[at-l] Papa Bear in the north country over Columbus weekend

[Papa Bear]

Hello Friends

I had a great time last weekend in the far northern part of New Hampshire with beautiful weather ( 60s-70s 
days and sub-freezing nights) doing mostly hiking and some just plain sight-seeing.

Here's a link to the picture albums:
http://gallery.backcountry.net/papabear_Oct_2006_NH
(The page has a map plus 5 albums.  Click on the thumbnails to get into the albums)

And here's a link to my report posted on VFTT, my hiking bulletin board:
http://www.viewsfromthetop.com/forums/showthread.php?p=160713


Here's a synopsis of the trip.  Read the full version (use the above link) for the gory details.

Thursday: Stopped in Beecher Falls VT on the way to Pittsburg NH and did a little border walk from the
customs station over to Halls Stream. This is where the US-Canada border turns west and heads along the 
45th Parallel (18th century version) to the Saint Lawrence. I then headed up to Pittsburg to the Talll Timbers 
Lodge (very nice spot).

Friday: in the AM I did Magalloway - easy hike with nice views from the tower, and then headed up to the
border and hiked Prospect Hill, East and West Peaks and a side trip around 4th Connecticut. Lake. Very 
slow going on the border - recent cutting left slash everywhere.

Saturday: Met my friend Jim for breakfast at "Dube's Pittstop" at 6:00 AM. We then bushwhacked Rump 
and found the NH/Maine boundary monument shown to the map on the way in. Took an easier way out. 
Very nice mountain and quite a good hike. In the PM we searched for but couldn't find another one of the 
state boundary markers (although blazes on the trees indicated we were at the right spot) and got some good 
views of several ponds. Sorry - no more peaks for Saturday.

Sunday: Jim helped spot my car and then he took off for Canada and Saddle Hill. I then bushwhacked up 
Salmon - very open and easy (but at times steep) going and found triangulation station "Salmon" as well as the 
jar. Then it was along the boundary vista to Trumbull (3277' aka Snag Pond). One steep downhill was the 
"Vista from Hell" (Pierre knows where I'm talking about) then up to 3277. I also found Tri-station "Trumbull" 
and of course the jar. Then it was the "Vista from Purgatory" (on the way to hell) the whole way to Boundary 
Pond and the car. This whole section has just been cut. I say wait a year before you try this area. Some parts 
are well nigh impassable (but hey, we're bushwhackers!). It's like walking throug a clear cut where they forgot 
to remove the trees!

But it was a great day nevertheless, 2 peaks and 2 bench marks, who could ask for more. But ... asking for 
more, I hightailed it down East Inlet Road (28 minutes), down Route 3 (20 minutes) and down Route 145 (20 
minutes) to Colebrook, couldn't find the d*amn Bridge to Vermont till I passed it 3 time. Not a single sign 
saying "This way to Vermont", but I finally saw "Bridge Street" and said "Hey, I womeder where that goes", and 
so finally I was across the River. Turned left, drove south about a mile, decided that way was wrong, turned 
around and drove north past the bridge, found the sand pit, went in and the trail sign. I had finally found 
Vermont's Monadnock! It was 4:00 PM. But guess what - it gets dark at 6:15. Even Pierre would have 
trouble doing this 4 hour hike in 2 hours (but he would do it anyway ), so reluctantly I decided to save it for 
another day. A day where I could see the great views by daylight, not starlight. So it was back to Pittsburg to 
the local Pizza-pub (quite a scene).

Monday: I left early and made it from Pittsburg to Natick Mass. in 4:20. Now that beats booktime bigtime!  
  

Best regards
Pb