Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Society
Where Maine Paddling Began
Ken Gordon responded to my proposed club hike on Middle and Peaked Mountains near North Conway, NH. Part of the Green Hills, they are two sub-2000 foot scenic summits with excellent views. Trail conditions were excellent wearing micro spikes while enjoying a partly sunny day with seasonal temperatures. We had a great half day hike. Participants: Ken Gordon and TC
It was only 10 degrees in the parking lot at Bradbury Mountain, but the lot was crammed with cars, bikes and people willing to brave the cold for a ride on some of Maine’s best fat tire trails. I had had the notion that Ryan Galway and I would be some of the few willing to ride in those conditions but I was wrong. Bradbury has become something of a destination place to ride as the well groomed trails and large amount of terrain draw riders from all over New England. Today the trails were a mix of well packed sleet (icephalt) and ice. Studded tires were very helpful and probably necessary. After a quick warmup ride we decided that it wasn’t all that cold and thoroughly enjoyed riding most of the trails on the west side of the system. The sun was bright, trails were hard and the riding could not have been any better. Looking forward to the next ride in February.
My original trip was scheduled for Saturday December 11th but was postponed due to a significant rain/ice storm. Since Suzanne & Gary Cole had planned a hike on Puzzle Mountain for the following Monday, they graciously agreed to let me post it as my club trip. It was an icy adventure. When we arrived at the trailhead parking area, it was covered with a thick layer of hard ice. Initially, trail conditions were better than the parking lot with some snow and patchy ice. Snow and ice diminished to dry ground after about a mile. At around 2,000 feet, while climbing a series of serpentine ledges, the ice became a major obstacle which continued for the remainder of the ascent. Every turn presented a new challenge. Sometimes we left the trail thrashing through brush on the side. A common technique was clinging to trees and pulling ourselves up. We nicknamed ourselves “tree huggers.” Careful placement of our micro spikes to ensure a firm grip was essential. Full crampons would have been preferable. Despite the obstacles, we made it to the summit, although it took us far longer than normal. Our careful descent was tediously slow but we made it without any falls. The memorable 6.4 mile ordeal took over six hours, two more than anticipated. Did I mention the views were great? Participants: Suzanne Cole, Gary Cole, Ken Gordon, Brent Elwell, and TC
We had a cool sunny day for our Ragged Mountain hike in the Camden Hills. At Dave Boyle’s suggestion, we chose a loop hike on two relatively new trails, Hosmer Brook and Red Tail, with a side excursion along the scenic ledges facing Grassy Pond and Mirror Lake. For the most part, dry conditions were encountered but there were some icy spots that needed to be avoided. The 4.1 mile trek was just what the doctor ordered for all of us. Participants: Suzanne Cole, Gary Cole, Dave Boyle, and TC
Four Chowderheads joined me for a climb of Caribou Mountain in Evans Notch on a cool November day. We encountered varying conditions during the 6.6 mile trek with multiple stream crossings being the most challenging obstacle. The views on the sunny windless summit were spectacular. A blanket of snow and a wet trail were experienced during the descent. Overall, it was an outstanding day with great friends.
Participants: Brent Elwell, Laurie Wunder, Tom Meredith, Nancy Chase, and TC