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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Boundary Peak, White Cap Mountain, North Kennebago Divide, ME
Trails
Trails: Boundary swath, bushwhack
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, October 13, 2017
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: ~90 minutes driving time from Stratton, Maine to Porter Brook parking area via Route 27, Tim Pond Rd, Kennebago River Rd (on the east side of Little Kennebago Lake), Wiggle Brook Rd, Oxbow Express, and Porter Brook Rd. All of the dirt roads were in good condition. The four miles of Tim Pond Rd on the east end, by Eustis, were in slightly worse condition, but still easily doable in a passenger car. After turning right onto Porter Brook Rd, we drove for ~0.9m and parked in a clearing by the ATV trail. We didn't see any flagging by the clearing, but the trail into the woods was clear and distinct. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes:  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes:  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: The ATV trail from Porter Brook Rd to the boundary swath (at boundary marker 451) is easy to follow. The upper half of the ATV trial was surprisingly wet and boggy with running water and 6-12" of standing water and boot-sucking mud in places.

We didn't see any hunters on the Canadian side of the boundary swath. We heard one gunshot in the woods.

Dennison bog was easy to cross by tussock hopping within the swath.

On the return from Boundary Peak, we turned east at boundary marker 450 and bushwhacked toward White Cap. This was a fairly easy hike through more open forest, neither steep nor rocky. Compass kept us on track.

The bushwhack from White Cap to North Kennebago Divide was another story. We aimed for the col, then headed up, swimming through some moderately thick sections of brush before we ran into a herd path that took us to the summit of NKD.

From NKD, we bushwhacked roughly WNW down the north side of NKD's west ridge back to Porter Brook Rd. The descent was fairly steep, again through moderately thick brush on the top half of NKD, then logging clearcut/slash and more forest before we reached Porter Brook.

The brook was actually three brooklets where we crossed it, each no more than 3-4' wide. No rockhopping to speak of. Nice walk on the road back to the car.

The notebook in the glass jar canister at NKD was nearly full, had less than a page left. The opening in the jar is a tight squeeze, doubtful two notebooks will fit through. We didn't have a new notebook with us, will make it a point to bushwhack with one in the future.  
Name
Name: Places We Go 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2017-10-23 
Link
Link: https:// 
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