JoeCedar
07-01-2010, 08:13 PM
Going up to Maine for hiking had always seemed like a bother to me, particularly to Katahdin where advance parking and/or camping reservations were required. If I drive more than ½ hour to the trailhead, it’s a big deal. Upper Works or Corey’s road are my outer limits, at about an hour away. That problem went away when procook131 and redshorts47 invited me to join their group to climb the three peaks >4000 feet in Baxter State Park. They had already obtained the reservations and took care of the trip planning logistics. But Baxter is a LONG way from here (it’s a long way from anywhere) and I didn’t want to drive all the way up there just to take two hikes, so I began planning what else to do on the trip. Not being an inveterate peakbagger, I wasn’t really interested in the NE111 list but since I was lacking only Maine and Vermont to finish, I thought I might as well look into it. So here is my trip report in brief form. I’ll spare you the numbers and details, just providing the highlights of a nice tour of the Maine 4000 footer peaks.
June 25. Old Speck is a White Mountain peak just over the border in Maine and it offered a welcome break to get out of the car after driving about four hours with another four hours driving after that. The trail was nice and led to a dinky steel tower on the summit. Back in the car, I moved on to Millinocket where I met up with the rest of the gang.
June 26. The forecast was for showers and the group decided to climb North Brother, a 4151 foot peak (but still requiring a parking pass). On the rocky summit, we knew from a compass bearing where Katahdin was (and knew it was big) but could not see anything but clouds. The forecast was correct as we had very limited views due to low clouds and even some rain showers on the way back. We were very surprised to see someone we knew--Yvon and Annie-- as we descended. They are close to finishing the NE111. The good parts of this short hike were that we just got a little wet and were able to start happy hour much earlier in the afternoon back at the campground.
June 27. Katahdin via the Knife Edge trail and over to Hamlin Peak and back was the plan and we were happy that the weather cooperated. It was a beautiful sunny cool day with light wind. I must admit, I was really impressed with this mountain and trail. It beats anything I have climbed in the northeast U.S.—outstanding! The only problem was that there was no time for happy hour. Thanks, guys, for letting me tag along! We all needed to hit the road and I hopped into the car for a three hour drive through rural Maine to Stratton, base camp (a hotel, actually) for the next few days.
June 28. Rain most of the night and in the morning did not bode well for this day’s hiking objectives (four peaks). I decided to put my pack in the car “just in case” and drive around some and see the area. Getting to Rangeley, the rain had stopped so I drove up to the Saddleback Ski area. The clouds became thick as I got about half way up the ski slope and I saw nothing but clouds and rain/wind from Saddleback to The Horn on the AT, which is supposed to be a spectacular hike on a clear day. The Bigelows, West and Avery Peak, were in my plan but I went back to the hotel to dry out and rest up for the big event.
June 29. Good weather was forecast for this, the most difficult day of my Maine trip, Sugarloaf, Spaulding, Abraham, Redington, South Crocker, and Crocker—aka “The Caribou Valley Six”. These mountains lie on both sides of a long valley served by Caribou Pond Road—which makes Corey’s Road look like an interstate (see Yvon’s eloquent description and pictures). My route was a loop starting with Sugarloaf, Spaulding, and Abraham on the east side, then walking north up an old logging road and climbing the peaks on the west side, Redington, S Crocker, and Crocker. These are not really high mountains, close to 4000 feet elevation, but most hikers climb them in two day hikes. My trip planning, with helpful advice from Yvon and Jay H, proved successful although walking the logging roads for more than six miles in the hot sun was a bit tiring. I even got to see an old-time unimproved herdpath between the Redington col and S Crocker. It was great to get up on S Crocker, go over to Crocker, and return to return to the trailhead on the AT.
June 30. The Bigelows, West and Avery Peak, are beautiful mountains with a shared col on the AT. They are only 0.8 miles apart with a few hundred feet of ascent. Still, the views were spectacular with huge Flagstaff Lake on the north and the previous day’s mountains on the south. The Fire Warden’s trail had the most extensive rock steps I have ever seen, needed for the steep climb to the col. After a snack at the trailhead, it was time to jump in the car and begin the drive home. On the ferry, I saw dark clouds and rain falling in the Adirondacks through the late afternoon sun. It was nice to be home again, but I really enjoyed climbing in Maine, and I want to go back sometime to look around some more.
June 25. Old Speck is a White Mountain peak just over the border in Maine and it offered a welcome break to get out of the car after driving about four hours with another four hours driving after that. The trail was nice and led to a dinky steel tower on the summit. Back in the car, I moved on to Millinocket where I met up with the rest of the gang.
June 26. The forecast was for showers and the group decided to climb North Brother, a 4151 foot peak (but still requiring a parking pass). On the rocky summit, we knew from a compass bearing where Katahdin was (and knew it was big) but could not see anything but clouds. The forecast was correct as we had very limited views due to low clouds and even some rain showers on the way back. We were very surprised to see someone we knew--Yvon and Annie-- as we descended. They are close to finishing the NE111. The good parts of this short hike were that we just got a little wet and were able to start happy hour much earlier in the afternoon back at the campground.
June 27. Katahdin via the Knife Edge trail and over to Hamlin Peak and back was the plan and we were happy that the weather cooperated. It was a beautiful sunny cool day with light wind. I must admit, I was really impressed with this mountain and trail. It beats anything I have climbed in the northeast U.S.—outstanding! The only problem was that there was no time for happy hour. Thanks, guys, for letting me tag along! We all needed to hit the road and I hopped into the car for a three hour drive through rural Maine to Stratton, base camp (a hotel, actually) for the next few days.
June 28. Rain most of the night and in the morning did not bode well for this day’s hiking objectives (four peaks). I decided to put my pack in the car “just in case” and drive around some and see the area. Getting to Rangeley, the rain had stopped so I drove up to the Saddleback Ski area. The clouds became thick as I got about half way up the ski slope and I saw nothing but clouds and rain/wind from Saddleback to The Horn on the AT, which is supposed to be a spectacular hike on a clear day. The Bigelows, West and Avery Peak, were in my plan but I went back to the hotel to dry out and rest up for the big event.
June 29. Good weather was forecast for this, the most difficult day of my Maine trip, Sugarloaf, Spaulding, Abraham, Redington, South Crocker, and Crocker—aka “The Caribou Valley Six”. These mountains lie on both sides of a long valley served by Caribou Pond Road—which makes Corey’s Road look like an interstate (see Yvon’s eloquent description and pictures). My route was a loop starting with Sugarloaf, Spaulding, and Abraham on the east side, then walking north up an old logging road and climbing the peaks on the west side, Redington, S Crocker, and Crocker. These are not really high mountains, close to 4000 feet elevation, but most hikers climb them in two day hikes. My trip planning, with helpful advice from Yvon and Jay H, proved successful although walking the logging roads for more than six miles in the hot sun was a bit tiring. I even got to see an old-time unimproved herdpath between the Redington col and S Crocker. It was great to get up on S Crocker, go over to Crocker, and return to return to the trailhead on the AT.
June 30. The Bigelows, West and Avery Peak, are beautiful mountains with a shared col on the AT. They are only 0.8 miles apart with a few hundred feet of ascent. Still, the views were spectacular with huge Flagstaff Lake on the north and the previous day’s mountains on the south. The Fire Warden’s trail had the most extensive rock steps I have ever seen, needed for the steep climb to the col. After a snack at the trailhead, it was time to jump in the car and begin the drive home. On the ferry, I saw dark clouds and rain falling in the Adirondacks through the late afternoon sun. It was nice to be home again, but I really enjoyed climbing in Maine, and I want to go back sometime to look around some more.