Aug 9-18 North Maine Woods 2024 Thread

WHAT
Big ol' trip to the North Maine woods!

Reboot of last year's trip:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/aug-10-15th-north-maine-woods-stock-friendly.794487/

WHEN


August 9th (Friday), through the weekend of the 10th/11th, we'll establish a base camp style site. We have a few in mind, but nothing is set in stone (and, genuinely, could change day of, if our A choice is occupied, so we'll keep everyone posted, and well informed).

Well be there until the following weekend, the 17th/18th. Come and go as you please, build your own adventure!

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE THERE THE WHOLE TIME! We'll establish a "base camp" style site, you can come and go as you please, or one night, two, so be it.

WHERE
TBD on the exact basecamp style site.
IT WILL BE IN THE NORTH MAINE WOODS LAND, LAND USE FEES WILL APPLY




The boring bits, if you read/knew the thread from last year, this year changes are in red

--------------------------------------

Equipment needed

• minimum 1 spare tire, no exceptions (and any bits you need to get it off if you have wheel lock lugs, etc).
• If your cooler isn't bear rated, it goes into a cab for the night - it does not stay out.
• Radio - we use GMRS, trucks use CB, someone in our group has CB so if all you have is CB, whatever. Handhelds are cheap and easy to come by, highly recommend. I have a MURS radio, but that's just for industry, we won't use those channels for rag chew
  • NEW FOR 2024: The logging ops typically do not operate on the weekends, and holidays. We will be up there during logging ops, which use MURS and CB. We won't be moving as one big group, so a CB and MURS is HIGHLY recommended.
• Chase lights are HIGHLY recommended, if not a requirement. It gets dusty, sometimes the lights are the only way to see the trucks in front of you
  
• Food + tent for you + however many you have with you
  • NEW FOR 2024: The reason to highlight this is that we aren't doing group meals, catered, etc. We'll coordinate the campsites, day trips, etc but we aren't supplying or coordinating food or tents/sleeping arrangements for the group.
• NEW FOR 2024: GAS! Last year, we were able to plan "Between stops A and B, we'll be at 180±10 miles". This year, being as (intentionally) disorganized as we are, we can't get you that information. Highly recommend a jerry can.

COST
The only costs will be North Maine Woods land use fees. These are due at the gate for your planned stay. There are also season passes available, depending on how much time you're spending up there.

https://northmainewoods.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NMW-Self-Registration-Form.pdf

NEW FOR 2024: You'll want to fill this form out ahead of time, the workers at the gates REALLY appreciate having the forms done and ready to go. In 2023, they accepted cards, HOWEVER, reception may be spotty, so be ready with check/cash just in case. They love 1s and 5s.

WE WILL NOT BE DOING FORMS IN A GROUP LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR, Y'ALL ARE ON YOUR OWN

https://northmainewoods.org/information/fees/



Here's the NON RESIDENT fee schedule:



This is PER PERSON, not PER TRUCK. If you have 2 people in the vehicle, you pay for each. Under 18 is free.

SCHEDULE/PLAN

For 2024, we plan to set up at a campsite (TBD, we have a few good ones in mind, I think we have a choice A, B, and C, but if any are occupied, we will have to change course). The intent this year is to set up and hang out. We can send groups up to the airfield, Clayton Lake, trains, etc throughout the week, you can hang out at camp all week, you can come up for 2 days and bail, come up half way through, etc. Way more laid back this year than 2023.

Update April 11 2024: We are not going to stay in the woods for the whole trip! We're going to find a spot near/on Moosehead lake for the "basecamp" option (to be found and determined). It's all up to everyone there, we might go into the woods for an overnight, a group might take off for an overnight, it's all willy nilly. But either way, there will be the option to kip up for the whole week w/o day use fees.

Thoughts for "day trips"

• Ghost trains
• Red pine grove air strip
• Northeast Cary General Store

HEADCOUNT
This year we need to cap the headcount at 12 vehicles at a time. I'm thinking to track it sorta like this, but TBD:



Otherwise it's kinda fair game. We've seen everything from super duties to miatas. Nothing is super organized. It IS family friendly, we have one child coming along already as of the plan now. Who knows if that'll change. Pet friendly - dogs are fun up there. We SHOULD be on water every night so they might get damp.

There will be kayak opportunities. We should be on water each night. ME does not need to register Kayaks, BUT if you want to fish, you'll need to sort that out yourself with fish and game/wildlife up there.









Driving in NMW - it's (almost) all logging trails maintained by the logging company. Dirt, with shale. That's why spares are important - punctures happen frequently. It's not a "guarantee", and I've done several trips with no problems. But, they happen. It's all private land and logging trucks have right of way. If it's dry, it's dusty. There is very little "wheeling", and tight roads. Most of it is wide logging roads. We air down, but not to 8PSI/beadlock levels - 20-25 PSI usually.

Tires - as long as they have meat on them, anything should be fine. 6 ply and above is nicer to have, but I've done it on 4 ply several times with no issues. The biggest thing is meat on the bones - if you have bald tires, they can go right through. We've had a puncture on E load w/ solid tread life as well.

Gas - There is none available out there. A 5 gallon can is highly recommended, most times. THINGS HAPPEN, but this trip, we're unlikely to be going more than about 150-200 miles between civilization/reasonable fuel stops.

Here's a video - you can see the dust they kick up when it's dry.
https://youtu.be/7qnEmbIbYAY



Boats!

Kayaks and paddleboards do not count, they do not need a sticker. Kayaks must have a life jacket of type I II III or V per person on board. You can get an OUI for a kayak in Maine, motorized or not.


Fishing!
https://moses.informe.org/cgi-bin/online/moses_v3/index

 

As of Jan 15 2024

 

@AllTacosFloat
@Arcticelf
@atc250r
@BadDNA
@Brownie_Man
@Brownmatthall
@Bruce988jl
@crashngiggles
@CTSpruceMica
@disconnected
@emelianenkov
@fatfurious2
@Ferball
@Fish.Taco.Ma
@Fourwheeling02
@GarlicFarts
@Grand dude
@hoarder23
@JDUB-Fabrication
@jpereira2
@littlefish
@mach1man001
@man17TRDoffroad
@MikefromCT
@PCTaco
@risethewake
@Roody
@sculptnbones
@Skierrichy
@Spare Parts
@SR-71A
@SuperAir
@TacoTuesday603
@Toolndie7

 

In, with Tiffany and the dog.... They dont know yet

edit... dog for reference. We should camp at water.

 

In for at least some of it.

 

We have 1 spot we want to get to, a second one as a backup, and a third one as a...second back up? Ross is going up first and will figure us out a spot. So, genuinely, we might not know where we'll be until day of. BUT, I will have my kayak, and we are 100% going to be on water this year.

I should have Pepper with me this year.

 

Sweet, depending on total number I may have a few suggestions if you want.

 

As things get closer, I also may be able to get up early

 

Also this could be a side quest. Havent been there myself but I want to

https://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/big-reed-forest-reserve

46.35612, -69.03543

 

Oh, right you know some of the NMW.

Right now we're thinking #1 Francis Lake, #2 Ross Lake (NMW site, not the cabins), #3 spider lake.

Let us know! Ross is planning to go up Friday the 9th, I (and Matt?) are planning to go up Sunday the 11th I think, and stay until Sunday the 18th (TBD, I MIGHT bail on Saturday the 17th, to get home and have a day to figure out how to live in society again before going to work Monday).

 

Add haymock lake in there. Spider lake would be a great time. One of my favorites. Id be down to go up friday and stay for a while.

 

The wife and I are IN as of now. Also may have another vehicle interested...

 

I'll be meeting ya in OOB, bailing out on Saturday, maybe even Friday if I don't feel like living in the truck for half a day
Edit: 10 and a half to spider lake isn't terrible actually...

 

Will do, once I know when summer school ends, I’ll be able to have a better idea, but it’s very possible I could head up Thursday 8th.

 

Cheryl and I are in

 

So wait, is this the 9th-18th or the 9th-11th? Title vs first post......a nine day trip is completely out of the question for me....

 

Pick your own adventure from the 9th to the 18th, well be around the whole time, go see the trains, the air strip, explore some parts of the woods. There is no itinerary

We're going to set up one campsite relatively centrally located, plant a flag for 9 days on the water somewhere.

Someone (fake Ross) will be there there the 9th. Bill might be even earlier.

Edit - i see what you mean now. Modified it. Hope it's clearer now.

 

Definitely interested, but can only officially say "maybe" until I get a better picture of my PTO at the time lol. Probably won't be all 9 days.

 

Wait how is NotARoss letting you and everyone else know what site?

 

There will be ways, worst case someone drives out closer to Moosehead Lake and texts. There is service in a few places