Ghost trains of the Allagash

[Abubob]

Not really a hiking post although hiking was involved. More driving. You’ve possibly seen paddling videos to the same location. It the Ghost trains of Northern Maine or Allagash. And it was a pretty cool trip. We stayed at Big Eddy Chewonki Campgrounds.
.

 

[thetrailboss]

VERY cool!!!! Thanks for posting!

 

[deadheadskier]

Very cool. I had actually never heard of the Ghost trains.

The Northern Maine wilderness is just something else. And I've really only experienced the fringes of it visiting hospitals in Greenville, Millinocket and Ft Kent for work.

It's kind of remarkable that it's not a more popular destination given the massive lakes and stunning scenery. I guess the season is just too short for most people's weather preferences and the distance too far to attract more people. Not a bad thing though.

 

[Abubob]

Very cool. I had actually never heard of the Ghost trains.

The Northern Maine wilderness is just something else. And I've really only experienced the fringes of it visiting hospitals in Greenville, Millinocket and Ft Kent for work.

It's kind of remarkable that it's not a more popular destination given the massive lakes and stunning scenery. I guess the season is just too short for most people's weather preferences and the distance too far to attract more people. Not a bad thing though.

Well we had perfect weather. It’s just very remote and the roads are very rough. The Golden Road and Telos Road are both working logging roads, unpaved, and loaded with shale. We had a blowout.
View attachment B8396702-C3C7-42C9-8960-83DB027CB3BC.MOV

 

[deadheadskier]

Well we had perfect weather. It’s just very remote and the roads are very rough. The Golden Road and Telos Road are both working logging roads, unpaved, and loaded with shale. We had a blowout.
View attachment 52043

I'm assuming that's the road to Telos lake?

Definitely a lake I want to boat some day

 

[Abubob]

Yes it is. Telos lake is connected to Chamberlain Lake. The railroad is located at the northern end of Chamberlain.

I have to say right now that little bay is almost completely dry right now because of severe drought.

 

[ThatGuy]

Awesome, its crazy how well preserved the train looks considering its almost spent a century in the wild.

 

[Abubob]

Awesome, its crazy how well preserved the train looks considering its almost spent a century in the wild.

Anything made of wood is just about gone. But the heavy gauge steel and iron is doing pretty well. The locomotives were actually lifted onto new tracks. Otherwise they would’ve sunk into the ground just because of their weight. How much do they weight you ask? …
View attachment BFF72AAF-696F-404D-BB2E-422DE5BB0756.MOV

 

[bigbog]

Nice pics Abubob....yeah the northern woodlands of New England(...namely Maine) are a treasure. The whole state is just loaded with water both from snow/rain and springfed. So much enjoyment to explore using the DeLorme/Garmin State Atlas-Gazateer and planning various hikes from there. I had a step-grandad who was a scaler for a paper company(Great Northern Paper Co.,1959-1980), back in the days of non-mechanical, selective cutting...chainsaw crews would go out and cut and Gordon and I would drive, walk, hike to the woodpiles to count, measure and compute chord & cutter's paychecks. Of course we brought flyrods and canoe with us many days from 65'-72'. The grandparents had a camp(+ boat) on the NE corner of Moosehead Lake from 54'-72'. Used to drive to/close-to ponds, relatively shallow but cold oxygenated brooktrout water...and fish them from canoe. Mostly fished very lightly fished/unfished watersheds(bogs, ponds, streams) that we just found via aerial/cutting topo maps and new areas opened up by cutting. I really don't like what most logging companies do but as a flyrod/brooktrout/canoe addicted kid and my step-grandad's job as scaler got me to see more beautiful woodlands with some mountains(in comparison to NH) and wildlife(moose, deer, bear and other animals/creatures). Not to mention that the friggen' Great Society hasn't come up with a substitute for wood for building materials, bathroom tissue and paper yet...

 

[Alex.moon]

Really interesting trip! I've never heard about the ghost train as well. I guess it is impossible to start the train's engine now.
Usually, when I go hiking I take light equipment such as a tent or a sleeping bag. I also to take a backpacking chair with me. I like to look at beautiful views and relax. It helps me to put one's thoughts in order and forgot about all the problems.