Spotted (still no Boil :( )--ME

[buckyball1]

After I finished Cow, I cleaned up at the Maine Roadhouse (a very basic, but for me perfect place 4 miles east of Stratton) and headed to the Loony Moose for a burger and fries. Then it was back to the Roadhouse to chat with a bunch of guys who were staying there as they worked on the Kibby project-off to bed and "what's this??"-one of the guys clearly can't handle either his alcoholic or medicinal Bud/bud (in his case both) and is "fried", ranting on about nothing and listening to "true crime stories on the TV in the bunkroom at 11PM-wowsa. I slowly seethe and finally at midnight ask him politely to turn it off. No answer, he's passed out again and I turn it off and get to sleep. 2AM... "True Crime" TV jolts me awake-t I just get up and turn it off. Our boy comes back from the bathroom and wonders out loud how can the TV be off as he has the remote in his hand-turns it on, I ask again and he says "oh, does this bother you?"--duuuh--so off he goes to the lounge TV--another night with little sleep

Up at 4 and head back to Alder Stream Rd and Boil, the sun coming up over Flagstaff Lake is again spectacular, just like a few weeks ago-you guessed it, the road work from yesterday stopped just before the huge ruts/ditches. On the way out, I see some gravel pit guys and they assure me it'll be done "by Friday". I'm a bit concerned the pit operations may leave the road impassable on many days, so think about that before you try it. So now I've "lost" 1 1/2 hours and head back to Stratton-the Kibby project guys stream north on Rt 27 like ants--time for plan "C"

I had Spotted 3401' on my radar, but hadn't planned on trying it just yet. The weather was holding and I figure, "why not?" and zipped back to Stratton and over to Rangeley/Osquossic. The "standard" road approach to Spotted using the Kennebago River Rd and the another road toward it's west side is no longer available (gated)-so no easy way to catch the snowmobile trail that runs all the way to the top-it's a whack now. I tried a way in using the roads off Rt 16 near Dodge and Round Pond. I had scoped these out on the sat pics, but had great beta from DR that they actually work. Going back in there you'd never guess you could make it as some of the roads are deteriorating (bad rocks, blown culverts, iffy bridge decks), but I made it with no real issues--getting used to this crazy Maine dirt road stuff I guess, but always a thrill, especially alone.

I was able to follow some nice old logging activity to the west and what I hoped might be a meeting with the snowmoblie trail--others told me they never reached it and just whacked "up" after awhile. I got within about 0.4 miles of the "trail", then lost my "pathways". What looked maybe "followable" on the old sat picks is now so overgrown that you can't figure it out it anymore. I looked at these "mistakes" on the way down and there was still no way to figure out "which way?". I started to slab west (i never slab-hate it) toward the "trail"-thick going and got steep as i approached that SW ridge. I finally popped out on the snowmobile trail way above where I had planned and then it was just a slog. The top is great, a nice little very open "field"--I uncharacteristically just hung out there for about 1/2 hour-perhaps because I was shot from the previous day's hikes?. The "jar" contains NO hikers??-a snowman and some moldy M&Ms graced the jar and only the names of a horde of snowmobilers who head up here. The place is littered with beer cans and I noted flagging and herd paths toward the other "Spotteds". Coming down, I pieced things together a bit better, but there's just no? way w/o a bit of real whacking to get from the snowmobile trail to the old log roads unless you're incredible lucky.
Oh, Rt 4 south of Rageley is undergoing serious reconstruction so keep that in mind especially on weekends.

a tough (for me) but rewarding set of hikes

jim

 

[marty]

Very nice trip.

I have view of that mountain from my cabin on Mooselook. I tried hiking it several years ago after reading about in the Rangeley Highlander and viewing this map:
http://rangeleyvacations.com/topo_maps/lodging_rangeley_map.htm

NOTE: YOU MAY HAVE TO SCROLL TO THE RIGHT OF THE SCREEN, DEPENDING ON YOUR RESOLUTION.

I followed the directions, driving to the end of the Quimby Pond Road and then parked. I then continued straight on a rough logging road, consistent with the on line map. Went for a long distance and the road basically became overgrown with high grass. I then turned around and looked for trail signs heading to the right. Took an old road that had some kind of marker and was very rough and led nowhere. Not wanting to do a full bushwhack that day, I decided to turn around and hiked a whole bunch of log roads near Deer Mountain.

Anyway, maybe some year I will have the urge to go back. Only time will tell.

So, were there any views from the top?

Regards,
Marty

 

[buckyball1]

M-no VFTT, but a few excellent ones from the snowmobile trail (i just found the "meadow" totally ringed by trees on the top sunny and peaceful after a few grueling days)-i started from well NE of Round Pond and I have no idea where that trail depicted with the hiker on that could be--never saw anything like that-should you ever choose to head in there try to find a way to hit the snowmobile trail low on the mountain (unless you just like 'whackin

j

 

[albee]

Not bad for a back-up plan, Jim. I took the same course that you did - tried Kennebago River Road and found it gated, then navigated some sketchy dirt roads behind Dodge Pond up past Spotted Mountain Road to a gravel pit/shooting range. Tried to follow the old roads and trails shown on the topo until I just ended up 'whacking up to the ridge and the snowmobile trail. I was there less than a year ago, so the snowmobile and jeep enthusiasts must have excised my name from the logbook. Is the jar still hanging in a Crown Royal felt bag?

 

[dms]

You can go right to the bottom of the snomo trail by going in on the road past Dodge Pond, Round Pond, Secret Bog and Beaver Bog, the road goes just to the east of Ephraim Ridge, and is driveable quite a ways towards Spotted. After a broken culvert it's walkable all the way to the bottom of the snomo trail. There used to be a small hut in the summit clearing which was filled with beer cans. There also used to be some nice views.

 

[buckyball1]

Al/dms--I think Al, DR and I all took the same drive route--Dodge Pond, then Round Pond on Round Pond Road (rough), but then Lost Logan Road rather than the Secret Bog Rd which i saw branching another direction(left?)-and finally Spotted Mt Rd to the gravel pit with the sighting bench--the hike route from there wasn't terrible, but certainly not as "pleasant" as the one dms describes--so if you're going in perhaps watch for the "Bog" Rd turn/sign, it's obvious

Al--yes the torn bag is tied high on that dead tree--the bottle was a plastic type and pretty disgusting--i thought i sorted all through the mess of rotten food, wet, torn paper, but...lots of loose paper-also small notebook that i think said "Spotted 3400"--could have easily missed something, but i saw NO 3ker type signees and tons from last winter by snowmobilers

 

[dms]

Jim taking Secret Bog Road seems counterintuitive because you are at the start of it turning away from Spotted, but the road curves back towards the northeast. This register should probably be moved into the woods in the direction of travel along the ridge, out of view of the snowmobilers.

 

[audrey]

Spotted was a stroll in 1990, starting from the end of a road that curved either south or north past Secret Bog and Beaver Bog. I don't recall finding a canister but was quite impressed by the business cards that were pasted all over that summit shack.

Boil in 1993 - there was a trip! The first try, we got hopelessly hung up in blowdowns after finding a good road along the South Branch and a good footpath along the West Branch, crossing a fine beaver dam and zigzagging up a very faint herd path/old logging road. The second time, we were able to keep to a herd path to the SW of the peak and then up a ridgeline. We got badly misplaced coming down and spent 3 hours fighting for each step. It poured the whole way down.