BSP Maine winter trip II

“ugh, thanks for reminding me Artex - I swear I'm back at the gym on Monday!

I saw my fat ass in Monday's newspaper - good thing it was only a silhouette so you couldn't tell it was me!

Let me know ski, I'm happy to loan a bag if anyone needs one.”

“Twig why was your ass in the newspaper? Slow news day?”

“Inquiring minds want to know why your a$$ was in the newspaper!

Was it a mug shot? ;-)”

“Gotta link, twigeater?”

“It took you guys one whole day to jump on that - you're slipping! LOL...

no link, it was just a pic with the caption "big fat ass" haha...actually the caption was "night lights on the kennebec"

It's a pic of ice fishing shacks on the river. I was in the shack on the end - you can see through the shacks because of the lights inside, and I'm sitting on a crate. I only know it was us cause my fishing buddy remembers the scene from when he went out to pee.

o(=D”

“You're famous!”

“Or at least her phat a$$ is. ;-)”

“no just my ass is...and my arm - I musta been doing something with the lines...”

“beat me by 11 seconds!”

“53 Days.”

“yippee!!!yippee!! we think we'll come. Gotta see if we can get the time off.....”

“Oops, am I shouting? Just want to be heard over all the chatter here.

SB and I would like to look at the terrain where we are going to hike in. What is the elevation gain/loss as we go in or out? How about the day trips? Any good skiing possibilities? Snowshoe trips, of course? How about three hour tours? Really, I think that three hour tour was fun, never worried with the three of us out there. And it makes for a great "war story". I think next time though, if it's crusty, I'll bring the snowshoes if we think we'll go off trail. Otherwise, I love my skiis.

We plan to travel a little lighter this time, but I think I will still bring a pot of chili. It won't be canned beans this time. They'll be dry, and we'll have to hydrate them at the cabin.

So anyways, do you have a link to the possible trail trips?”

“Hey Twigeater, we found our map in this storage room we call our home. I can determine the elevation gain from that. All set.”

“okey dokey, but just in case - the first four miles in is hilly and windy, then somewhere around the Trout Brook bunkhouse it becomes flatish. Then at about the 9 mile mark, when we turn onto the South Branch Pond road, it becomes hilly and windy again.

Lots of good day hikes - Howe Brook, North Traveler, Black Cat, South Branch Falls and the Ledges trail - mostly snowshoe though. The rangers mark a trail across the ice as a shortcut to the Howe Brook trail, that would be good skiing.

On my Trout Brook trips, I've snowshoed, skied, and bare booted the four miles to the bunkhouse. We usually do a night ski toward South Branch.

The trails should be listed in the Clark guide, or if you look at the HMIII trip, there may be a link to trail descriptions.

Looking forward to your chili!”

“I can't wait for this trip! I hope the cabin is well ventilated.

Twig does LLbean rent XC Skis?

I have to start working on my sled soon, I got the Paris Expedition but I need to build a harness. I have been looking over the old threads about sleds and I think I have the traces figured out I just need to find something for the belt.

Twig do we need to send you money soon?

Do we need to bring stoves for this trip?
Do the cabins have Electricity so I can plug in my Boom Box?”

“"...the first four miles in is hilly and windy."

twigeater

How do you know its gonna be windy?”

“It will be behind me after the chilli!”

“Dang, I gotta see about makin' this one!

Y'all might the extra fart power!”

“LtHiker, I take that as a challenge.

Let the games begin!”

“Your on! I feel sorry for the rest of the group!”

“Show no mercy!”

“Will this be moose chili?

monkeyboy, don't go easy on the garlic, there are people here expecting to start a fart storm of biblical proportions.

Go smell it on the mountain!”

“Mmm Garlic! What about the stove thing? do we need to bring them or are we cooking on the wood stove?

I am going to work on m sled this weekend and i want to try it out loaded.”

“El Tee, just don't get busted for Sledding While Intoxicated!”

“Is there any other way?”

“Why am I not surprised to see that you're trying to start trouble again, TomT!

windy = "many turns" in Maineiac
(get with it will ya?) ;p

Gas lights and gas cook stove at Matagamon. You'll need a stove for the BSP bunkhouse. There is a woodstove there that we cook some stuff on, but it's small so everyone can't depend on it for cooking.

Send me money anytime you're ready, to the address in that last e-mail I sent you.

LLB rents snowshoes, not sure about x-c skis.

o(=D”

“Hmm what e-mail?

Would a white Gas Lantern be handy for BSP Bunkhouse?

I'll call them about the skis.”

“I just sent you e-mail again...let me know if you don't get it.

Yeah, I think Bruce Almighty!! brought his coleman lantern in last time.”

“Hey twigeatster, it ain't the winds that'll get 'em, its the hillies.

So Artex is goin', huh?

Too bad he can't make it to FYAO IV!”

“About the sled thing – the best belt I’ve used so far is a backpacking hip belt. I didn’t have one from an old pack, so I bought one from campmor for $20. I’ve used it with and without my day pack, and having both belts on works out fine, but I quit wearing my daypack while hauling my sled anyway.
I might have a problem when wearing my backpack and hauling my sled at the same time though.”

“So are some of you thinking about skiing in?”

“Thinking is believing.”

“After cross-country skiing at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT this weekend, I think I may pass on using my backcountry skis to go in. We climbed approx. 800 vertical feet on touring skis and it wasn't a whole lot of fun. The section coming down made me wish I had used the backcountry skis instead of the touring skis. I think it would have been dam* near impossible towing a sled. I may throw them in the truck for grins and carry them in on the sled (which I have yet to build) to use for some of the day trips.”

“I agree skiracer - on the trips I've been on, it's no faster with skis when you're hauling a sled.

Our time last year for 13 miles in was 6-7 hours, which is no different than most on skis. MB & SB started skiing out, but they were no faster than the rest of us, and took them off at the gatehouse.”

“That was 6-7 hours?

IT didn't seem that long.”

“You said long.”

“The old trip report says we started at 9:30am, arrived 3:30-4pm.

It was the company along the way that made it such an enjoyable hike in!

o(=D”

“Aw, you're just sayin' that!

>:^P”

“that trip was the bestest fun!
remember, you broke my laugher TomT?

memories of another day

o(=D”

“It's official, we got the days off, we'll be there! With chili! I'll bring the garlic, TT!!

Since this will be a cabin experience, I'll bring my bigger stove with me. It's a coleman that you screw on top of those green gas bottles.

A note about skiing. While draggin a sled, it's okay on the level. Up hill is a lot of work, but doable. It was so much work, that on the last trip, I dumped the skiis after a while. SB dumped her skiis real early. I guess she is smarter than I am. Downhill, now that is a much different story. I'll ski downhill with my sled on most any conditions. Last trip, and most trips, as I remember them from way back, the sled did not do a whole lot of pushing. It does push some, so you have to be a little careful. You can really make time, and enjoy it too, with little exertion.”

“SB and I have 3 pair of cross country skiis, that are just sitting in our stash area. Along with poles.

We'll be using our 2 new sets, and our Leki poles. So, those three are available. If you plan to bring your Lekis, they will work just fine, and we won't need to bring all kinds of different length poles. You may want to get snow baskets....

The bindings are NNN. (Not back country, just regular). If you have boots to fit that, you'll be all set. We have size 8 1/2 men's (1 pair), and size 7 (European size 37 1/2) women's (2 pair), and a size 5 women's (1 pair) available.

The skiis are Karhu, Waxless, Touring Pioneers. Length is 175, side cut is 65, 55, 60. Gives a slight hour glass shape for easier turning. They are slighty shorter than a traditional XC ski, and slightly wider. They run a tad slower downhill and klimb uphill easier. One is an LL Bean's Borealis, same thing, different label.

If you are interested, let me know, here, or at uphillklimber@yahoo.com

No charge!! That's right, no charge!! But... I might want you to help carry the chili in. Last year it weighed in about 25 lbs. plus or minus.”

“Okay now, this is the last one... maybe.

Now that we are officially "in", we can volunteer room in my truck for gear. Pennsy is picking up some at the airport, and will cram gear in there with people. We will have our two sleds loaded in the back, and I dare say that we will have room available. I have a "so called" king cab, but really it is uncomfortable for any distance for riders (Ford Ranger).

Co-ordination: We plan to work Thursday, and come up before it gets too late to the cabin Thursday night. I'm not sure what will work for helping lug the gear up there. Let's chat about that. Coming out and heading to the airport will be a lot more workable.

Anyways, just offering....”

“wahoo!

I've skied in and out with my sled before, and I prefer snowshoeing or walking.

Plus, depending on what kind of traces your sled has (that is, if they are flimsy and your sled tends to race you downhill) you have more options if you're not skiing.

o(=D”

“It all depends on how much adrenaline you need!!!!”

“Thanks for the offer on the skis MB, the boots would be alittle small. I am not sure about skis yet I might just stick with the shoes,

As far as trucks go and anyone needing any room I can bring my SUV. I am planning on leaving CT very early Thursday morning to make it to Twigs house Thursday morning. If we want to car pool from Twigs house I could take 4 people comfortably plus all their gear as long as the sleds are not too long. I need to see how my sled is going to fit. Or more people and less gear.

Let me know if anyone want to go with this option or I will probably bring the Jet-ta and save the gas.

Pennsy when are you driving up? Are you just picking up Artex?”

“Awesome you'll be there monkeyboy! Get ready to climb more rocks and trees.. yahoooooooo!”

“Assuming there's snow...

Last time I drove the road out (rte 159) 4WD came in handy. I'm sure there were vehicles without it that did fine, but 16" of snow and drifts made for a fun ride.
It's one of those narrow, winding (just for you TomT) roads and there are logging trucks. Best not to pull over if you don't have to.

I'll bring my skis into SBP - I'd even swap over at Trout Brook if anyone wants to try skiing for awhile. That would be the perfect place. I'd swap back at the road to SBP, but I've skied in between a bunch of times and it's mostly flat.

o(=D”

“
whoops”

“Lt - It's way to early for me to think about when I'm leaving, but I am picking up Artex in Portland. I have to see how my sled fits into the Jetta before offering more taxi service.

Hey Monkeyboy - go check out your ski boot thread and help me out.”