The most recent Next Century Hikes was up Cranberry Peak in the Bigelow Range.  Cranberry (3,213 feet) is at the western end of the Bigelow ridge and is lower and more accessible than the higher, more rugged summits that mark the most prominent part of the range.  Still – on a winter day when the temperature is hovering around 0 degrees and the winds are gusting, it feels like a much more rugged climb.

Our group set off at 10am for what we thought would be a five-hour hike.  The winds were forecast to die down but as the day went on it remained breezy, especially up high on the northern side of the ridge.  But the sun was out and all were in good spirits.  A few of us had trouble with the hoses of our water bladders freezing up because it was so cold.  We were moving at a slower pace than expected, despite only needing traction aids and not snowshoes.

We reached the ridge and headed east to Cranberry Peak.  There were views through the trees to the south – Black Nubble, Sugarloaf – and to the north – Flagstaff Lake, the western Horn.  We stopped for lunch just a few tenths of a mile below the summit of Cranberry Peak.  After lunch we resumed and quickly encountered very difficult conditions.  The trail followed a contour line around the summit cone but it was very steep and icy due to the trail angle (see photos).  Moreover, the snow at higher elevations is still very deep and we were unable to find the blue blazes that mark the trail.  With more robust equipment – crampons and ice axes at a minimum – the group could have continued.  As it was, with the hour getting late and the shadows bringing the temperatures down on the northerly-facing ridge, it was quickly decided that we should turn back.

Though we didn’t make it to the top, we had a great day on the trail!  Check our calendar if you want to come along next time – we’ll be having a few more winter hikes with all the snow on the way!

The Maine A.T. Land Trust’s latest Next Century hike took place over President’s Day weekend and featured a hike up West Baldpate Mountain (3,680 feet).  The snow depth in Bethel, the nearest measuring station, was 79 inches and there was likely more than that in Grafton Notch.  We hopped out of the car, strapped on the snowshoes and headed out with temperatures in the mid-30’s.

Our group was small (four total!) and we progressed quickly since the trail up to Table Rock had been broken out the day before.  The snow was wetter than is typically experienced at this time of year, and it was hard going nonetheless.  Everybody warmed up rapidly and there was some idea that maybe we should have worn shorts and less layers.  Despite the conditions, we made great time.  After the junction with the Table Rock side trail we were pleasantly surprised to find that the Appalachian Trail to the Baldpate summits was also broken out.

This proved to be critical as we reached the col alongside of Hedgehog Hill – here there were snowshoe trails through the open woods where a previous group struggled to find the trail since many of the white blazes (typically at eye level on trees) that mark the Appalachian Trail were buried by the deep snow.  We were able to stay mostly on the trail and reach the summit in three hours.  There, the warm temperatures at the lower elevations were replaced with snow showers, biting winds and bitter cold.  Lunch would have to wait until we retreated from the summit.  After a two hour hike down, we completed the hike in good order.  It was another great day on the Appalachian Trail in Maine.

Check our calendar page for our March hikes, which will be posted shortly!

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust had a great hike as part of the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend, a series of events held twice a year focused on Maine’s outdoors and connecting people to the natural wonders of Maine.  The location for the hike, the State of Maine Four Ponds Public Reserve area through which the Appalachian Trail winds, was carefully chosen because it is not a heavily traveled area in the winter, the scenery is spectacular (as you can see from the photos) and the terrain is mild.

Since the Height of Land parking lot was not plowed, the group parked in a turnout up the road, and headed south along Route 17 to the A.T. crossing.  Weather conditions on the road were bitter, with temperatures below 10 degrees and with gusty winds coming off Bemis Mountain and across the open expanse of Mooselookmeguntic Lake.  Fortunately, once we entered the woods heading up Spruce Mountain, the winds were mitigated by the trees and everybody warmed up with the effort of the short climb.  Trail conditions couldn’t have been better for a snowshoe hike – there was a packed base of about three feet of snow, covered by a foot or so of fresh powder.

The conditions made for some spectacular sights and a great experience in the Maine woods.  We stopped for lunch where the A.T. winds along Four Ponds Mountain along the northern edge of Long Pond, and due to increasing winds and falling temperatures, we all decided to turn around.  Everybody agreed that this made for a great experience on the way back so there were plenty of photo opportunities and time to talk.

Thank you to the Maine Outdoor Coalition and everybody who participated in the event!  See you in the fall for the next GMOW!

Maine A.T. Land Trust’s latest Next Century Hike was up Old Speck Mountain in the Mahoosucs.  A winter favorite, Old Speck is the 5th highest mountain in Maine and arguably the easiest 4,000 footer to climb.  The roundtrip distance is 7.6 miles – not too bad by Maine standards – but more importantly, the route is below treeline until you reach the cleared summit area.  It’s a fairly safe winter hike if you are adequately prepared.

Three of the four attendees met at the Grafton Notch parking area promptly at 8am.  The fourth and final attendee, Bob, was not technically part of the group but since he knew we were coming we invited him to come along with the Maine A.T. Land Trust group.  Conditions were great upon heading out – temperatures were in the mid 30s with no wind.  It was cloudy, but since two people forgot their sunglasses this was ok.  Despite the nice day, the group encountered only two other hiking groups for the entire day.

As the group ascended, the snow become drier owing to the colder conditions at higher elevations, and there was more rime and now on the trees.  Snowshoes were not needed since the trail was packed out.  Traction aids were necessary but the trail was not as icy as it was last March for a previous land trust hike.  Since the group was small we made great time and reached the summit in exactly three hours.

After a quick lunch, with much sharing, Bob headed over to Speck Pond on the unbroken trail to scout out for fishing season.  Bob is an L.L. Bean guide and says that fishing for brook trout in Speck Pond is exceptional.  The three remaining hikers headed down, reaching the parking lot two hours later for a total trip of five hours.  They saw only the two solo hikers and, more surprisingly, a couple skinning up the trail to backcountry ski down from Speck Pond.

It was a great day out on the A.T. in Maine – if you want to join us for a hike, check out our events calendar.  Next up – Four Ponds for the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend!

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust had our first Next Century Hike of 2017, up Caribou Mountain in the Caribou Speckled Mountain Wilderness area of the White Mountain National Forest in Maine.  Caribou Mountain is not on the Appalachian Trail but there are great views of much of the A.T. landscape from the Presidential Mountains of New Hampshire, all the way up to the mountains in the Rangeley area.

We had a total of six hikers for this trip up the Caribou Trail from West Bethel.  The temperature at departure at about 9:30am was -5 F but winds were light and everybody was ready to get out on the trail.  Some wore snowshoes and took them off, some kept their snowshoes on for the duration of the hike, and one hiker barebooted the entire way.  The trail had been broken out when there was deep powder, but since then it had sleeted and snowed so it was packed with a crust on top.  Since it was so cold, and the snow was crunching so loudly, we made good time on the way up.  We did not see any other hikers and the trail down to the Evans Notch side of the mountain (on Route 113) was not broken out at the junction with the Mud Brook Trail.  This was not a surprise, given that 113 is closed to vehicles in the winter.

We reached the summit at about 12:30pm and stayed for about five minutes.  The wind had picked up and Louise’s jacket thermometer read 5 F (though it was probably more like 0 F).  We headed back the junction and had a nice snack-oriented lunch while standing around in a circle.  The trip down was largely uneventful, though with the cold and deep snow fatigue was starting to set in.  Fortunately, somebody thought of the idea of stopping at the Norway Brewing Company on the way home, and everybody revived.  Since the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust wishes to support local Maine businesses whenever possible, the four Maine-based hikers had a nice snack and beer there on the way home (thanks to Mike Morrone, land trust volunteer, for paying!).  Next time we’ll get the New Hampshire hikers to come too!

Check out our calendar of events and sign up for our upcoming hikes on Maine’s AT!