Our Adventure at South Branch Pond Campground:
February 8th thru 11th, 2002

• A brief mileage synopsis
• 9 miles each way on perimeter road - total, 18 miles on ski;
• 2 miles each way on access road to camp - total, 4 miles on snowshoe;
• 1 miles each way to access trailhead to North Traveler - total, 2 miles on ski;
• 2.2 miles each way up North Traveler - total 4.4 miles on snowshoe;
• 2 miles each way up Black Cat - total 4 miles on snowshoe.
• Grand totals: 20 miles on ski, 12.4 on snowshoe.

After many hours of prep we left Augusta at 4am. At 6:30am we arrived at the Irving at Sherman Mills Station for some breakfast. Leaving from there at 7 am, we headed north on Rte. 11 for Patten, then banged a left in Patten on Rte. 159 heading towards Shin Pond. Snowed that night so the roads were slippery making the backroads a bit slow going. We arrived at the Matagamon Gate parking area at 8 am, 193 miles from Augusta. We changed up while waiting for the rest of our group to arrive. Everybody had shown up by 8:30 and we were pumped to get on our way.

We carried only daypacks for the ski in and loaded the outfitter up with the bigger stuff and the sleds that we would need for the final couple miles in. We hit the trail at 9am with 22 degree temps, and a light snow drifting down on us. The sun peaked out at us from time to time which made the snow on the trees glitter it - was so awesome!

We reached the Matagamon Gatehouse about 10am signed in and proceeded into the park. Our Group Leader Dave Ladd took the lead, he had on these paisley boxer shorts which we'll just leave it at that. We had great conditions for the ski in with a fresh layer of snow.

We were fortunate enough to see three pine martin on the way in. Also observed numerous otter and fisher tracks.

12:30 reached South Branch Pond Road where it junctions with the Perimeter Road. Proceeded to load the sleds up for the last couple of miles. Sleds are definitely the answer, they work very well and as long as the snow isn't too deep, they pull very easily. By 1 pm the group was ready for the drag in, I used snowshoes since I wasn't used to towing anything while standing on skis. Those who chose skis made much better time.

I arrived at the bunkhouse about 2:30 pm and I was ready for some good hot chocolate and food. Cabin was really nice, sleeps eight, v-match pine interior, all kinds of lines and hooks to hang stuff from. Picnic table and a couple of benches for seating and a great woodstove. After getting organized, building a fire, setting up water supplies, getting gear stored we could just relax and start with dinner. Moose stew was on tap for dinner and boy did that hit the spot.

After dinner started planning our Saturday trip up North Traveler Mountain, got to go for some elevation :) Half of the group chose North Traveler. The more experienced folks decided to try the challenging Fowler Pond Loop. Time for a nap zzzzzz....

Just about roasted last night, phew the place did hold the heat. Hey, make sure you bring a foam cell mattress along with the Thermo-rest, the bunks are just plywood and that gets a bit hard on the back.

Started the day with a hearty breakfast consisting of ham, cheese, bacon, green pepper, cheese omelet, a bagel with cream cheese, some tang and a cup of tea. I was one hungry boy. Plan on eating a lot, its cold, you're working hard, you will need it.

North Traveler was on tap for the day four our group. We got on our way around 9am. Breaking trail thru snow on an incline makes for some strenuous work. We were fairly exposed once on the ridge line and the wind really started to take the steam out of some of us. Snow was blowing, the trees were covered, the sun shown brightly however it wasn't doing much to warm the ambient air. The 360 degree views on the ridge were gorgeous, you could see 80+ miles through the crisp blue sky, it was very breathtaking. Looking over at Katahdin you could watch the snow blow off the top. Quite a harsh environment for sure.

The weather was not in our favor, temps were 10°F with winds 20ish m.p.h., bringing the wind chill factor well below -20°F (this reading was taken from the old windchill charts (I need to get a new one). The new one would have read -9. About half a mile from the summit we decided it may not be the best idea to push on so we to turned back. On the way down the snow being was deep and fluffy enough such that you could in lean back on your shoes and ski on down using poles to guide you thru the obstacles. Occasionally, the shoes would pick up a rock outcropping or a branch and you'd end up in a snowy pile.

Got back to camp, and out of the wind it seemed so warm. I got dared to a snow dip. So cranked the stove then rolled into the snow, actually that felt great. Of course we didn't dilly dally either. It's the equivalent of a shower for winter campers. We kicked back and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon with some hot soup and hot chocolate, played some cards and put the water on for our pasta. Right before sunset I took a quick jaunt up to the Ledges to watch the sunset over the mountains, pretty cool to watch the shadows fall over the pond, the air was finally still and it was so quiet. Hung out for a bit then turned on the headlamp and made my way back down to camp. Tonight's menu was spaghetti with venison, garlic bread and cheesecake with strawberries for dessert.

Well its just about 8 pm, time for a nap.

Another chilly start this morning -2°F however not much wind, which was a good thing. Gorged myself on oatmeal and bagels for breakfast and prepared for our snowshoe up Blackcat Mountain. We got going about 9 am having to break trail all the way. Snow was deep and powdery making progress slow in some spots. Trail has some very steep areas so you would sometimes we would take one step forward and slide two steps back - poles were a must-have item for this terrain. The view over South Branch Pond was very nice under the watch of Traveler Mountain. We knew of a possible Sunday storm, and as you know, with mother nature, timing is everything. Always abide by the motto: "Keep and eye to the sky".

As we approached the south summit, we could see the storm front moving the summits of Mt. Katahdin. Let me tell you these clouds were huge an ominous, and moving fast. Actually dwarfing Katahdin. The wind was picking up so we took a few photos and started back down. Like yesterday on North Traveler, it was a riot coming down, the snow being so fluffy and deep you could like surf with snowshoes, quite a kick actually. We likened it to telemarking on snowshoes. We headed back to the cabin and by now the wind was becoming quite strong whistling down thru the valley, almost sounded like a huge waterfall. We arrived back at camp put the gear undercover so it wouldn't get lost in the snow and settled in for some cards and homemade chili and cornbread. The precipitation started out as a mist, then rain, then sometime later that evening turned over to snow.

We had some coyote visitors that evening, they were just out of camera range but their eyes were aglow from the headlamps.

We started getting our stuff packed up for the morning return to civilization not knowing what trail or road conditions would be like, so we wanted to get an early start.

Woke up to a light falling snow and to our surprise we only received 2 or 3 inches on top of the freezing rain. So it was a blessing in a way even though from time to time, skiing the ice was a pain in the butt. We headed out at 7:45 am, with the light snow hitting our face. The trees were covered and the branches were sagging under the weight. Just the sound of the shoes scrunching into the snow made it so quiet.

We hit the Perimeter Road at about 9 am and switched over to skis to make better time. By now the snow had stopped and the sun was out, however the wind had picked up making for very chilly temps. We made awesome time and were back to the gate by 11:20 for our sign-out. Had a quick snack and kept moving. Even though we enjoyed the solitude and beauty of the trip, I have to confess we were excited to get back and take a nice hot shower.