A Hike up Rumford Whitecap Before the Onslaught of Turbines

On Sunday, October 3, Stephen Watson and I made a pilgrimage up Rumford Whitecap Mountain in Oxford County. I say pilgrimage because this is a stunning and unique mountain, one of the lowest elevations to find sub-arctic flora in the state. It has sweeping 360 degree views from its open ledges. It has always been a favorite hike to me and this year was special, as it is likley the last time to hike this gem and see the viewshed unsullied by industrial wind turbines. I have posted a series of photos, with captions, in this blog.

Rumford Whitecap is so highly regarded that, after years of negotiation, the Mahoosuc Land Trust was able to purchase part of the summit and ensure access. See the Mahoosuc Land Trust link: http://www.mahoosuc.org/whitecap.html The Land Trust spent a lot of money on the project, with $243,000. coming from the Land for Maine's Future Fund---that is taxpayers' money. Yet in spite of the state voting in excess of $200 million of face value plus interest on Land for Maine's Future bonds, the state is promoting industrial wind turbine sites all around these "extraordinary" and "special places" that were purchased for the people, by the people, to preserve.

At Rumford Whitecap, starting just 3 miles to the north, is Partridge Peak, Flathead Mt., and Record Hill, site of Independence Wind's Record Hill Project. The roads created in 2009 by this developer are clearly seen in the photo. It will be the site of 22 turbines. Immediately adjacent to the summit of Rumford Whitecap are North & South Twin Mts. and Black Mt., which First Wind proposes for its "Longfellow" project of 20 turbines. Directly east, across the Androscoggin River Valley, is Spruce Mountain in Woodstock. Patriot Renewables will erect 11 to 17 turbines on that prominent ridge. Looking to the northeast beyond the towns of Rumford and Mexico are two more Patriot Renewables sites: Saddleback Ridge in Carthage for 20 turbines and an equal number in Dixfield on Col. Holman Mt.

If all these proposed projects get built out, this wonderful, stunningly scenic place we have spent public tax money to preserve will have around 100 huge industrial wind turbines surrounding it. It will be ruined forever. I ended my hike that day bittersweet, with the usual hikers' bliss of having climbed into another world of grand vistas, offset by the heartbreak of knowing that should any wind turbines destroy the vista of Rumford Whitecap, I shall never return.

The view north is directly at Partridge Peak, Flathead Mt. and Record Hill, the site of Independence Wind's project. Part of the illegal road system (built without permits or financing secured) is clearly seen.

Black Mt., with its At & T tower, is a half mile away. To the right, you can see a met tower belonging to First Wind, which wants to erect 20 turbines on Black Mt. and North and South Twin Mts to the north. These 3 mountains are separated from the 3 mountains of Independence Wind's project just by a notch. A string of six peaks will be blasted away and twenty two 400 foot tall wind turbines will top them.

The higher ridges in the distance, within 5 miles beyond Rumford and Mexico, are Saddleback Ridge and Col. Holman Mt., where Patriots Renewables wants to place more turbines.

Across the valley in Woodstock is the long ridgeline of Spruce Mt., where Patriot Renewables will erect 11 to 17 (likely more) turbines, clearly visible from nearly a mile of the trail up Rumford Whitecap, after the trail breaks out of the forest and onto the ledges leading to the summit.

View towards Mt. Washington, the high distant peak. How many of these ridgelines will be threatened in the future for the folly of industrial wind? Look closely and you see faintly the trails on the Whitecap part of Sunday River Ski Resort. There is a strong citizens movement in Bethel and Newry to protect the tourism of the area by adopting wind ordinances.

The high peak that is blue in the distance is Baldpate. The Appalachian Trail goes across the entire open ridgeline, with distant views of all the turbines that will surround Rumford Whitecap.

The peak in the distance is Old Speck Mt. in nearby Grafton Notch State Park. The views from the State park will also include most of the turbines. The ridges in the foreground could become targets of the wind developers.

This is me, Brad Blake. I lived near Bethel in the 1970's, when I first discovered Rumford Whitecap. In more than 40 years, I have hiked the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in Maine and climbed just about every major mountain with a trail on it and some with no trails. I have been awed by the spectacular beauty of Maine's mountains and charmed by the subtle vignettes of nature that abound. I strongly believe that industrial wind power development in Maine is a travesty that we will come to regret. I am angry that the political climate of today has allowed such unjustified destruction of rural Maine to take place. Please join in the efforts of the Citizens Task Force on Wind Power to battle this scourge and save Maine's vaunted "Quality of Place". Hike Rumford Whitecap, Tumbledown, Bigelow, and the other great places before they are surrounded by wind turbines. You owe it to your soul.

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Comment by Penny Gray on October 17, 2010 at 3:49pm
Wow, Brad. Stunning pictures and excellent commentary. How much would it cost to run this in full color in ALL the state's Sunday papers??? Might wake a few people up. Penny Gray, Harraseeket Inn
Comment by freemont tibbetts on October 7, 2010 at 8:15am
Brad, I Thank you for coming up and taking the pic"s one pic is worth a 1000 word"s . The same goes for the beautiful Coast line of Maine. The Citizen"s Task Force on Wind Power is showing and telling the Citizen"s of Maine with GOOD OLD FASHION COMMON SENSE that the Industrial Wind Power is not for the State of Maine. I thank you a gain. Freemont Tibbetts, Dixfield Maine.
Comment by Long Islander on October 7, 2010 at 6:24am
Brad,

I don't think you get it. Sure these are OK views I suppose, but if we can just put up a couple thousand 400'-500' tall industrial wind turbines and somehow get the sleeping populace to pay for the billions in transmission we'll need, we'll be able to find some unspoiled views elsewhere. Money just won't be a problem.

Govs Angus and John
Comment by Ron Huber on October 7, 2010 at 1:37am
Thank you fI never knewwhat these places were like
Comment by We Oppose Windfarms on October 6, 2010 at 11:39pm
Brad, this must have been very difficult for you to put together. I know where your heart is! Thank you for a great piece. I have shared it on my Facebook page, too... send it around the world, my friend. I still have hope, no turbines are standing yet!!
Comment by alice mckay barnett on October 6, 2010 at 8:51pm
http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/wind_turbines/en/download...
rotor 100m tower 75-100m 328feet plus 164 feet is 492 feet
black mountain tower is inder 200 feet (no red light) i will try for a simulation of sorts
Comment by alice mckay barnett on October 6, 2010 at 8:32pm
DUH,,http://www.city-data.com/towers/cell-Rumford-Maine.html 60.9m , m as in meters, tower is about `190 feet I under stand they are 2.5 mw turbines...over 400 feet? I will get baCK want a visual.
Comment by alice mckay barnett on October 6, 2010 at 8:23pm
i see 2 met towers?
Comment by alice mckay barnett on October 6, 2010 at 8:21pm
how tall is the met tower?
Comment by alice mckay barnett on October 6, 2010 at 8:19pm
guesses do not count in this game....so I get 60 feet (sean o'malley fcc regs..google)....jeez are no trees fully grown around it?

 

Maine as Third World Country:

CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power

 

Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.

Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT

******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********

(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/

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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law

Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future

"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."

https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/

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