 (Winter conditions) and it was pretty much a breeze.

I just figured I'd ask about Spencer Road under summer conditions. It would seem it's not actively used for logging at this time, at least on the western stretch mentioned above.

 

[RoySwkr]

The road was mostly fine, but there was a washed-out culvert in a low-lying area approaching the #5 "trailhead". The eroded section was filled with spruce logs placed transversely alongside the bared pipe.

That was true the 1st time I was there, but it could be bypassed via side road to Rock Pd campsite which was except for that spot much worse

That bridging got us across, but on the return the tires of the Subaru I was riding in kicked up one of the logs as we passed over, resulting in a sidewall puncture and flat tire.

One reason to bring full sized spare, and maybe extra spare

 

[albee]

I drove the whole length of that road averaging about 40 MPH a few weeks ago. Aside from the tenuously washed-out culvert near Three Slide Mtn that Bigmoose mentioned, any passenger car should have no trouble. The eastern end has seen a lot of logging activity recently, and is wide and smoothly graded.