-.. _<:::=. - Dave Pomeroy's sketch of Baxter Peak from Pamola REGISTRATION FORM FOR HIGHPOINTERS CONVENTION Millinocket, Maine July 18-20, 2013 Use this form for everyone in your group, and note age of children. Registration is required to attend Convention events. Make your check payable to "Highpointers - MEl3 - Convention" and mail along with a copy of this form to: Highpointers Convention, PO Box 574, Goffstown, NH 03045 Send questions to host Mick Dunn , [email protected]Thi s will be the Club's 27th convention (circle all attended) MI , AZ, NY, TX, NY, YA, SD, NM, YT, MN, CO, SC, MO, HI, MD, OK, IL, WA, NH, NC, WI, AZ, NJ, MS, OH, OR, ME Primary Name T-shirt Size _ Address City State _ Zip Cell Phone E-mail _ Name t-shirt size - - -- - - --- - -- - - - - - - - -- -- Name t-sh irt size -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - Nam e t-shirt size - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - -- Nam e t-shirt size - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - -- = $ ----- = $ ----- age if child conventions age if child conventions age if child conventions age if child conventions age if child conventions $65 x $35 x Convention Fee - Adults: Convent ion Fee - Children (12 or under): Nam e t-shirt size - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -- Total = $ ----- T-shirt sizes from which to choose are .. . CHILD: XS, S, M, L ADULT: S, M, L, XL, XXL Give us an idea of your interest in various events by indicating below. 1) Have you climbed Katahdin before? Yes No Tried 2) Do you intend to climb Katahdin during Kovention week? Yes No If so, how many in your group? _ 3) Which day(s) do you plan on hiking Katahdin? Mon 7-15, Tue 7-16, Wed 7-17, Thu 7-18, Fri 7-19, Sat 7-20, Sun 7-21 [We strongly recomm end you avoid Saturday, because its crowded that day, and we don't want you to rush for the banquet] 4) Are you interested in experiencing a Moose Safari? Yes No 5) Are you interested in an early-riser trek to Mars Hill to view the Nation 's First Sunrise? Yes No, Just Let Me Sleep 6) Are you interested in group hikes to local County Highpoints? Yes No 7) Will you want to utilize our Car Pool system to the Baxter State Park entrance? Yes No 8) Would you consider joining our Car Pool Team'? Yes No If yes , what days? Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 9) Are you interested in doing an overnight or multi-night backpack into the core of the park? Yes No 2013 - Second Quarter Page 10 Ape x to Zen ith #1 01 ,
Transcript
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Dave Pomeroy's sketch of Baxter Peak from Pamola
REGISTRATION FORM FOR HIGHPOINTERS CONVENTION
Millinocket, Maine July 18-20, 2013
Use this form for everyone in your group, and note age of children.Registration is required to attend Convention events.
Make your check payable to "Highpointers - MEl3 - Convention"and mail along with a copy of this form to :
Highpointers Convention, PO Box 574, Goffstown, NH 03045
Fi rst Sunrise at Mars HillContact Mick Dunn if you want tojoin a gro up to view the Nation 'sFirst Sunr ise from atop Mars Hill.
mickfords@gmail .comWe' ll get up at 2 AM to see the 5 AMsunrise (drive 1.5 hI'S , hike up trail tosummit). Bill Getman, manager ofthe Big Rock ski area is our pointman. After our sunrise, we'll replenish at Al's Diner. 87 Main Street
C . K enneth Foit suggests membersread "Lost on a Mountain in Maine"before attending ME-13.
Baxter State ParkMost important web site www.baxtersta teparkauthori ty. comlindex .htm.Get to know this website well if youplan on getting to the summit ofKatahdin (particularly from a campsite within BSP) or just ca mpi ngwithin BSP.
Car Poo lWe'll have a Car Pool system to thePark entrance, with no guarantees ofentry, per automobile parking ava ilability inside the Park. We must maximiz e car space availability. Anempty car seat is a wasted resource!
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Sat AM: Pancake breakfast atNorthern Timber Cruisers clubhouse(snowmobile club) near Millinocket.Starts at 8 AM. Included free with Re gistration.
Sat PM: Banquet at Elks Lodge inMillinocket. The Social with cash barbegins at 5 PM . The Banquet will startat 7 PM. followed by the General Me mbership meeting.
Fri - Liar's Club Social, 5 PM to1 I PM , at the Penobscot Ou tdoor Center (N E O C) at Pockwockamus Pondoverlooking Katahdin . Food will beserved as well as a cash bar.
Fri - Co unty HP excur sion led byJohn & Dave to Peaked Mtn (Aroostook Co) will take half the day for this2-hour hik e. Meet at 7:00 AM in lobbyof Katahdin Inn . Let Fred know of yourinterest (see Wed. event) .
Thu - Meet D a ve Covill at 8:00AM in lobby of Katahdin Inn for a carpool to the Washington County HP andWest Quoddy Head (lighthouse andeastern ex trem e of Lower 48 states),ending in Ellsworth (near Bar Harborand Acadia National Pa rk) for a dockside lobster dinner. Others may wish togo direct to Acadia to spend the day andjoin Dave' s group fo r dinner at 5:00PM. Contact Dave at:
Dave_Co vill @eogresources.com
T h u - Icebreaker, 4 PM, at theBlue Ox Saloon, 61 Penobscot Avenue,Millinocket, food & drink available.
Wed - County HP excursion led byJohn & Dave to E a s t Turner Mtn(Penobscot Co) will take mo st of thed ay. M e e t at 7:00 AM in lobby ofKatahdin Inn . Alert Fred Lobd ell whowill compile names of those interested
fplobdell @embarqmail.com
demand. All detai ls through Thorn. Infoand sign-up at [email protected] .
MAINE 2013 SCHEDULE OF E VENT S
2013 - Second Quarter
Daily, Fri & Sat Back by populardemand will be the Knot Tying andCompass/Orienteering Seminars byAlan Ritter. He plans on having two 1and a half hour long seminars each dayat 9-10 :30 AM and 1-2:30 PM . Sign-upwill be with Alan. Have folks registerwith him at jar@mh·itteLorg.
Thu, Fri. Sat - Thorn Davis willlead a Geology Tour/Seminar in BSP,likely on Thu. He will also have aKatahd in Geology Seminar presentation/slide show in the atrium at the hosthotel on Fri & Sat depending upon
Daily, Thu-Sat (2 :30 AM departure from Millinocket or meet-up atMars Hill) Nation 's First Sunrise atMars Hill, Maine. Excursions dependupon demand. Contact Mick at mickfords @gmail.com for details & s ign-up.
Daily. Thu-Sat Moose Safaris.Folks can schedule their own , if theychoose, thru one of the three companiesI've already sent you info on. But onthese days we will have two excursionsa day on Thu and Fri, and one earlierexcursion on Sat with the folks at NewEngland Outdoor Center on pontoonboats. Excursions depend upondemand. Exact times TBD but one willbe early in the day and one will be inthe afternoon. Club members will needto pay for their safari. We are simplyproviding a forum with expected groupsavings to the club membership throughNEOC. Contact Mick...
Daily, Mon-Fri (4-5 AM arrival atBSP gate) Managed car-pool excursions into BSP/Katahdin. Sign-up withConvention Chair (aka Host) MickDunn at [email protected]
By Mick DunnPre-convention activities run from
Monday July 15 - Friday July 19, andofficial Convention activities occur Friday July 19 and Saturday July 20. Alldates and times subject to alteration.
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MAINE MUSINGS
- PART IVFina l Bits a nd T idbits for Our
Upcoming Konvention
By Bill GuentherNewfane, Vermont
In this last and final article before ourbig get together, I'll offer an array ofoth er things that I hope will be helpful.
Guide book & MapsFirst off, any serious hiker needs
a good pa per map . T his Ludd itewoul d never rely on one on an electronic device because if you run out ofjuice, you run out of map . The goldstan dard map for Baxte r used to beproduced by Delorme map Companyof Freeport , Mai ne but the y havegone more digita l and no longer produce one. To my knowledge, thereare currently 4 good maps availablefor Baxter State Park.
Th e Park now prod uce s thegui debook known as "Katahd in, AGuide to Baxter State Park" (7th Editi on) tha t comes wi th a very goodmap. The Par k sells copies of thisguidebook as well as the next 3 mapsthat are refe renced . The map fro mthe guidebook can be purchased separately.
Th e oth e r th ree m a ps ar e"Katahdin, Baxter State Park" by MapAdventures , National Geogra phic' sTrail Illustrated ser ies called "BaxterState Park " and the App alach ianMountain Cl ub's "Maine Mou nta insTrail Map". I think the best one is theMap Adventures version which has anice added feature of listing the mileage between trail junctions. The Parkoffice sells all of these vers ions and Iencourage folks to support the parkby making your purchases there.Is it Katahdin or Mt. K ata hdin?
This interesti ng debate pops upfrom time to time. The local NativeAmeri cans, Th e Penobscot Nation ,referred to the mountain as simply"Katahdin," which means "The Greatest Moun tain, " however it is oft encalled Mount (Mt.) Katahdin.
Of the fo ur maps me ntio ne dabove, three of them use "Katahdin." Iprefer to refer to the Maine HP as theNat ive Americans have done, so Iencourage the use of "Katahdin." It issort've akin to what you choose to callthe Alas kan HP, Denali or McKinley .Out of respect for those here long
201 3 - Second Quarter
before most of us Caucasians, Katadhin is the best choice. For those followers of Thoreau , he referred to it as"Ktaadn."The M u c h Les s V isi t e d Nort hEnd of the Park
Over 80% of Baxter State Parksvisitors ente r via th e Togue PondGatehouse (south end of Park) andnever venture farther north of FosterField on the perimeter road. The mostlikely reason is that all of the Katahdintrailheads are south of this point. Forfolks who have limited themselves tojust the south end of the park, theyhave indeed missed some of the lesstraveled treasures of the Park.
On my living room wall is a spectacular picture I took of South BranchPond , take n at the height of the brilliant lumi nescent New England Fallfoliage season. The picture which I'veentitled "The Closest Place to Paradise" shows the Lower of the twoSouth Branch Ponds , of which thereis also Upper South Branch Pond .
Geo log ic activity many thousands of years ago caused a slidethat pinc hed off a large pond makingtwo that are connected by a stream afew hundred yards long. These spectacular tarns (with 4 feet of elevationdifference) are tucked in a fjordlikevalley between North Traveler andSouth Branch Mountains and have aunique oddity in that the water flow isfrom south to north, atyp ical for NewEngland.
There are several great hikes inthis area, from a half mile to all-day10 mile affai rs. The Ledges are agreat short hike and the TravelerLoop gets you out in the wildernesswith sev eral summits attained . Bep re pa re d for a long driving tripthou gh, as it is 38 miles from theTogue Pond Gatehouse up to SouthBranch and that will be a nearly twohour trip each way, but it's well worthit!
MooseThe largest mammal in the Park
is usually prett y easy to find if youknow when and where to look. Mooseare most active at daw n and shortlythereafter and at dusk. They love tofeed on aquatic plants and will typica lly be found in the more shallowponds in Baxter, especially those thatare only single digits in depth.
Pe rh ap s the best place formoose viewing in the entire park is
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Sandy Stream Pond. This short , virtu ally level hike is only about a half milewalk from Roar ing Brook Campground and one can do a neat 2 .5mile loop.
If you see moose , remember thatthese neat critters are wild animals.Enjoy them at a distance and NEVERtry to get up close to feed them (illegalin the park) or go for that close-up picture. While normally docile, then canget agitated and charge , causing serious injury or possibly even death.Males can weigh up to 1,500 poundsand you don 't want that amount ofmeat bearing down on you.
We will be too early for the fallmating season (known as "the rut ")which can be both interesting and terrifying when the males can getbeyond fe isty. I've had a couple ofclose calls during this time when theguys seek out the gals.Water
There is no certif ied potablewater available in the park. They usedto have a few pumps and springs thathad excellent water, but revised federal guidelines required these systems to be removed . So now youmust treat all water by boiling , iodinetablets, or the various filter systemsavailable. Another option is to bring inyour own spring water or bottledwater.Group Size
This year the park adopted anew Rule that hiking groups would belimited to no more than 12 persons.Affiliated hiking groups must also beat least 1 mile apart. I am hopeful thatour Klub members will be spreadingout their hikes throughout the weekso that we are fully compliant with thisnew reg.Friends of Baxter State Park
About 10 years ago this 501 C(3)non-profit group came into being.Their mission is "working to preserve ,support, and enhance the wildernesscharacter of Baxter State Park in thespirit of its founder, Percival P. Baxter." This is a great group that provides a broad array of support fromsupplying volunteer tra il crews , hosting a wilderness program for teens , tocommenting on new pol icy and ingeneral, being a strong advocate forthis incredible wilderness paradise. Iencourage those who wish to supporta great organization to check themout at www.friendsofbaxter.org
That's all for now ...see you in Millinocket in July!!!
Apex to Zenith #101
LODGING DURING M AINE 2013 CONVENTION
Mill inock et - - -
Katahdin Inn and Suites (Host Hotel - ask for Hig hpointers discount)katahdininnandsuit es.com (877) 902 -4555
Bil: Moose Inn big moo secabins.com (877) 666-7346
Med way - - -
Gateway Inn (503) 272-33 25
Rivers Ed2"e Hotel (207) 746 -389 0
CAMPING DURING M AINE 2013 CONVENTION
Mill inocket - - -
Wilderness Edl:e Campl:round - ow ner Ann Hallett contac ted us toadd her campground to thi s list. They are the closest to the pa rk (15miles), and they have water and electric hookup, hot showe rs, flush toilets, pool, and playgrou nd. Highpointe rs get 20% off their stay!
71 Mill inocket Road (207) 447-8485 Wi ldernessedgeca mpgro und.com
Baxter State Park bax terstate parkauthori ty.com (207) 723 -5 140
Abol Bridl:e Campl:round at PO Box 536
Nesowadnehunk Lake Wilderness CamPl:roundmainerec.com/nesowadnehunk
Bil: Moos e Inn bigmo osecab ins.com (877) 666-7346
Rent a House for the Konvent ion!Hotel too tight? B&B too qua int? Camping too roug h? How aboutrent ing a hou se? Three bedroo m, 1.5 bath , full kitchen, dining & livingareas, with linens. I mile from Millinocket on Katahdin Avenue.
Jason & Linda j lsprops@yahoo .com (207) 415-51 44
Major T rails in Baxter State ParkThere are 46 mountain peaks and ridges, 18 of whi ch an elevation
of exceed 3,000' . The park is intersected by abou t 175 miles of trails.rangin g from 0.4 3 mi le to 15.10 mile s. For a list of trail names andlengths go to www.katahdinoutdoors.com/bsp/trai ls.html
- submitt ed by Bill Wentzel
FUN ACTIVITIES DURING
Rafti nl: & Moose Safari
New Engla nd Outdoor Centerneoc.com (800) 766-72 38
Ho use of Pizza - 200 ' walk to shopping plazaRuthie' s Restaurant - 10 minute wal k to theHotel Terrace (steak, seafood, pizza)
One mile dow nhill to downtown Millinocket:Appalachian Trail Cafe - breakfast & lunch tohang wit h the localsScootic Inn - lunch & dinne r, great var ied menu
FAQThe Katahdin climb is 3.8 miles by the Abol SlideTrail , 5.2 miles by the Hunt Trail, and 5.5 miles byChimney Pond & Saddle Trails.
The premie r loop hike goes from Roaring Brookto Chimney Pond, up Cathedral Trail, down KnifeEdge to Pamola Peak , and down Helon Taylo rTra il to Roar ing Brook. This is 9.2 miles and BillGuenth er would plan on 10 hrs to do it.
Baxter State Park rules req uire you to carry awork ing flashlight on hikes.
Be prepared for a long day if you to dr ive fromMillinocket to enter BSP early, hike Katahdin, anddrive back to the host hotel. It 's better to stayovernight in the park, or to backpack into Chimney Pond.
Despite the New England saying, "You can't getthere from here, " you can go to Mansfi eld (Vermont HP) by taking 1-95 down past Bangor andget off at Newport to pick up US 2 west to Waterbury or Burlington where you can reach Mansfiel d from the east or west, respectively. Thisroute goes through Gorham, NH (hint: Mt W.).
2013 - Second Quarter Page 13 A pex to Zenith # 101
