Maine backcountry, south of Katahdin, April 28, 2012

[bigbog]

Date(s) Hiked: April 28th, 2012

Trails(s) Hiked: Off-trail and little old cutting roads, around & up the lower 30% of Farrar Mtn.

Total Distance: ~3mi

Difficulty: Easy(80%) to Bushwack(20%)

Conditions: Sunny, yet cool-to-cold, blustery wind(up to 20mph)

Special Required Equipment: Supportive Hiking Boots

Trip Report:
Drove into a small valley between a) a bluff just north of Penobscot Pond, b) Farrar Mtn and c) Female Mtn,
all approximately 12 to 13mi SSW of Katahdin Range to drive around the little old cutting roads and hike around the lower ~30% of both the Penobscot Pond bluff and Farrar Mtn.
A mixture of old, grown up, little cutting and skidder roads on and between the higher ground of each.

a few short and grainy video links:
1) Blackfly Larvae, the demos of the north woods, attached to small rock in a small feeder stream running off of Farrar Mtn. Praise god to cooler temps of April...amongst the crazy temperature swings of the so-called Winter 11/12 and Spring 2012.
http://vimeo.com/41239992

2) A little feeder stream, running around Farrar Mtn, amidst some older growth.
http://vimeo.com/41239869
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A few pics...
#1) A glimpse of Knife end of Katahdin Range..looking due north, from backside of Pic #2's middleground rise.
Katahdin caught some snow from the last week of cold temps, particularly at elevation.

#2) Another glimpse of Katahdin(Peak and Table) from Penobscot Pond bluff...behind Pic #1's location.
LOL...apology, would've been easier to swith order of #1 and #2 for less wordage...

#3) Little feeder stream at base of an unnamed rise next to Farrar Mtn amidst the older growth that permiates
the area...why it's a fun place to check out. Bushwacking has to be limited due to this being bear country and
being the early days of feeding for females with cubs.

#4) Another feeder brook showing recent days of cold temps mixed with cold water temps...

 

[Rushski]

Nice post. The combo of the looks of that water and the black fly lends me to think that it's some solid water for native trout.

 

[wa-loaf]

Looks like Katahdin hasn't gotten the memo that winter is over.

 

[bigbog]

Nice post. The combo of the looks of that water and the black fly lends me to think that it's some solid water for native trout.

Ya' know Rushski...kind of a little favorite area from high school days:roll:. Little did I know that a mention by my granddad(timber chord-scaler) of measuring some angles and distances of nearby smaller mountains with an Abney Level lead to my first use of a few trig functions to actually help an few groups of professional workers in the real world:-o with chainsaws & skidders...etc.
Anyways...we found an unfished bog between two smaller mountains to the left and right in both pics...with Katahdin a ways away, in the center of pics. Fished it back in 1970-72' = real wowza, just a beaver created thing, is still there...have seen it from up on mtn to the left...but have not gotten in, with friends, to show a MA GF's pre-teen son what a native brooktrout population is like...;-) I actually think I've found an easy entrance. I plan to get back in a couple weeks and make it to water's edge. Thumbnail below is part of its outlet...with the latter section passing under the bridge section(last pic with ice hanging from blowdown) in previous pics.
*Guess it's my enjoyment in getting close to areas with 4wd + hiking, and finding the particular niche of woodlands still wild...a bit discovered(as in kids on ATVs on cutting roads once in a while...from nearby camps on other ponds), but still with plenty of moose, hawks, other birds and bear(no grizzlies;-))... Nice to see kids enjoying the outdoors too...
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WA-LOAF: Yeah...it was a beautiful even from 12mi+ to the south....

 

[Rushski]

Escellent addition to your story. Sounds like a great place to get to and hang out. Plus some fish in an unknown spot doesn't hurt either.

Hoping to find some hidden gems this Summer for exactly as you said - light 4WD, some hiking and fishing when I get there...