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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Caribou Mountain, ME
Trails
Trails: Caribou Trail, Mud Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, June 6, 2015
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: There's room for a fair number of cars at the lot off Rt 113. The parking area off Bog Rd could hold a handful of cars, but there were none there today. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Significant 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Plenty of them, all with easy rock steps. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: All signs in place. There are a couple of tree blowdowns on Caribou between the Falls, but higher up there are a lot of broken stems, crowns and branches in the trail, in one stretch they are so numerous the trail is unusable and one walks well off to the side. This continues up to the Mud Brook intersection and a little bit down towards Bog Rd. Mud Brook, however, has relatively little trail debris, but it also looks like a trail maintainer has been at work on it. There are mud patches in place, but if you look for a rock or branch, there are enough to cross them. Caribou from the HOL down to Bog Rd is a delightful old road path. There are no paint blazes but they aren't needed. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Pepper loves these trails; there are so many wonderful sip n dips. He enjoyed almost every one. The pawpaths are also soft and nice. He likes the falls and open ledge views on top too. We met 5 huskies coming up Mud Brook as we were going down, all on leashes, all clearly enjoying their hike. I put Pepper on a leash and got off to the side for the procession. After they had moved on I told Pepper 5 were too many for even him. 
Bugs
Bugs: There was a nice breeze today, so they weren't bad. But if we stopped during a lull some skeeters and a black fly or two alighted and were smighted. I did find two ticks on my drive home which could have been from this hike or the Crows Nest hike. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: I looked at a prior trail report for Caribou and there was no mention of the numerous broken stems and branches, and that plus the fact leaf out had started on many, I suspect a relatively recent wind storm created the mess. On our other recent hikes in the Wild River and Rt. 113 I have noticed a lot of trail debris and broken stems, but no more than the usual full blowdowns. Given that the Mahoosucs have trails with a lot of apparently recent damage, I wonder what kind of storm hit these places.

The views from Caribou's ledges are superb. There are some nice falls on Caribou; even in low water. It probably is easier to hike up Mud Brook and down Caribou, but the hike over to Bog Rd TH for Caribou is a splendid woods walk. We saw no one until nearing Caribou's summit, and then a few more on the hike down. What a nice hike for a Plan B.  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail: windriversjohn at gmail dot com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2015-06-06 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense.

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