North Maine Woods Jaunt: Cliff Lake, Round Pond & Thereabouts

[gm13]

Just a short solo trip to see a new area and revisit a favorite. Cliff Lake looked appealing on the map for some reason, and Friday proved it to be so. Saturday I headed over to N Round Pond campsite via an attempt at Spider Lake along a tertiary road. 450mi round trip, 240 of those on pavement. 13 hr drive time and about 25.5mpg from the 200Tdi.
Heading out of Millinocket, picking up the State road towards Baxter and Katahdin:

Katahdin from the Abol Bridge over the Penobscot:

Picking up the Telos rd Passing through the Telos checkpoint(from a previous trip)

Crossing the Chamberlain bridge looking S towards Baxter SP

Continuing along Telos around the Arm of Chamberlain up to the Queen Bee Bypass, a 2-track in decent shape

Over the S or N branch of the Soper Brook:

And down to the lake

Set up camp

Near the full Moon, no fire, just enjoyed the quiet, the Great Horned owls calling across the lake and the stars:

Coyotes were howling and yiping through the night, which got down to about 32f. Morning coffee to fend off the chill:

Bushwacked up to the namesake of the lake:

The white speck just left of center, bottom is the roof of the 110

After a quick lunch and more coffee for me and 2oz of transmission fluid for the Rover we head for Spider lake via an improbable route given the bridge out icon on the map but I thought I'd take a look anyway.

Greeted by a curious trio of Gray Jays when I got out to size up some flooded road:

No reason to get Camel Trophyish, back out the way I came in.

After another attempted route failure due to it not being there anymore I head back out the Queen Bee, down around the S end of Chamberlain and up to Round Pond via Grand Marche and an unnamed secondary and Ledge roads. The Dottie Brook I think:

N Round Pond

With an Allagash Tripel in hand:

 

[gm13]

Another fireless, moonlit night:

Around 4:30 am a moose came in to camp, woke me up with a stomp about 2' from the head of the tent, circled it, went over to the truck stomped around it, grunted(in approval I think) and crashed off into the woods knocking over a dead snag along the way. The coyotes continued there sonorous serenades.

On the way out:

The Penobscot, just down from Ripogenus Gorge:

Back at Abol, and unlike these guys, un-abducted by aliens...I think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGCOf-eZno&feature=relmfu

 

[xjman88]

Awesome trip report. Gotta love the desolation of the NMW. And awesome pics and scenery. Thanks for sharing.

 

[mkitchen]

Great looking country

Some very fine pictures in your thread. That is about as far as I could travel from home here in the desert and still be in the states, but your photos sure seem to make it worthwhile. I like seeing areas other than the southwest. Also nice to see pics that focus on the country your travelling through instead of the vehicle your travelling in. I like using the vehicle as perspective for a shot instead of the center of the picture.

Did I read you right, 25 mpg? Geez, I'm envious. It sounds like you had a great weekend.
Mikey

 

[Ripper]

Great pics! I love the NMW! Its awesome to see other people posting up their trips up there. The girlfriend and I did a two day trip up that way a few years ago. We entered the NMW at Twenty Mile (Love the coffee at Pittston Farms) and camped at the "boat launch" at Poland Pond, which is across the road from the site you used at Round pond. Long story short, we exited the Telos checkpoint. I dont want to hijack your thread so I am only going to post a few pics.


Pic of Caucogomoc Lake where we stopped for lunch

Pic of the campsite at Poland Pond with the firepit we had to build

Polond Pond from the "boat launch"

Me next to my Xterra picking rocks for the fire pit

 

[rfroy]

Wow nice pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[gm13]

Awesome trip report. Gotta love the desolation of the NMW. And awesome pics and scenery. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks xj & all. Agreed, do love the desolation, it's only dismal passing through a grey, rainy slash field.


Ripper, it is an amazing area in a lot of ways. Were you at the Round pond inlet site or the N end of Poland by the bridge out?

Mkitchen,
We were out your way in April, it is a trek. I love that part of the country, traveling through land that looks as it did thousands of years ago (with regard to human manipulation anyway) is incredible. I would've loved to see the NMW in 1500! Yep, 25.5mpg's, not that it's on the highway much but it'll get 29 there

 

[kjp98TJ]

great shot of the cribworks.

 

[Ripper]

Ripper, it is an amazing area in a lot of ways. Were you at the Round pond inlet site or the N end of Poland by the bridge out?

I was at the south end of Poland Pond. In the Atlas and Gazatteer the place we camped at is shown as a boat access site. The Round pond inlet site was what we wanted but had people at it so we had to improvise.

 

[upndown]

WOW! I have water envy..:drool: Beautiful pictures.

 

[mph]

Enjoyed! It was nice to see some new country. Thanks

 

[jarmentrout]

Thanks for sharing. Its amazing how long it takes to fully explore the NMW. I've been over toward bowmantown lately. If you ever want a second traveler let me know. Love the Rover by the way!

 

[gm13]

Thanks for sharing. Its amazing how long it takes to fully explore the NMW. I've been over toward bowmantown lately. If you ever want a second traveler let me know. Love the Rover by the way!

Yeah, I've just scratched the surface. How is it out there in map 28? Haven't been out that way yet.

 

[Foy]

Maine cruising

Man, I need to get back up there. It's only been 36 years since I spent a few weeks down at Deer Isle and on the mainland near Brooklin, Blue Hill, and Castine. I just received my Delorme Maine Atlas, purchased for some planning for an AT hike, and it's nice to be able to "follow" GM13's trips without burning diesel, without fighting blackflies, and without paying the NMW daily use + camping fees. I think I need to get up there in the flesh next year for some scouting/break-in trail work. It's only a hop, skip, and 1,000 miles from central NC to Millinocket, after all.

Thanks for your detailed reports, GM 13!

Foy

 

[gm13]

Foy, you do need to get up there and donate some blood! You were right in my neighborhood, Blue Hill is our hub. Glad you enjoyed and good luck with your planning.

Man, I need to get back up there. It's only been 36 years since I spent a few weeks down at Deer Isle and on the mainland near Brooklin, Blue Hill, and Castine. I just received my Delorme Maine Atlas, purchased for some planning for an AT hike, and it's nice to be able to "follow" GM13's trips without burning diesel, without fighting blackflies, and without paying the NMW daily use + camping fees. I think I need to get up there in the flesh next year for some scouting/break-in trail work. It's only a hop, skip, and 1,000 miles from central NC to Millinocket, after all.

Thanks for your detailed reports, GM 13!

Foy