2 Steamers, abandoned in the Maine Woods

[RussNelson]

How are the roads out there?

"roads"? What roads?

[atsf sp]

Eagle Lake has a good road. One road in, one road out. But the roads to the steamers are non-existent.

[Tracer]

How are the roads out there?

"roads"? What roads?

I dont know about the roads, thats why i asked. The link at the top of this thread http://www.eastcoastrover.com/Trains2000.html has the land rover guys getting to a point were they had a 5 mile hike. What I was wondering was how are the roads that get you to that point were you have to hike? If i ever went there it would be in the summer.

[3rdrail]

If I remember correctly, I read an article where a group of modified Land Rover owners went out there and were only able to get so far. Part of the trip involved an extended hike by foot. I'll say it again- this ain't kid stuff. If you haven't done this stuff before or don't have a real off-road vehicle, don't risk it ! (Kia's need not apply.)

[svobronco]

The easiest way to see them is by snowmobile. They've been on my list of things to see, maybe this winter. There may be a snowmobile tour available from one of the local rental places. It's about a 6hr round trip from what I've been led to believe.

Greg

[svobronco]

Oh, and just so everyone knows, there is more than one Eagle Lake in Maine. The town of Eagle Lake is not where the steamers are. They're in the Allagash NNW of Moosehead lake in Piscataquis county.

[Tracer]

If I remember correctly, I read an article where a group of modified Land Rover owners went out there and were only able to get so far. Part of the trip involved an extended hike by foot. I'll say it again- this ain't kid stuff. If you haven't done this stuff before or don't have a real off-road vehicle, don't risk it ! (Kia's need not apply.)

If you get stuck 3rd rail you can just call AAA!

[B&Mguy]

I agree with 3rd Rail. The woods of northern Maine are very dense and remote. I once heard a local say that getting lost in the woods up there is almost the same as getting lost in Alaska. You could potentially walk for days and not find any civilization. Reaching these steamers is something that would probably take extensive knowledge of the area as well as plenty of planning. The photos of the Land Rover expedition are neat, but they reinforce the fact that it's very wild country up there.

Not trying to be negative, but it seems like with the modern gadgets like GPS and cell phones, you hear more stories about hikers getting lost because they think the technology will save them. As a hiker and a rail-fan, I can say that it would probably be best to attempt a trip like this only with the guidance of others who have done it before. As others have stated, there are no roads, and if your SUV gets stuck or breaks down, it could be a very dangerous situation.

[3rdrail]

I've off-roaded a lot of places and never got into trouble until we did northern Maine. Been through Mexican jungle with deadly snakes, Nova Scotia forests with mud four feet deep, Pennsylvania anthracite Fields with quicksand, Hawaii where Hawaiins don't go where we had to cross a washed-out road in three foot deep raging water, and on and on and on, without a hitch. Up in Bowtown, Maine we got hopelessly hung up navigating boulders, then proceeded to be looked at by a huge ravenous bear who wouldn't take no for an answer. Our truck will go anywhere within reason, and while I would not rule out Maine, I would be more selective up there next time as to where we were treking. My truck's pictures are on this thread, so if you think that you've got better traction, good luck, but I would still say that this place is a red flag. We got assistance, thanks be to God, by a gentleman who we just happened to mention where we were going, who we were able to literally build a rock bridge with the next day to finally get away. Not only are you often away from cell phone towers up there, but in many instances (like this one) there is no one within a survival walking distance. Our case was a very fortunate exception. We came very close to being a "Happy Meal" for a bear. I can practically promise you that nobody is going to come looking for you (or find you), and if you are lucky enough to get rescued should you become disabled, you're probably going to get a huge bill from county authorities for any rescue operation that you cause by your actions (and justifiably so !) If you still have to do this one, I recommend going on snow mobiles as has already been recommended, and go in a group with persons familiar with remote expeditions with the proper survival and other gear.

[ThinkNarrow]

Finding the steamers is more a matter of having good directions and good woods navigation skills rather than having a good vehicle. It is possible to get within about three miles with a conventional car in midsummer. Three or four years ago, some friends and I spend time at Loon Lodge nearby and they sketched a map for us. Of course this involves a three mile hike finding ribbons tied to trees and "taking a left at the eagle's nest", but the trail is fairly easy to follow if you've done a fair amount of hiking. Bring your GPS and compass.

[3rdrail]

Finding the steamers is more a matter of having good directions and good woods navigation skills rather than having a good vehicle. It is possible to get within about three miles with a conventional car in midsummer. Three or four years ago, some friends and I spend time at Loon Lodge nearby and they sketched a map for us. Of course this involves a three mile hike finding ribbons tied to trees and "taking a left at the eagle's nest", but the trail is fairly easy to follow if you've done a fair amount of hiking. Bring your GPS and compass.

And your plans for defense when possibly meeting an aggresive black bear 2-1/2 miles into your "hike" are...

[B&Mguy]

3rdrail, not to thread-jack this topic, but what's the story with the black bear? i thought they normally try to avoid people, and will only turn aggressive if they feel trapped or threatened. I have been spending time in New Hampshire for years now, and have yet to come across a bear, thankfully.

[atsf sp]

Oh, and just so everyone knows, there is more than one Eagle Lake in Maine. The town of Eagle Lake is not where the steamers are. They're in the Allagash NNW of Moosehead lake in Piscataquis county.

Where are they then compared to the town of Eagle Lake? North , South , East , West?

[superwarp1]

I've seen more moose and black bear in my back yard than I ever had camping in VT or NH.


Anyway back to subject.

If anyone visits in the near future it would be nice if someone brought along a GPS for exact coordinates

[Tracer]

Topo map that shows the loco's, you could use it to find the coords. although i am not sure how accurate they would be.
http://mapserver.mytopo.com/homepage/in ... ontype=DMS

And your plans for defense when possibly meeting an aggresive black bear 2-1/2 miles into your "hike" are...

I'll have to bring my bow and arrow, and hope the trip doesnt turn into the movie "Deliverance"!