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The Crockers and Redington

By Deb Carroll

A hike along the Maine Appalachian Trail, and the side trails which link the AT to surrounding peaks, is most often measured in terms of mileage, elevation gain/loss, and hours or days spent on the trail.  Hikes, however, can also be measured in the progression of flora, leaves, mosses and berries as the weather and seasons change, the number of north or southbound thru hikers encountered, the sounds and sightings of wildlife, and the moments of joy shared with hiking companions.

Sunday, August 6, 2016, was a day in which all of the above were covered thoroughly, making for a full and happy day on the trail.

Caribou Valley Road “CVR” in Carrabassett Valley, Maine, intersects with the AT between Spaulding and South Crocker mountains.  CVR is a rough road that is impassable in winter and early spring, and gnarly even in the best conditions. It is an unmarked side road on the left side of Route 27, about 1 mile north of Sugarloaf Mountain Resort.

To find the trailhead on CVR, drive several miles until you reach a gate. Park there and put your boots on. Setting out on foot, you’ll cross a metal bridge and walk a half mile or so further along CVR.  The spot where the AT crosses is marked, but it’s easy to miss, so keep your eyes open for a small cairn and white blazes. Taking a left at that intersection leads to Sugarloaf, Spaulding and all points south, while a right turn will take you north, toward the Crockers.

For our MATLT hike up South Crocker, North Crocker and Redington, our group of 5 women left the parking lot at 9:15AM.  The hike to the highpoint of South Crocker wound upward, gradually getting steeper and crossing several rock slides and a wonderfully healthy hanging bog, as we got closer to the summit.  The summit of South Crocker is heavily wooded, with a man-made viewpoint just a few steps to the left of the AT offering views of Spaulding and Abraham. The destruction caused by the recent lightning strike and forest fire on Middle Abraham was still quite evident.

We continued on to the summit of North Crocker, just 1 mile further along the AT. After snapping a few photos and some fun trail shenanigans on this wooded summit, we returned to South Crocker to start our bushwhack to Mount Redington, one of Maine’s 14 4,000 footers.  To quote a hiker who we met (for the 2nd time that day at the summit of South Crocker) as he was returning from the summit of Redington, the trail to Redington “is the best unmarked trail he’s ever been on.”  This was our experience as well.  The trail to Redington veered to the right side of the side trail that led to the viewpoint on South Crocker, less than 20’ from the viewpoint.

Although the Redington side trail was very narrow and unimproved, with blowdowns and some seemingly unnecessary twists and turns, it was marked with pink and orange ribbons, relatively well trodden, and was, for the most part, easy to follow.  After 1.2 miles we emerged in the clearing at the top of Redington.  The canister, which marked the true summit, was off to the side of the clearing on a path marked with blue ribbons.  Inside of the canister we found and signed the log book, adding our names to the list of those who had also found their way there.  Although the markers on each summit say otherwise, as the result of relatively recent updated surveys, the summit of Redington, like the summit of Spaulding, now measures more than 4,000’.

On the way up, one sharp-sighted woman in our party had noticed a side trail a short way from the summit of Redington. After checking maps and compass, we ascertained that this was likely the trail that would take us down Redington and back to CVR.  This trail proved to be somewhat more difficult to follow as it was even narrower than the trail up.  After a mile or 2, the trail emptied onto what appeared to be either an ATV trail or an old logging road.  Whatever they were, they were in bad shape.  Using our maps and compass, as well as GPS technology, we were able to make our way along these roads until we found the Carrabassett River and CVR.  Although we may have walked an extra 2 or 3 miles, we elected to play it safe and follow these rough “roads” all the way rather than chance a possible bushwhack through thick woods with no trail whatsoever.

Looking left as we walked along CVR, a quarter mile or so shy of where we originally joined the AT and entered the woods, we came across a side trail that might lead up ATV trails/logging roads to the trail we had taken from the summit.  Perhaps, next time, we’ll reverse our route and head up that way.

We emerged from the woods after nearly 11 miles, tired but with great joy and pride in what we had accomplished, and made our ways home.

Goose Eye Mountain Hike

The Maine A.T. Land Trust hosted one of our semi-monthly Maine Hikes on the Appalachian Trail this past Sunday, up Goose Eye Mountain.  This peak in the Mahoosucs – the second highest in the area to Old Speck – is reached via the Wright Trail and the Appalachian Trail, and then a short spur from the A.T. to the West Peak (the highest of three peaks on the mountain).  According to the excellent Mountains of Maine, the Wright Trail was named for a local writer who contributed a number of articles on the region to AMC’s journal Appalachia.

The weather looked like it would hold, but the day started with one attendee getting lost on the way to the trailhead in Ketchum, north of Newry, near Sunday River Resort.  Even for Maine, the Mahoosuc Public Reserve Unit lands have confusing and/or non-existent signage which makes it difficult for hikers to find the trailhead.  The trailhead itself has no sign indicating which trail it is for!

Our group hit the trail just after 10am and proceeded up the Wright Trail.  Before reaching the final crossing of the beautiful Goose Eye Brook, two members of the group were stung by some kind of bee or hornet right on the trail (more on this later).  At the final stream crossing, the old north branch of the Wright Trail can still be seen with faded blue blazes on the trees, but the group continued on the main branch of the trail.  The northern branch of the Wright Trail has been closed for a few years.

The trail continues steeply from the brook until coming out at treeline on the mile-long ridge of Goose Eye Mountain.  The group was heading for the highest peak which is furthest to the west, at approximately 3,860 feet.  Along the way, we encountered three thru-hikers including Legs.  The ridge traverse is spectacular (and there were some blueberries left) but we were looking forward to lunch and it was with some relief that we reached the summit at 2pm.  After lunch, the group headed down and made good time all the way to the Goose Eye Brook crossing at the old junction.  Shortly after, yet another member of the group was stung by a bee/hornet near the same location as the others.  If you are allergic to insect stings, please be aware that there are bees/hornets on the Wright Trail between the big rock and the stream crossings.

The group reached the parking area at 5:30pm, making it a total time out of 7.5 hours.  The weather actually improved along the way and everybody had a great time!

Join us next month for our NPS 100th Anniversary hike!

 

Berry Pickers’ Trail Report

Maine A.T. Land Trust Executive Director Simon Rucker had the opportunity to once again traverse the Berry Pickers’ Trail up the east side of Saddleback Mountain recently.  The purpose of the trip was to help Dave Field, longtime Maine Appalachian Trail Club volunteer and the man who relocated most of Maine’s 281 miles of Appalachian Trail to where it is today, flag the route of what will be a blue-blazed official Appalachian Trail side trail.  He is also the author of Along Maine’s Appalachian Trail.  Dave will be in charge of clearing the route, which should be finished in about a month if all goes well.

The Berry Pickers’ Trail will start in the Orbeton Stream conservation easement area and follow a ridge between Saddleback Mountain and The Horn for a distance of approximately 3.2 miles, depending on how far up a disused logging road your vehicle can get, up to the Appalachian Trail.  The route was flagged to ensure that two plant species (Alpine blueberry and Mountain sandwort) and would not be endangered by the placement of the trail.

Dave will be in charge of the crews clearing the Berry Pickers’ Trail and we are currently looking for volunteers for the weekend of July 30th and perhaps beyond.  If you would like to help out, please contact us at 207-808-2073 or info@matlt.org.  We are in need of Chainsaw Safety certified volunteers!

Puzzle Mountain Trip Report

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust held our latest A.T. hike this past Saturday up Puzzle Mountain in Grafton Notch.  Puzzle Mountain is accessible via the Grafton Loop Trail which is a blue-blazed official A.T. side trail.  The weather forecast was not great but it did indicate that the heavy rain would hold off until the late afternoon and evening, so we had four hikers in total brave enough to make the trip.

We left the parking area on Route 26 at about 9am in light rain, but very quickly shed rain gear because the forest canopy of hardwoods provided us with a natural umbrella.  Atticus – who had hiked up Puzzle twice during the week!?! – had his own actual umbrella but that too was put away.  We reached the Stewart Family Preserve, which contains numerous areas of old-growth spruce over approximately 486 acres of forestland, fairly quickly.

The weather forecast was calling for heavier rain and possibly thunderstorms by late afternoon, so the group proceeded without stopping too often, reaching the summit by noon.  There wasn’t much to see due to the fog, but as always it’s rewarding to be in a wild place three miles off the nearest paved road.  We headed down the rocky ledges – which were very slippery in heavy fog – and paused for lunch at the junction with the Woodsum Spur a half mile down from the summit.  After that, we concentrated in getting back to the cars before the heavier rains hit.  We stayed dry.

Thanks to everybody who came along – looking for information on our next hike on our events calendar!

Sugarloaf/Spaulding/Abraham Tripleheader Hike

By Deb Carroll

We chose the weekend after the summer solstice for the occasion of the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust’s Spaulding Option Hike, which at a minimum meant hiking up Spaulding Mountain but there was the option for an overnight with two more peaks.  The plan was to spot cars at the Mount Abraham Fire Warden Trail trailhead, and then proceed to the Caribou Valley Road A.T. crossing in another car.

After meeting in Kingfield, we spotted one car in the small parking lot about a half mile from the Mt. Abraham trail head. We proceeded down West Kingfield Road and found Rapid Stream Road, the road to the trailhead, to be marked with somewhat rough and inaccurate signs, but we made it there so they got the job done. After the hike out, we discovered that the 2 new bridges between the parking lot and the trailhead were in excellent shape and the roads dry and smooth enough for most any vehicle. Next time, we decided, we would drive all the way to the trailhead.

Caribou Valley Road is just under a mile north of the Sugarloaf Access Road and is not well marked. Look for the steep grade sign and a left turn onto an unmarked dirt road which turns back sharply. After about 5 miles of rough road we came to a locked gate and a small parking lot where we began our hike.  Though the road does continue, it is not passable by car and so we walked the half mile or so to the place where the Appalachian Trail crosses CVR. It’s tough to spot, so if you’re taking this route keep your eyes open for a small cairn on the right and white AT blazes just off the road. We entered the woods on the left side of CVR.  Once on the trail we travelled on a moderate grade for a mile or so when the trail began to get steep and rocky. After 2.3 miles, we arrived at the spot where a side trail would take us .6 miles to the summit of Sugarloaf, our first 4K of the weekend.  According to the Maine Mountain Guide book, Sugarloaf, at 4,237’, is the 3nd highest mountain in Maine and boasts the best views in Maine, second only to Katahdin.

Although with beautiful blue skies the views were, in fact, quite grand, we found the most significant characteristic of the landscape to be the 27+ acre forest fire on the summit of Middle Abraham, the location of a MATLT easement, 4 peaks to the south of where we stood. In a phone call to the Maine Warden Service (yes, we had phone service up there), Simon Rucker, Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust’s Executive Director, learned that the blaze had been sparked by lightening several days prior and had flared up again that morning. As we watched, helicopters circled dropping fire suppressant materials.  The helicopters would circle overhead for the rest of our trip.

Descending back to the AT, we said goodbye to Simon, who was not spending the night, at the junction, and 4 of us made our way across the high ridge and up to the summit of Spaulding Mountain, elevation 4,010’.  That evening found us making dinner and setting up camp at the Spaulding lean-to with several other groups, including a colorful group from the Montreal Outdoor Adventure Club.

After a great night’s sleep and a good breakfast, we followed the AT for 1.1 miles to the junction of the Mt. Abraham side trail, and after another mile or so of walking in lovely, dense forest, we emerged rather abruptly onto a large talus field mixed with some of the most pristine alpine garden areas I’ve ever seen.  The approach to the summit of Mt. Abraham is in wonderful condition with flowers blooming, thriving greenery, and short but healthy evergreens, and the views were magnificent under a blue sky.  At the 4,049’ summit of Mt. Abraham, looking toward Middle Abraham which was now just 1 peak away, we watched a helicopter circle and drop materials onto what we presumed to be hot spots on the far side of the mountain. As the helicopter made its way back to Kingfield to pick up additional materials, 2 spots on the scorched mountaintop began smoking. Though we saw no additional flames, judging by the continual sound of 2 helicopters tag-teaming as we made our way toward the trail’s end at Rapid Stream Road we understood that the danger had not yet passed.  The total mileage for day 1 was just over 6 miles. The 2nd day’s mileage totaled approximately 7.

Look for details regarding the next Maine Hikes trip in July, up Puzzle Mountain in Grafton Notch.

Monson Appalachian Trail Visitor Center Opens June 20th

Inside the visitor center.
Inside the visitor center.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will open a new visitor center in Monson, Maine – located inside the Monson Community Center – today (June 20th).  The center will have information on the trail in Maine, organizations that work on or around the A.T. and businesses in the area.  The visitor center will be staffed and there will be plenty of goodies on hand like stickers, patches, maps, etc.

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There will also be a kiosk in the space where hikers can learn about the new permitting system for Baxter State Park, and receive other information as they near the trail’s end atop Mount Katahdin.  Stop by if you’re on the trail or in the area!

For more information please see this press release from Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Maine A.T. Land Trust Day at the Ballpark!

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust had our annual day at Hadlock Field for the Portland Sea Dogs game!  We gave away twenty tickets and had the customary hat raffle, giving away one hat per inning to a lucky entrant.  As you can see from the pictures above, one guy one in the 2nd inning and then his daughter won in the 8th!

Thanks to the Sea Dogs and U.S. Cellular for making the outing possible.  One of the most important aspects of land conservation is community outreach, and this event is purely about getting out there and meeting people in a fun environment.  It makes it all the easier when you’re hanging out with great people in a great venue.

Old Blue Mountain Trip Report

We had a great hike up Old Blue Mountain over the weekend via the Appalachian Trail for National Trails Day – weather held (as it always does for Maine Hikes!!!) and we had some great company.  We started off at the South Arm Road crossing in Black Brook Notch with some great baked goodies courtesy of Rosemont Market in Portland.  There was enough to send some over to the Maine Appalachian Trail Club crew who were building a new campsite across the road.  Thanks guys!

When we finally got going, the trail is very steep initially and there is one section with rungs.  However, because of the lower elevation, there were no slippery rocks and ledges to contend with, and we slogged on until reaching the top of the Black Brook Cliffs.  From there, we had view through the trees across the notch and south to the Andover Earth Station which operated with the Telstar 1 satellite.  This middle section of the trail is moderate before again ascending steeply to the summit of Old Blue itself.  There was another section of rungs, but it was not difficult to climb (even for Shyla the dog).

The weather was threatening all day and the clouds obscured the views temporarily, but when we reached the summit those drifted away and we could see in all directions.  To the southwest we could see Old Speck, the Baldpates and the Shelburne-Moriah range in the distance.  To the north lay the huge mass of Elephant Mountain and, trailing northward, the Bemis Range.  Some of us could see Saddleback and Mount Abraham to the northeast if we stood on a high rock and peered over the krummholz.

We stayed on the summit for lunch for about half an hour (thanks for the chocolates Debi!) and headed back down.  The descent was much faster than the ascent since the 2.8 miles is almost entirely downhill.  Some of us stopped in Andover on the way out for some ice cream, though the weather was starting to turn by then.  Thanks for a great day everybody!

Redington Forest Mountain Bike Stewardship Report

In anticipation of the acquisition of a conservation easement over the Redington Forest property, Maine A.T. Land Trust Vice President Pete McKinley, board member Claire Polfus and Executive Director Simon Rucker visited the property in order to collect GIS and scientific data for the baseline documentation of the property.  There have been several previous visits – mostly on foot or in a pickup truck – but this time the means of egress would be more innovative for a Maine woods project: mountain bikes.

As you can see from the video, the logging roads were somewhat bumpy but the crew was able to cover significant ground.  Many of the old roads are either closed off to vehicular access or have been out of use for so long that they are more trail than road these days.  By taking the bikes, we were able to get onto terrain that has not been visited since the roads were closed off by berms.  The views of the Nash Stream valley from the slopes of Black Nubble were spectacular – mostly unbroken forest from the Crockers over to Mount Redington and down to the stream valley.  This area is cooler and more densely forested than other areas of the Redington property.

The weather was nice if a bit hot, but any rain held off and we were able to visit three separate locations.  Everybody agreed that this is a special place and that conservation of it will be an enormous gain for the A.T. corridor.  And as you can see, there are plenty of recreation opportunities of all kinds in Redington Forest.

Old Blue Mountain Hike

Old Blue Mountain (left) and Elephant Mountain (right).
Old Blue Mountain (left) and Elephant Mountain (right).

The next Maine A.T. Land Trust hike will be up Old Blue Mountain (3,600 feet) from South Arm Road in Roxbury on June 11th at 10am for National Trails Day.  To reach the trailhead in Black Brook Notch, drive east on Route 120 out of Andover, and then take a left on South Arm Road approximately a half mile outside of town.  Go 7.7 miles north on South Arm Road to reach the Appalachian Trail crossing.  There is a small area on the right side of the road that has parking for 3-4 cars, so we will be car pooling.  That information will be sent out if you RSVP.

The hike is only 2.8 miles to the summit of Old Blue from the parking area, but the initial ascent out of Black Brook Notch is very steep.  There are rungs on the rocks in one area, but after this initial climb of 900 feet in just over a half a mile, the trail level become more gradual for another mile and a half.  The final half mile is again steep to reach the summit of Old Blue where there are good views in all directions among the stunted spruces.

The estimated time for this hike is 5 hours total (up and back) over a distance of 5.6 miles (up and back).  You must RSVP for this hike so we can rideshare and in case of cancellation due to weather or other circumstances.  We are also going to be providing some food so we need an accurate headcount!

To RSVP, please head over to the event listing and enter your name and email.  You can also email us at info@matlt.org or call us at 207-808-2073.  This should be a great hike!  Come along!