Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
South Crocker Mountain, Mt. Redington, Crocker Mountain, ME |
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| Trails: |
Appalachian Trail, herd path |
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| Date of Hike: |
Saturday, October 1, 2016 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking area before gate ~4 miles in on Caribou Valley Road. Ten cars parked when we got there with room for more. Road is unpaved, but in good shape -- saw two-wheel drive vehicles and sedans at the parking area. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
No water hazards |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few blowdowns on herd path, but pretty easy to step over or duck under. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
Minimal. Hurray for fall! |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Gate closed on Caribou Valley Road about 4 miles in. Walked .5 miles from gate along road to reach Appalachian trail, marked by small cairn and white blazes. Trails were dry despite some showers in the area. After reaching the summit of South Crocker we set out on the herd path to Reddington, marked with a few orange ties with other colors mixed in from time to time. Trail was easy to follow, but still tight with plenty of protruding branches up top. Herd path hits boundary trail (yellow blazes) fairly soon after leaving South Crocker. Take a right on the boundary trail and follow for a short (maybe .1 miles) bit before the herd path branches off downwards to the left. This junction was marked with another orange ribbon but was not 100% obvious so pay attention. The herd path descends steeply at times until it hits an old logging road that runs the saddle between Reddington and South Crocker. This junction is marked by a small cairn and a few logs discouraging a wrong turn. Go left on the logging road and climb a short ways before herd path departs to the right up Reddington, again marked with ribbon. The partially cleared summit of Reddington has some metal ties scattered around from what I guess was supports for a former meteorological tower used for assessing the wind resource on top of the mountain. We could not find the famed canister on Reddington. We then retraced our steps to South Crocker, took the AT to Crocker before leaving the way we came in.
Limited views on this route, but foliage is almost at peak in the valley! |
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| Name: |
Jon and Tom |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-10-02 |
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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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