Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Sugarloaf Mountain, Spaulding Mountain, Mt. Abraham, ME |
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| Trails: |
Caribou Pond Road, Appalachian Trail, Sugarloaf Mountain Trail, Spaulding Side Trail, Abraham Side Trail, Fire Warden's Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, June 30, 2021 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Caribou Pond road (AKA Caribou Valley road) is in poor shape for the hill at the start, but gets better. The yellow gate after the lot that may sometimes be open for ATVs or snowmobiles was locked.
Rapid Stream road for Mount Abraham was worse than expected. Actually, due to the record July rain I should have anticipated the worsening road state. AWD with 8"+ of clearance recommended. If you take a sedan with 6' of clearance you will probably make it if you go very slowly, but your car will bottom out several times. The craters along the road were filled with water, so it was impossible to tell how deep they were before driving through (without stopping to get out and inspect). Only three cars in the Caribou Pond lot at 11 AM. No cars on the Mt. Abraham side at 6:30 PM. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Manageable |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One blowdown to be taken care of (herd path already established) between Sugarloaf and Spaulding. Mud avoidable with varying degrees of effort. More bog bridges would be appreciated, though not strictly necessary. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Dog compatible, except possibly for the metal grated bridge part of the Caribou Pond road walk. |
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| Bugs: |
A few, but not bad. |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Many thru-hikers on trail. Some were going ultra-ultra light. Others carried more traditional loads. All were cheerful.
Surprisingly few day-hikers seen, but it was a weekday and we did start a bit late. Didn't see anyone else from the AT to the end of Fire Warden's trail. All the normal springs had water. |
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| Name: |
Al S |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-08-04 |
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| Link: |
https:// |
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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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