BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 3, 2023
On the third day of our six-day Baxter State Park expedition, eight of us awoke in the midst of a stormy Northeaster. We were occupying the bunkhouse at South Branch Pond in the northeast sector of the park. Five inches of fresh snow had accumulated, and mixed precipitation was predicted for the remainder of the day. An unwanted crust was forming on the snow. The inclement weather limited safe outdoor options to lower elevation activities. Four of us decided to attempt a snowshoe climb to the top of 2,085-foot Barrel Ridge, located about 3 miles east. ~ Ron Chase