skierinvermont Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Here's some of the pics from hiking Huntington's Ravine on Sunday in search of snow. The last pic is from a beautiful lookout on Rt 17 near Rangeley, Maine at a whopping 2270' elevation. Pretty cool to see the transition from the warm valley to snowy summit. looking up could just barely see the snow on the ridges: looking down from half way up the ravine in the boulder field: looking up the trail: this is the hardest part.. I wasn't sure if I'd make it over this section with the snow but by noon the sun had melted it. Still wet slick rock though and no stopping if you fall. A couple nice folks I hiked with for a bit coming up the hard part, basically rock climbing: finally reached snow! looking down what we just came up... another really difficult section: Once I got to the top of the ridge there was a lot more snow: crossing the auto road: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skierinvermont Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Summit!! On the way down I thought this was a pretty cool picture: Looking down at Mooselookmeguntic lake off Rt 17 near Rangeley.. absolutely stunning. I can't imagine the snow this road gets in winter up at 2270'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quakertown needs snow Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 awesome series. i'd love to visit the area. thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allenson Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Great shots! Is the last one at 'Height of Land' on RT17? Looks like it and your description certainly fits--Toothaker Island in sight. I remember years ago, when I worked at Sugarloaf, coming over that road, late at night, in a snowstorm, reaching the Height and seeing four moose lumber across my path in the dark snowy gloom, just inside the limited reach of my headlights. Not a great feeling being way out there and no one else around for miles. Heh, made it home though and all was well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skierinvermont Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Great shots! Is the last one at 'Height of Land' on RT17? Looks like it and your description certainly fits--Toothaker Island in sight. I remember years ago, when I worked at Sugarloaf, coming over that road, late at night, in a snowstorm, reaching the Height and seeing four moose lumber across my path in the dark snowy gloom, just inside the limited reach of my headlights. Not a great feeling being way out there and no one else around for miles. Heh, made it home though and all was well. I'm not sure the name, but it sounds like the same place. I saw a moose shortly after this heading south downhill. A large male just standing in the middle of the road. Then he barreled off down the steep left side of the road. I can't imagine driving that road in winter at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamarack Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Great shots! Is the last one at 'Height of Land' on RT17? Looks like it and your description certainly fits--Toothaker Island in sight. I remember years ago, when I worked at Sugarloaf, coming over that road, late at night, in a snowstorm, reaching the Height and seeing four moose lumber across my path in the dark snowy gloom, just inside the limited reach of my headlights. Not a great feeling being way out there and no one else around for miles. Heh, made it home though and all was well. Yep, that's known as the Height of Land, though the highest point on the road lies a tad north of the overlook (new sidewalk and PT guardrail, nice!) Also one of the best areas to see moose - I've most often seen them on the low side just south of there. That view is great, but there's a much better one from the bump seen near the right edge of the pic. That's Rangeley (or Oquossoc) Bald, 2,443', with a heavily used trail up the west side - parking area on the Bald Mt Road, with a Parks and Lands yardarm sign. With a 1-mile walk (900' elev gain and some moderately steep rocky sections after a walk thru the woods), one reaches the 30' obs tower - lower sections of a firetower that once stood about 4 miles north of the Gray WSO. From the tower's 10-12' square platform, one sees Mooselook to the west, Rangeley Lake to the east, height of land and Elephant to the south, Saddleback to ENE and Kennebago to the north. About the best gain-for-pain bargain of any trail I've been on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skierinvermont Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Yep, that's known as the Height of Land, though the highest point on the road lies a tad north of the overlook (new sidewalk and PT guardrail, nice!) Also one of the best areas to see moose - I've most often seen them on the low side just south of there. That view is great, but there's a much better one from the bump seen near the right edge of the pic. That's Rangeley (or Oquossoc) Bald, 2,443', with a heavily used trail up the west side - parking area on the Bald Mt Road, with a Parks and Lands yardarm sign. With a 1-mile walk (900' elev gain and some moderately steep rocky sections after a walk thru the woods), one reaches the 30' obs tower - lower sections of a firetower that once stood about 4 miles north of the Gray WSO. From the tower's 10-12' square platform, one sees Mooselook to the west, Rangeley Lake to the east, height of land and Elephant to the south, Saddleback to ENE and Kennebago to the north. About the best gain-for-pain bargain of any trail I've been on. That sounds like a great hike and the spot you mention just south of the overlook is exactly where I saw a moose too. You seem to know this area pretty well so you'll have to tell me about any other good hikes or places to go I should know about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamarack Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 That sounds like a great hike and the spot you mention just south of the overlook is exactly where I saw a moose too. You seem to know this area pretty well so you'll have to tell me about any other good hikes or places to go I should know about. I've actually done an embarrassingly small amount of hiking, though having a job that gets me into the woods regularly may make weekend fishing seem the better choice. (And the woodpile is always beckoning.) A few thoughts for western Maine, keyed to Delorme Atlas (also on the internet, I'm sure): --Low Azizcohos Mt, Lincoln Plantation, access from Rt 16. Easy/moderate hike to nice views. (map 28, SW corner) --Wright Trail, Goose Eye Mt in the Mahoosucs - Rigorous 8-mile round trip with about 2,500' elev and with multiple great view spots, access via Sunday River Road, though one must be alert so as not to drive to the rersort. (map 18, SW corner.) --Many other trails related to the AT in the Grafton Notch area, including Mahoosuc Notch, reputed to be the toughest mile on the AT. Without a pack, it's a fun scramble among huge boulders; with a pack, it's tortuous. (map 18, SW corner.) --Tumbledown Mt, near Mt Blue State Park - Choice of steep or moderate trails, open views, high elev pond (stocked via air drop.) About 2,000' gain. Access off Byron Road (also called #6 Road), (map 19 left center.) --Bigelow Range - Many trails, many hikers (for Maine, anyway); I've only been up Little Bigelow. (Map 29) Also on map 29 is Eustis Ridge, a drive-to site with picnic tables, offering the best view of the Bigelow Range, IMO. Also nearby is Cathedral Pines, a handsome stand of mostly red pine with some white, and with some trees which were saplings when Benedict Arnold's army passed by on the way to Quebec. Not true old growth, as it's had repeated light timber management over the years. (Note: Rt 16 between Rangeley and Eustis/Stratton is another moose-y stretch.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allenson Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Yep, that's known as the Height of Land, though the highest point on the road lies a tad north of the overlook (new sidewalk and PT guardrail, nice!) Also one of the best areas to see moose - I've most often seen them on the low side just south of there. Yep, nice spot indeed. I've been through there in better weather too but that one night stands out in my memory. Although, I have no recollection of where I was coming from or why I was out there in the wee dark hours of the night. Might have been headed back to Stratton from Bethel.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamarack Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Yep, nice spot indeed. I've been through there in better weather too but that one night stands out in my memory. Although, I have no recollection of where I was coming from or why I was out there in the wee dark hours of the night. Might have been headed back to Stratton from Bethel.... Probably 20 miles shorter than driving that via Farmington, but in bad wx at night, I'd choose the extra miles every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baroclinic Zone Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Great shots. That one of the lake does not do it justice. I think the pond sits around 1500'. You are like 700' above it there if you are are along that 2200' stretch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I will never in my life hike the HRT. I've done almost every other trail on the east side, but fook that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 nice, starting to get the itch for snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skierinvermont Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 I will never in my life hike the HRT. I've done almost every other trail on the east side, but fook that one. Just don't do it high and hungover after sleeping in the parking lot for 3 hrs like the three guys behind me. I hope they turned back when they got to the head wall because they did not know what they were doing. Once you get up it you can't get down the damn thing and it was getting pretty late in the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitemountainhiker Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Sweet! Huntington Ravine is...kind of on my lists of trails to hike at some point. I don't know if I'd like the exposure, esp on that one section you got in the pic. The pic makes it look doable...but I'm sure its 100 times steeper in real life. Great pictures, esp on top. I love that feeling of nothing with the snow and fog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skierinvermont Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 Sweet! Huntington Ravine is...kind of on my lists of trails to hike at some point. I don't know if I'd like the exposure, esp on that one section you got in the pic. The pic makes it look doable...but I'm sure its 100 times steeper in real life. Great pictures, esp on top. I love that feeling of nothing with the snow and fog. If you do it when it is dry it is no problem but it is hard to find days like that on Washington. If it has rained the night before or if there's a low cloud deck it will be wet and slick which makes it much harder but still doable. I've done it twice wet once dry and when it was dry you can practically run up it. It makes a huge difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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