When it comes to gear reviews, nothing replaces real world use. You can’t expect to learn much from someone who starts writing before they open the box and is done soon after. Every item needs to be taken out into the world so you can determine its limits and how well it holds up while doing the things you go out there to do.
That being said, I think backyard testing also plays an important role and I think that is true for everyone, not just reviewers. Being familiar with how things work before you go is just common sense, yet every year a lot of folks head out into the woods with a new tent, stove, or other item they have never used before. The stories I read about the first few overnight spots along the AT and the tales of misadventure folks get into with unfamiliar gear there both amuse and frighten me. It just seems outrageous to begin a 2000 mile hike without at least trying things out once, but apparently it is somewhat common.
I find backyard testing to be especially useful for trying out various sleep system setups. The time to find out that something isn’t right is at home rather than out on the trail. Most of the year it is just about comfort, but for cold weather camping survival is also a factor. Plenty of other gear such as water purification and food supply fall into that category year round. The folks on the AT have the benefit of being in contact with other people who can be pretty helpful and that may be why so many feel comfortable heading out basically unprepared. Where I go I may not see anyone for days if things go well so I don’t pretend someone will save me from my foolishness.
That brings me to last night’s backyard test to see just how good this new over quilt really is when it gets cold. I set up the tent and bedding early to make sure everything was at ambient temperature before I headed out for the night. It was just dipping past 0°f when I peeled down to fleece sleep layers and crawled under the quilts to read by lantern light for a few hours.
Unlike a mummy bag a quilt leaves your head to defend itself from the cold. In really cold weather like this I sleep in a fur lined Mad Bomber with a balaclava underneath. Last night I tried out a new polypropylene one which was light enough to breath through yet provided enough vapor barrier that I didn’t have any frost on the top of my hat in the morning.
Underneath I had two Therm-a-Rest pads, a Trail Pro and a Neoair Xlite. Above I had the Ventra 40°f down quilt with the new EE Prodigy 20°f on top. One other new addition for this test was on my hands which are usually an issue for me. I recently picked up some military ECWCS mitts and discovered the removable liner mitts might make for good sleepwear so long as they were dry at the end of the day.
The sleeping was pretty good for most of the night. I had to step out of the tent a few times which definitely was an eye opener, but was able to get the quilts warmed up again each time. An hour or so before dawn I woke up and could feel the cold. Temperatures by this point had dropped towards -15°f and rearranging the bedding wasn’t doing the trick.
I admitted that I’d found the limits of this new quilt combo and started reaching for insulation fast. First I pulled on a puffy jacket and then the nano puff pants. Crawling back under the quilts I could feel my body was making some headway as it warmed up the new layers, but it wasn’t enough. With cold you want to stay ahead of the game. Once you get behind catching up is difficult. In the wild I would have popped a chemical hand warmer at this point, but since I had the option I pulled the plug on this test.
Based on this test I now know that I don’t need extra insulation to go a little below zero, but if I’m going a lot below zero I should wear more to bed. Finding that out via a backyard test meant I could go inside the house, toss some wood on the fire and ponder my new found wisdom from under a blanket on the couch. Doing that same research in the wilds probably wouldn’t have killed me, but it certainly wouldn’t have ended with Mrs Stranger making me heart shaped pancakes for breakfast. Another of the benefits of backyard testing!
Whether you are an old hand picking up a new bit of kit or you are just getting started with an entire caboodle of unfamiliar gear it is worth spending a little time getting to know just what you’ve got. If you’re going to have problems close to home is always better than somewhere on the path less traveled by
I took this trip back in January before the snow finally started falling. The Lincoln Woods parking lot was a solid slab of ice from the mid-winter thaw a few weeks prior. I put on my trail crampons before I pulled my pack out of the car. The Eastside Trail was bad until the washout and then much worse after that.
The whole trail was covered in frozen footprints and I was really glad I’d brought the spikes in addition to the snowshoes.
The river was littered with giant slabs of ice on both sides. The thaw and rain had produced a huge flow that literally exploded the thick ice cover from the river.
The slabs were 8-10 inches, varying in size from dinner plate to dinner table. Most were pretty big making an impressive sound when thumped. The big ice pieces also made some interesting noises floating down the river bouncing off of rocks and the encroaching ice cover. I’ll bet they were making some really interesting noises when the thaw hit and the river exploded!
Just after I set up camp the sun popped out for a little bit. Temps were in the low teens but the wind wasn’t doing much so it didn’t seem too cold.
Once I finished setting up camp it was time to get rid of a sweaty base layer to get ready for hanging out in the cold. Winter camping is all about maintaining your body temp because it is hard to catch up once you get behind. Taking a minute to swap out my base and let my fur air dry for a minute would keep me warmer in the long run.
I use a two man tent for winter solo trips to give me plenty of room for gear. This is an old TNF Tephra 22. They still make a tent with that name but it is very different. Mine is really a three season tent, but I’ve figured out how to use it in the snow pretty well over the last few years.
Once I got all settled in and warmed up I pulled out a book I’d brought to pass some time and realized I’d left my glasses in my pack outside heh. I’ve only worn glasses a year or so now and still forget I need them though that chilly trip to fetch them should help me remember next time.
This is how I dressed when I got up the next morning as my fur was no match for the low single digit temps. Puttering around camp a person doesn’t generate a lot of heat so it is important to hang on to what you’ve got.
These water bottles spent the night inside the tent with me tucked inside gloves in hopes of not freezing solid. The one with warm water was pretty slushy by morning and the other was almost frozen solid.
One thing I did to generate some heat that morning was to cut up some firewood. I figured that afternoon I’d build a fire. I don’t usually bring a saw but this time of year it is nice to be able to burn bigger pieces of wood that last a bit longer.
Finally there was a reason to get the snowshoes out! I headed off into the wilderness towards Cedar Brook. There was a ski trail broken out which I tried to avoid as I broke out a snowshoe trail next to it.
The ice was trying to reform on the river below. It made for some interesting views and the sound of water took some of the edge off my crunching through the snow.
Looking at these pictures makes me shiver now, but at the time I was warm. Something about breaking trail even in shallow snow will do that.
I was expecting snow that evening and by noon I could see and feel the storm coming. The wind picked up a bit and there was more of a bite to the air. I needed to make some more water anyway so I figured it was a good time to make some cocoa while I had the stove out.
Up til this point I’d gotten away with using my canister stove by keeping the fuel can in my jacket for a while before use. A snowshoe made a good base for keeping the can out of the snow. This time though I think it was too cold for the O rings as I couldn’t get the stove to seal to any of the canisters I had with me.
I considered lighting a fire, but the thought of my pretty GSI kettle charring over a wood fire made me sad. So since I had daylight to get out I packed everything up and hit the trail. With all the new winter gear I’ve acquired my ability to survive the cold had surpassed my stove which I found oddly satisfying.
Now armed with a truly winter capable stove I’m hoping to head back in the near future. The Whites have seen a lot of snow in the last few weeks so I’ll have to really dig if I want to find that pile of firewood I left behind. On the other hand the temps have been dropping even lower so even if I can’t find the wood pile the digging will be good for keeping me warm 🙂
For as long as I can remember, upon arrival at the trailhead there was a standard ceremony of scarfing down a Clif Bar, donning the pack and getting out on the trail as fast as possible. Other than the brand or flavor of snack it seems most other folks follow this same tradition.
It makes sense in a way. After being cooped up in a car or hanging on to your scoot for a long drive it is natural to want to get moving. You’ve had all that time to think about the adventures waiting for you out there and now you’re like a horse in the starting gate, raring to go.
Last year, just past mud season, I was unpacking my bike in the Grafton Loop parking lot and munching a Clif Bar and noticed the one other guy in the lot was performing a similar ritual. We had time for a few cursory remarks about our plans before he took off at speed in the opposite direction I was headed. I finished my transition from biker trash to hiker trash and sped off the other way myself.
Something about that scene stuck in my head and still does now. Over the course of this past year I’ve been working on cultivating a different attitude at the trailhead. One of the keys has been bringing along a sandwich or two to replace the pretrail bar, but they are more than nutrition. They are a reminder to not rush through the stepping off process.
Slowing down that transition from off trail persona and getting the lion’s share of it done before putting on the pack can really change the way the first few miles of trail are experienced. Sections I’d walked a number of times before seemed a bit new because I was actually seeing where I was. By shedding that pretrip tension in the parking lot rather than taking it out on the start of the trail I find myself slipping into my deep woods persona much earlier in my trips. Since weekends are much easier to get away for than weeks that ability can be very useful. If I can have a day three mentality by the end of day one it is definitely going to be a great day two!
There is more than just sandwiches that goes into this plan. My favorite places to go are hours away so I’ve had to be more strict about getting out on the road earlier so I’ll have the time to relax at the trailhead. Still, a really good sandwich or two is enough to slow me down even if I am running a bit late. That thing that will make you slow down might be something else, but think about what it might be. Then next time you hit the trail take a few minutes to enjoy the experience before the adventure. Nature is patient and will wait for you on paths less traveled by
I took advantage of a spare bit of time to wander down to the river today. It was a bit chilly to start, but breaking trail through ankle deep snow with a crunchy ice crust soon had me opening zippers and feeling over dressed. This cold snap seems to have put a solid cap on the river. I didn’t see any open water and the ice was quiet other than a couple of barks.
Checking my favorite spot for winter stealthing I found the early, heavy snows had bent a tree ominously over it. With my habit of sneaking out there to ride out blizzards spot selection is vital and it looks like I need to find a new one. Burrowing under the quilt listening to the wind roaring down the river and through the trees is a great feeling, but requires faith that you aren’t going to get crushed. Without that you just have a long, dark night of bracing to catch a few tons of tree every time you hear the wind building. Yup, gonna need to find a new spot!
As I was crunching down the trail on my way back I was busy thinking about a bunch of things. Should I buy those new snow shoes? How fancy do I want to get with this pulk I’m thinking about building? When will the new top quilt be sewn and shipped so I can start trying it out? When will the wind pants I’m supposed to start testing arrive?
Among all the chatter in my head I began to notice something else intruding and then realized it was some squawking that sounded to be in the trees up ahead. The noise continued and grew louder leading me to quickly guess it was a flying commotion; perhaps gulls? Then I saw them flying just above the trees along the river. Three bald eagles side by side sailed towards me and right over my head only stopping their conversation for a moment as they noticed me below and then picking it right back up once they’d flown past.
I stopped for a moment to watch them fly off down the river and then returned to my crunching homeward. My thoughts didn’t return to all those questions though. I was struck by an answer it seemed the eagles had brought me instead. Getting out there, where ever there is, is about being there. For all the time, money and thought we put into our gear it really is only important in that it lets us be out there.
It seems a lot of folks lose focus on the experience in favor of making it all about gear. That makes me feel a little sad when I see it in other people and I realized I’m just as capable of that to some extent. Here I was stomping through the woods on a bright and shiny winter’s day but my thought’s were on anything but where I was.
The eagles may have just been flying home from a late lunch and I’m making too much out of their visit. Maybe Nature herself didn’t send them to remind me to notice how great things are right this very moment rather than endlessly thinking about what comes next. I consider it a valuable reminder where ever it came from. It isn’t about the stuff we’ve got or the stuff we want next. If it was we could just stay home with our piles of stuff. It’s about getting out there, where ever your there is, and being there.
A year ago I started this site as a form of therapy to help me get through trail withdrawal during the long winter months. Sure I was hiking and even camping out in the snow, but lacking the right equipment for extended cold weather adventures I definitely had too much time on my hands. I wasn’t sure exactly what my plans were for the site then so I was able to let it form naturally.
During those first few months there were lots of posts, then thankfully the snow melted and the trails dried so posting became a rarity. Last year was definitely a year of expanding adventures out on the trails. With a theme built around an intended September unassisted Long Trail thru hike I spent a lot of time reworking gear, nutrition and the type of trails I was hiking. Having my knee blow up coming down Zealand changed things up mid-summer and the rest of the year was a series of tests to see how well it was working. The LT plan went out the window, but that left room for some other adventures.
Some of them brought troubles of their own, but all of them, the family trips and the solo ones, brought such beauty and happiness into my world that even the worst difficulties are nothing to complain about. Ultimately that is what I see this site being about; It’s all so dang beautiful that I just have to share it with people. If it inspires others to get out there or to at least do something to bring adventure into their lives that is great, but if not then at least it remains good therapy for me. Something to carry me over the times I’m not out there and to vent some of that joy I find when I do get out there.
One thing that has surprised me over this year is how quiet blog readers are for the most part. Based on the likes and views statistics I can tell there are people out there actually reading my stuff, or at least looking at the pictures heh, but few people have responded via comments. Personally I love to respond to what others are posting whether it be questions, informational or just appreciation for what they’ve said. Considering bloggers by definition are people with something to say it just strikes me as odd that they don’t seem to interact more. I guess I’m saying, be it here or on other blogs you read; Don’t be so shy, speak up if you have something to say!
When I started the site I said I would give it a year as an experiment and see if I wanted to keep going. The renewal notices came in last month warning me it was drawing near to decision time and I realized the choice had already been made. This site has become an extension of my world that serves a purpose for me if no one else so, for at least one more year, I’ve decided to stick with it.
Thanks for reading or at least looking at the pics 🙂 I’ll be updating the review page soon with a slew of reviews with a mix of gear and food items. Maybe I’ll even get around to finishing up the LNT series, but no promises. Just ordered a new top quilt and am working out plans to build a pulk so hopefully there will be some snow covered paths less traveled to post about soon.
With the Fall colors fading along with the autumn sun I figured I’d best make one more run into the Pemi Wilderness before the snow started flying. The plan called for a relaxing few nights in the woods with no major climbs and for once things went pretty much according to plan.
I arrived a bit chilled after a few hours on the scoot, especially my hands. It was definitely getting late in the season, but there was sun on the Lincoln Woods side of the pass. I warmed up a bit as I unpacked and scarfed down a sandwich I’d tucked into the saddle bags. A guy coming off the trail and packing up his van stopped to admire how I’d gotten my gear there strapped on the bike, though he may have had his eye on my sandwich as well heh.
With nice cool weather and no one to slow me down I headed out on the Eastside Trail at a good clip. I soon passed the gate into the wilderness at the far end of the campground three miles in. Having made more than a few trips on this trail it is becoming comfortingly familiar. Ticking off landmarks is like loosening a belt as I get deeper into the wilderness. The Cedar Brook crossing followed by the climb up the hill to the Cedar Brook Trail sign, the confusing intersection where the trail to the old bridge remains an unsigned mystery and finally the Thoreau Falls Trail sign.
All my previous trips had taken me on the Thoreau Falls Trail in one direction or another if not both. This time I stayed to the right and found myself on totally unfamiliar ground. This stretch of the Wilderness Trail tended to stay up high and back from the river. Eventually the trail crossed over the river near where the various notch brooks join with the Shoal Pond Brook.
I set up my little stealth camp as the light began to fade. Admittedly that wasn’t all that late this time of year, but I wanted to filter some water and get dinner in before full dark.
I don’t need much space to set the Hubba up, especially in nice weather when I don’t need to use the vestibule. Note the carefully undisturbed baby pine at my front door. In the morning, once I picked up my gear I just fluffed the leaves a bit with my poles and you’d never know anyone had been there.
Having gone to bed early I was ready to go at first light. I had breakfast, packed up and was on my way in time to capture some early morning steam in the Stillwater area.
There was still some color in the trees here and combined with the early morning sun and the steaming brook it made for a spot worth stopping to appreciate for a bit.
Heading up the Shoal Pond Trail I soon came into this stand of pines. The ground below was relatively open making them seem amazingly straight and tall.
The trail followed the Shoal Pond Brook for a while. Even with the very dry year there were still pools and small falls to be seen. Not sure I’d want to try some of these crossings in a wet year from the size of the beds.
After leaving the brook behind I hiked on and up for a bit. Just when I was starting to think the trail must have bypassed the pond I came into this boggy area and stopped to look at Whitewall Mt in the distance. Then I noticed a splash of blue out there and realized I might get to see the pond yet.
The trail actually followed near the shore for a while with some access to the water. There also were what looked like some camp sites along the trail though they were way too close to the pond and the trail to be legal. The water had that brownish color one expects to find in ponds, especially late in the year. I knew I’d be seeing a brook again soon so I didn’t mess up my filter here.
I did stop for lunch at the AT intersection. The raised bog board there seemed designed to be used as a bench as my stomach pointed out so it seemed a good idea.
This section of the AT between Ethan Pond and Zealand Falls is a gently flat section nestled in the middle of the rocky steep trails one expects in the White Mts.
There is even this pretty little bridge over the upper reaches of the North Fork above the falls. After time in the wilderness area where there are no bog boards or even blazes it seems like the height of luxury.
The trees in this area had been pretty well wind scrubbed of color leaving the pines to stand out.
Thoreau Falls was running even lower than the last time I came this way. I have a feeling this also would be an overly exciting crossing in high water, especially given the big drop of the falls below.
There was something to look at there that day though! I must have taken a few dozen pictures here hoping that one of them might capture what I was seeing. There was a nice couple I met there having lunch and once we all got over the shock of seeing someone else out there we had a lovely chat. They seemed to be doing a series of day hikes and were impressed with my ability to rattle off peaks and trail names. When they heard that I was camping in the wilderness rather than at camp sites they seemed surprised. I guess some folks are ok with visiting the wilderness for a few hours but they don’t want to live there heh.
Farther down the trail I found a place to set up camp and enjoy the heart of the afternoon in peace. The carpet of dry leaves here was thick and every gust of wind set them rattling.
I had plenty of time to enjoy the faded sun on the faded leaves with the brook gently bubbling at my feet. In my role as gear reviewer I was working on several edible items which was great as it gave me an excuse to eat several snacks so I could photograph them being used in the wild. Well and because sitting around eating after hiking is something I enjoy.
The days are short this time of year though and sadly this would be the last I’d see of the sun on this trip. I’d been up early and it was dark soon after dinner so I found myself in bed by 7pm. By the time it started to get light almost twelve hours later it seemed I’d been in that tent a few weeks. I’ve been trapped in a tent by weather for long periods before, but I tend to find that exciting and fun. A long night of tossing and turning between a series of fifteen minute naps just made me cranky.
The weather had turned by morning with a storm expected later in the day. My plan had been to hike out to the tent sites and ride out the rain there before riding home the following day. This was my view from the footbridge looking towards the Bonds. You’ll just have to trust me that they are back there behind those clouds.
With the nice cool weather and the flat trails I found myself at the tent sites before 11am. It was a Saturday and there was only one or two sites occupied. I started pondering which site would be best for an extended rain event when it occurred to me that I was just a few miles from the parking lot and then a few hours drive from a cheeseburger…and boom I was out of there heh. I guess it serves me right that I got nailed by the storm for most of the ride home.
No complaints though. Even if you get wet on the way home, or even if you get wet on the trail, time on the path less traveled is to be savored, appreciated and remembered fondly on long Winter nights.
This family trip is the first half of two Fall visits to the Pemigewasset Wilderness. It was a bit past peak color, but the weather was clear and warm for the end of September. We’ve been back country camping with The Tot with pretty good result so we took a shot at camping near other people and set out for the Franconia Brook Tent Site from the Lincoln Woods trailhead.The Eastside Trail runs about three miles from the parking area to the wilderness boundary gate which is where the official camping area is currently located. I’d passed through on my way into the wilderness on previous trips but this was my first time camping here. I prefer getting farther out into the woods to camp alone, but this made sense for a family adventure.
There was a tent pad big enough for the Kelty TR3, though just barely. It is heavy by modern tent standards, but oh so roomy! We have plenty of room for gear inside which is important with kids along. We also brought along some premade, foil wrapped and frozen hobo dinners. Considering my usual diet of dehydrated meals this seemed like the best idea ever. Just some precooked sausage with lots of veggies, but even now my mouth is watering remembering how good it was under the trees with a bit of smoke in the air.
The Pemigewasset River was amusingly quiet. If you are familiar with what it looks like when it is really running this version just seems cute. We spent some time watching folks deciding whether to make a quick wet crossing or a long and complicated attempt at keeping their boots on and dry.
The sun was warm but in the shadows you could feel a hint of autumn. I would have been happy to just hang around enjoying the views all day but The Tot had other plans. First we headed east along the river on the Wilderness Trail for a mile or more with some stops along the shore.
I thought we’d more than worn her out for the day and we’d be able to relax after lunch. As often happens she proved me wrong heh.
In the afternoon she decided we needed to go on another adventure so we waded across the river and then poked around until we found our way to the Franconia Falls Trail. I kept expecting her to get tired and turn us around, but we went all the way up.
There was just enough water to fill the slide folks like to shoot out of, but not much water in the basin below. Our neighbors from the campsite were doing some swimming, but we just enjoyed the views.
I enjoy how relaxing these family trips can be compared to the sort of trouble I usually line up for my solo adventures. There was a lot of time to appreciate how pretty things were, how great it was to be there with the family and just to be alive in general.
I’m sure the view from up above was quite nice, but looking up at the Bonds from this viewpoint along the Pine Island Trail was certainly worth the little effort invested.
Franconia Ridge in the distance would also provide a fantastic view, but again, thinking about it rather than climbing it seemed the way to go.
No snappy tunes or explosions, but here are two minutes of Fall in the Whites
Compared to our Baxter trips this was definitely not an adventure down less traveled paths, but we had mostly neighborly neighbors and no one seemed to lure in any bears. Clustered camp sites like this will never appeal to me like being alone in the back country, but this place provides a relatively safe and easy to reach entry into the outdoors, especially for those with kids. Lots of day hikes available and water to splash in when you’re done so this place is very popular during the Summer, but less crowded for shoulder seasons especially during the week.
Slowly catching up on a back log of Adventure Reports and this one definitely qualified as an adventure, though not all in good ways. The plan called for a seven day loop cutting through the middle of Baxter State Park south from Matagamon Gate to Roaring Brook and then looping back north on the IAT. Some pretty pictures and a story to tell as my reward I have no regrets at how things turned out, but I hope to get another chance at finishing this loop next year.
Since the park doesn’t allow motorcycles I made arrangements to leave my scoot at a campground near by. The gentle up hill road walk to the gate was a nice way to stretch out the legs after a long morning of riding.
It also allowed some time looking up towards the first climb. That is just one of the lower knobs with the peak of Horse Mt behind the trees on the left. Still it put the road walk in perspective so I enjoyed it instead of complaining. After a quick check in with the ranger at the gate it was great to finish with the road and get out into the forest.
It was a hot day, but the climb of 800′ or so was spread out over more than a mile making for a pretty quick trip to the overlook trail. It isn’t often I make time for side trails like this, but as you’ll see in the next few pics this one was worth the time.
Looking north towards the knob seen on the road walk in. If I was day hiking this I’d have bushwacked over to it so I could get the reverse picture of the road.
Looking southwest towards the Fowler Ponds though I’m pretty sure that is Long Pond on the left
The east branch of the Penobscot is down there somewhere but mostly I was getting a pic of the clouds in this one as I recall
Billfish and Bald Mts to the south, again with nice looking clouds.
There were a few quick peeks at Billfish Pond as the trail headed towards the camp site and intersection with the Five Ponds trail. The site there is not right on the water so rarely booked. Might be nice with small children you needed to keep away from the pond.
Beautiful late afternoon at the Long Pond Pines site. It was early September, but hot and still so what bugs remained were quite active.
Dead calm made for muggy to go along with the buggy, but you can’t beat still water for great reflections
Late afternoon sun almost made the trees look to be in fall color
Despite the weather it was a great night for sleeping on the water. Once the beaver finally clocked out for the night it was just me, the loon and a few thousand mosquitoes whining outside my netted tent.
Dawn was in a word steamy. Totally still, warm and humid. I noted that I was sweating as I broke camp around 530a and realized it was going to be a day to be taking care of the body.
One last look at Barrel Ridge in the distance before leaving Long Pond Pines
I stopped at Middle Fowler North campsite to top off my water supply and camel a liter or so. While there I noticed the rangers had come through and toppled that tree I’d reported as ready to fall. Looked like they just pushed it over and moved the signs.
This spot also provided a great view of the next leg of my trail as it climbed up the high end of Barrel Ridge. North Traveler pokes up beyond as well.
Looking back across Middle Fowler with the north face of Billfish Mt behind the camp site
Never having visited the south camp site at Middle Fowler I was a bit underwhelmed when I found it. Also a bit confused because it showed up prior to the trail intersection rather than after as my maps indicated. Turns out the site had to be moved and it looks like they took a minimalist approach. It would be fine for solo or duo but seemed a bit cramped for a larger group.
Found this wonderful sub alpine bog near the top of the notch between N Traveler and Barrel Ridge. Bogs at elevation always seem a little special.
I stopped for some feeding and pondering at this sign. Things were really hot and steamy by late morning, but this sign was made to tempt hikers to the top. I poked my head around the corner to look and could tell that .3 miles was a serious climb. Conditions being what they were I had to leave this view on my to do list. In talking with rangers later they confirmed it is both a hard climb from this point and an extraordinary view.
Looking up at the exposed southern side of Barrel Ridge
Looking across Upper S Branch Pond towards Pogey Notch.
I arrived at the South Branch Pond campground by 2p and while there was a bit of a breeze blowing across the lake the only way to describe the day was sweltering. By Maine standards and especially for September it was just way too hot. Temperature was in the low 90s and so was the humidity from the feel of it. I decided to be careful and spend an hour in the shade at the campground. I feasted on a variety of trail treats and filtered yet more water.
Leaving a little after 3p with an expectation of making the last 6 miles to my site at Pogey Pond before dark I was feeling pretty good. Knowing how the rest of this story turns out I can’t help but laugh at how naive that sounds.
I made pretty good time around the Lower S Branch Pond and met a very happy man at the intersection with the Howe Brook trail. He’d spent the day exploring the pools up and down the brook keeping cool all the while. His grin told me that adding this experience to my to do list was a necessity.
Shortly after that the trail seemed to dead end into the waters of Upper S Branch Pond. Confused I looked to my left and saw a giant slab of rock rising above me blocking the shoreline. I realized that I’d followed the portage trail instead of the one I needed and more importantly I was about to hit a very steep climb.
Looking down at the upper pond from near the top of the slab. The air in the notch was still and hot which is the last thing I need while climbing. I remember making a point to really reduce my pace to avoid overheating and stopping for these pics was a great excuse to catch my breath.
High above the pond I could tell the sun was headed for the far side of the notch, but with a long twilight I still expected to reach my site before dark. Again, with hindsight it is easy to see the warning signs, but I missed them at the time. My pace really slowed and I was taking more and more breaks. Thinking I’d soon reach camp I didn’t bother to keep eating and that did me in.
Darkness came and I was still on trail. Bonking hard, my stomach churning acid in futility but refusing to let me eat I had to admit I could no longer make out the trail. Dropping my pack I realized that not eating wasn’t my only mistake. That morning while breaking camp I did something I’d never done before; I left my headlamp inside my tent and at the time figuring it was not going to be a late day it didn’t matter. Thankfully I had my pop up camp lantern accessible though I had to hang it from a hiking pole and hold it aloft to keep from blinding myself.
Telling the story later to a ranger he described my progress as hobbit-like as I followed my bouncing lantern through the darkness. I finally reached the site at Pogey Pond around 9p and set about attempting to recover. I made Gatorade, I made soup but little wanted to stay down. Knowing the next day was short miles helped, but I also knew a major line of storms was expected and I needed to get down from the notch I was in as early as possible.
The lean to at Pogey was on the small side for a party of 4, but plenty of room for me. There were several grills and a cast iron frying pan hanging on the wall which leads me to think there might be some fish in this pond. It has to be terribly buggy earlier in the year, but I would like to spend a couple nights here in the future.
Pretty short toss to get the canoe into the pond from here.
The day started out hot and muggy again. If not for the approaching storm I would have stayed but I knew I had a deep water crossing ahead and didn’t want to risk it getting too deep with runoff. The next day called for a 17+ mile day so I couldn’t afford to get caught on the wrong side of that crossing.
By the time I made the 4 miles to Russell Pond camp my priorities had been reassessed and changed heh. My stomach was still very angry and without lots of food recovery wasn’t going to happen. The idea of doing big miles the following day became entirely unrealistic. Doing the math on food supplies and trail I made the call to stop at Russell and unless things vastly improved overnight I’d head back north through the park the following day.
The ranger there was able to change my booking for a nice lean to right on the pond and I spent the afternoon working my way up the food chain. Starting small and ending with a full dinner I rode out what turned out not to be such a big storm and got a good nights rest.
Just before dawn at Russell Pond
Steamy morning at the Russell Pond canoe dock
My decision to go back the way I’d come confirmed I had time to enjoy the sunrise over the pond.
The long bog board bridge headed up towards the ranger cabin at Russell Pond
The ranger at Russell and I go back quite a few years. Not sure if he remembers me since he deals with so many folks, but I look forward to seeing him every year. Since I missed him on my July trip through this area I was glad he was on duty this trip. He used his radio to get me a reservation back at the South Branch campground for that night and I was on my way.
The 10 miles or so went pretty fast, but by the time I reached the campground I was glad I hadn’t tried to stick to my original plan. There is a big difference between a 10 mile day and a 17 mile day!
This is the view of my lean to from the pond
Sunset series from the lean to
Sunrise series from around Lower S Branch
Just three nights after almost steaming to death this last night was in the mid 30s. Much more expected for September in Maine and much more appreciated. The cool air made for a different sort of steam as the sun came up.
The road walk was a bit longer heading out this way, but the last few miles were along Trout Brook so quite pretty.
I was able to exchange my unused parking time for a giant ice cream cone back at the campground where I’d parked so even though I cut the trip short I can’t complain too much. Of course surviving to tell the tale was also appreciated.
Looking back on the day when things went wrong it is easy to see the mistakes, like the headlamp in the wrong spot and the not forcing myself to eat while I still could. Lessons to be remembered and hopefully learned from, but there were good points too. Despite bonking hard I kept my wits enough to make it to camp when there were ample opportunities to panic in the dark. The big effort I made at staying hydrated that day also helped so when things got rough I wasn’t already two quarts low. Making the choice to turn back rather than push on was also probably a really good idea.
So since I survived it was an adventure not a failure! Some great pics, some great memories and a chance to push some limits and survive. Even the bad days are pretty good on the path less traveled by
Since our first attempt at back country camping with a three year old went so well we decided to do some more family adventuring. The first night was again spent at Lower Fowler Pond on the northern side of Baxter State Park. You can read the adventure report on our previous trip there for more details. This report picks up on the second day as we headed north to explore a part of the park that we hadn’t visited before.
Less than a mile from our camp brought us to the Five Ponds Trail intersection. There were some muddy sections on this part of the trail with one small water crossing, but once we turned the corner most of our route was on top of a long esker. Created by glaciers an esker is a long deposit of sand and gravel and this one created High Pond by trapping water above it. It made for an interesting walk with ponds visible on both sides at times.
High Pond seemed shallow and was quite popular with the local duck population. We watched several groups swimming about as we walked along the esker. Eventually the trail dipped down to cross a mostly dry outflow that sends water through the ridge and into Long Pond.
One more good look at High Pond from the outflow.
If you’re visiting this area be warned that while intersections are well marked with big signs some of the camp sites are not. This is the side trail to the Long Pond Outlet site. That sign doesn’t exactly pop out at you even if you are looking for it.
Just a bit of Long Pond peeking through the trees.
The sign for the Long Pond Pines camp site was more freshly painted, but still a bit hard to spot.
The fire pit inside a large pile of stones was only used to make a small marshmallow fire, but would be great for colder weather camping.
This site has a large open area under the pines perfect for our three person family tent.
The site has a great view of Long Pond and even a bit of Barrel Ridge in the distance.
After a peaceful night listening to the water and a lone loon the girls were ready for some breakfast.
Morning started out looking a bit threatening
But the clouds broke up enough to let a little late summer sun through.
Perfect for a little more family adventuring…
We retraced our steps back to the car and met a father/daughter pair on the trail. The girl was 6 and they had been out hiking for a week already in a series of short trips exploring the park. Our 3 year old isn’t quite ready for mountains, but this girl had managed to do the Traveler Loop. We were impressed and their company made for a fun walk back to where we’d both parked.
This second trip confirmed that the Fowler Ponds area of Baxter is a great place to get the kids started. The terrain is relatively gentle and just a few miles gets you access to some great sites. We’ll definitely be headed back again next season!
Less traveled by 