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On Thursday the 14th, Pierre and I met up with Kurt and went after some trailless peaks. These are called bush whacks and they may mean a walk through the woods, or they be be treks trrough impenatrable thickets and bogs. Todays climbs were somewhere in between. Our goal were "The Smarts" - two peaks a few miles on the US side of the border accessible from Baudrey Road, a logging road off of route 27 about 20 miles north of Stratton. The IBC (International Boundary Commision) set a number of triangulation stations in 1915 when the boundary was surveyed via trangulation. Triangulation stations were on boundary peaks or on peaks up to several miles from the boundary on either side. This triangulation station, an unstamped 2" bronze disk, was located on the summit of the 3200+ ft peak about 1.5 miles east of the boundary. Technically the peak is unnamed, but it's usually rerferred to as the west peak of Smart Mountain, or as "Layton" (after the station). The disk was found at the base of a small cairn in front of a tree. Interestingly, there was a glass jar hanging from the same tree containing a peak bagger's log. Evidently the 1915 surveyors and the current day peak baggers agreed on what is the peak's highest point. Found in good condition and First to Find!
Photos:
QH0260 "LAYTON IBC" setting, Merrill Strip Maine View of the tree at the peak's high point. The glass jar peak bagger's log is hanging where Kurt is looking, the small cairn with the station is at the tree's base.
QH0260 "LAYTON IBC" setting, Merrill Strip Maine The mark was under the front of the small cairn. I had to move just one rock out of the way.
QH0260 "LAYTON IBC", Merrill Strip Maine
QH0260 "LAYTON IBC", Merrill Strip Maine
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