Maine Snowball III

“HI!

yeah, yeah I know I said I wasn't gonna plan trips anymore, but it appears I'm addicted! :)

Check out the trip page and let me know what you think...Baxter again or someplace new?

(look at February 2005 - you know by now if we want BSP I gotta send in Nov 1)”

“How cold will it be?”

“SS - Damn cold. It's be surprising if the temps didn't get in the negatives up in northern areas of Maine, but Twiggie would know best.

Twiggie, glad you're organizing. I've been meaning to e-mail you on how you go about reserving spots at Baxter. I would like to plan a trip up there in late April (my spring break).

As for this trip, I have Feb. 19-27 off from school for winter break. wink wink!”

“Feb in Maine? Hmmmm, how about "FREAKING" cold? heh heh.

I'd be leaning towards the bunkhouse at Roaring Brook, even if it is a long hike in. There is nothing like hiking to Chimney Pond in winter. Mmmmmmmm

Is there a chance to to get a winter permit to hike up Katahdin? Since I will have xc skis this year, I wanna ski down the Saddle Trail. Yeeehaaaa!

ps..... you never answered the questions on the "Hay Twigeater" thread. Emails to you were getting rejected.”

“Damn cold is too cold for me. ;-)
I have been packing in temps down into the teens, but never negative numbers.”

“i think the coldest i've been backpacking in was like 10... don't know how if i have the right gear for negative degree weather.”

“"FREAKING" cold means there ain't a FREAKING Snowball's chance in he11 on me going on this.”

“twigeater@yahoo.com
too much spam at that damn backpacker address.

Artex, there is no camping inside BSP during April. BSP is open 365 days a year for day use, but camping is May 15 (some campgrounds open June 1) through October 15, and December 1 thru March 31. Closed for camping for 6 weeks between seasons.

You can plan dayhiking trips for that time, but would have to camp outside the park.

I'd like to do Roaring Brook again, this time via Sunday Pond rather than Compass Pond. Like I said last time, if you guys want to do Katahdin, go ahead and try for a permit.

I'd love to do the long weekend in February.

Stovie, you ain't lived 'til you've been in some REAL cold! :)
The kind where you leave some skin on the toilet seat in the outhouse. haha!

And paddleboy, some of us have been talking "Allagash" lately, LOL...”

“PS - Pennsy, you are mental...wanting to ski down the Saddle trail AND on xc skis...LOL...
can I take pictures?

PSS - Artex, there is a whole new "2 year trial" reservation system beginning in 2005 I gotta learn how to play...
(should be no prob, though)

PSSS - temps on Katahdin this weekend will be 26 degrees at night, sleet and freezing rain by the middle of next week. Good thing I'll be in a lean-to at Roaring Brook where the night time temps will still be about 50.
=D”

“i love it when it's really friggen cold.

i don't think you need anything that special for gear, other than a decent sleepingbag.

during the day your moving around so it's easy stay warm.

the nice thing about it being below zero is there's no chance of freezing rain, and not even much heavy snow.

+25 with sleet/freezing rain - now that's seriously rough.”

“Ah ha, thanks for the info Twiggie. Perhaps I'll plan a trip at Bigelow or Moosehead Lake for April.

Allagash is blinking very brightly on my radar for next summer. Veeeeeery brightly. I'm thinking a seven day trip, but perhaps this should go on another thread. Hmmm, think I'll do that now?”

“blah blah blah!!!

I'm IN!

You betchya Yah!!!”

“I may be up for this..”

“I've camped in negative temps before -- on one of my first bp trips ever. Ironically enough, it was in New Jersey.

Took me damn-near a half hour just to put my boots on because I couldn't keep my hands out of my gloves long enough without starting to lose feeling. 'Twas an adventure, I tell you...”

“Twiggy, if I go, will you do that thing wheen you see a moose where you put your hands above your head and wiggle you fingers?

GAWD, I LOOOOVED THAT!!!”

“only if they ain't frostbit!”

“Three chears for Twigeater!!!!!

I noticed that you aren't promising any moose, foxes, shooting stars or anything else this trip.....

We really like the bunkhouse in the winter. Freezing is not an issue when there is a bunkhouse. At Roaring Brook, 2 years ago, the woodstove got the place so hot that we had the windows open, in the middle of winter. And given the length of day, it is nice to have a place to congregate and share comraerie when it is dark.

Generally, I am up for something new, but Roaring Brook was lots of fun, plenty of nearby skiing, daytrip to Chimney Pond, three hour tours, Sandy Stream Pond.

We'll be watching this trip, see how it develops, and we just may be able to do it!!!!!!!”

“Are we really going for 28 days?

Wow!”

“Freakin' cold is good with me.

NO mud, please!”

“LOL! Is 28 days too long??? ;)

There was no mud on the Muckfest, MarkO! :)

If we want a hike in to camp and choose BSP, the only bunkhouses that will hold all of us are Roaring Brook, South Branch Pond, Chimney Pond and Russell Pond. Nesowdnahunk and Trout Brook are 4 person.

If we do a drive up to cabin, there are more choices. Someplace different maybe.

monkeyboy, I'm definately doing a trip to Bigelow this winter. Tenting at Stratton Brook Pond is nice, an easy 2 mile ski in (I hauled a sled full of wood and carried my full pack) and in December it's not too cold. Maybe the weekend after Christmas.
I'd also like to go in from the Long Falls Dam Road sometime...maybe tent at the gravel pit, LOL...”

“oh haha, I just read what I wrote...of course I didn't ski into Stratton Brook Pond, I snowshoed. It was 7 or 8 weeks after surgery and I didn't want to take a flip.

Also, as well as "freakin' cold" the BSP hikes are 10-12 miles in on *usually* packed snowmobile trails.”

“Lead on twigeater, and your faithful will follow........which ever place you choose.”

“Twiggie, what do you think about maybe spending New Year's Eve up at Bigelow?”

“Bigelow at New Years sounds like a great trip! I always do the grandkid thing New Years eve though. Depending on how the holiday falls I could join you all a day later.”

“Coolio. Another fun option I was thinking would to be stay at what the AMC huts in the White Mountains. The way Pennsy and Sirpete described it last year really struck a note with me. That would also be a blast.”

“The hut thing was fun...way different than I expected. I'd do that again in a minute.”

“Coolio!”

“woo Hoo Maine in February sounds like fun!!!! Count me in!”

“Umm Artex, how are you going to be in Maine and the ADK on the same weekend? Hmm I've always wanted to do the FYAO.....”

“well...we could do Maine the second weekend in March...I forget that weekend always conflicts with FYAO.”

“april!! april!! april!!
(there should still be snow there then, right??)”

“I wish! =D
though I'm sure we could find snow, we can't camp in BSP in April.

and why April anyway, yamminy?
:)”

“well, i can't tell you now sweetie!! but if what i do in march makes an effect by april, then a trip in april will be more doable than a trip in march. of course i can't tell you what that is because i haven't even done the first part yet, so i can't even guarantee that april will be an option either.

:o”

“LMAO!

okey-dokey...my fingers are crossed for ya...
=D

Actually I have friends who go to Bigelow and camp at Horn's Pond each April and it's a ski/snowshoe in.”

“Good grief. Don't tell me Yam is gonna start a "THING" thread? ;o)

This past winter trip was late March, right? We weren't all that far away from having to haul our sleds on dirt.

Don't forget the Pennsy jinx. Since I'm planning on buying x-country skis, most likely there will be no snow anywhere in the northeast this winter.”

“So, FYAO, then head back over for another trip in Maine? I can definitely live with that.”

“The old farmers almanac is calling for an unusually cold winter and more than usual snow fall this season.

I don't know how that compares to last years wicked cold temps and lack of snow. I'm reading that it may be as cold as last year, and will have more snow than last year.”

“and yet monkeyboy... I'm somehow just alittle skeptical!”

“I am too, sounds a little like Shaminism to me.....

BTW, the Radio made the distinction of calling it the OLD Farmers Almanac. I don't know if that should lend credibility, or take away credibility.

The radio also reports if Puxatoney Phil saw his shadow, so I don't quite know how to take that report.....”

“Let's hope for more snow this year, monkeyboy! Let's also hope for no rain after the big dumps.”

“the trip last year was at the very end of March, and the only reason anyone was thinking MUD instead of SNOW was cause TomT kept trying to jinx us!
LOL...

So where are we going?

maybe I'll check out the cabins in BSP, put us in a different part of the park.”

“screw the cabins, they're $30 a night/person and I hear they aren't warm like the bunkhouses.”

“Eek!”

“Warm bunkhouses rock!”

“Warm bunkhouses with a pot o chili waiting for us when we get back from the dytrip..... oh yeah, chili has been banned.




Guess it'll have to be lasagna!!!!”

“does it really make a difference?

LOL...bring on the chili!”

“Hooray for the chili!”

“what about "beanless chili", more meat and veggies, no beans”

“I dunno, I added beanless chili to my mac and cheese last Maine trip, and I tooted all night...good thing I had earplugs...LOL!

Plus monkeyboy puts cauliflower and other gas producing veggies in the pot...yummy”

“Maybe along with the chili, someone could bring a bottle of Beano.”