| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Crocker Mountain, Crocker Mountain, Mt. Redington, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Golf cart track, bushwhack, Caribou Valley Road, Appalachian Trail, bushwhack, herd path, logging roads |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, January 2, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at the pumping station below the eleventh tee at the Sugarloaf Golf Course |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
lots of blowdowns and leanovers |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Would be fine for dogs |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This hike was from Friday the 2nd, sorry for the delay as the trail conditions have changed but the info/report/pics on the routes could be useful. Expect fresh snow and no tracks to follow on theses routes.
We parked the cars near the eleventh hole of the Sugarloaf Golf Course at a pumping station right next to a small bridge over the river which takes you up to hole eleven. This road to the pumping station may be icy, if it is park up top near one of the parking lots and walk down. At the tee box for eleven we headed into the woods and bushwhacked through open woods to the Caribou Valley Road (CVR) coming out just below mile marker three. From here we walked the road which is packed down by snowmobiles to the A.T. which crosses the road around mile 4.5. FYI, the A.T. does not have trail junction signs on the road, it's set back in the woods and not visible from the road. There is flagging but don't rely on it because it could be buried by the snow or blown off so pay attention.
The A.T. up to South Crocker is easy to follow but is most likely not broken out anymore, The trail between South and North Crocker has a few blowdowns to contend with but the trail corridor is pretty obvious. The whack over to Redington starts off thick but then eases up. There is flagging on the route but it's spread out so use your brain, compass or GPS, to stay on point. Once you hit the road, bang a left and head up for a few minutes before taking a right and ducking back into the woods. It's thick at the beginning then it is a mixed bag as we headed up. There is some flagging and painted blazes here and there but again use your navigational skills to hook up onto the ATV path near the summit. From the summit stay on the defined corridor of the ATV path until it dumps you back out onto the road. Follow the road all the way back to around mile marker 3 to your bushwhack over to the eleventh tee.
What a hike, we got extremely lucky with the conditions and the weather. Really fun to hike in the winter in Maine, 10X less hikers than you would see in the Whites. If you like remoteness head to Maine! |
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 | Name: |
Chris |
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 | E-Mail: |
cdailey@hpearce.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-01-07 |
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 | Link: |
 https://dailey7779.blogspot.com/2015/01/above-4000-feet-in-maine-north-south.html |
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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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