| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bigelow Mountain - Avery Peak, Bigelow Mountain - West Peak, Bigelow Mountain - South Horn, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Stratton Brook Pond Road, Firewardens Trail, Appalachian Trail, Horns Pond Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 25, 2018 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Stratton Brook Pond Road is not plowed beyond the group of houses at Route 27. Room for about 3-4 cars max before you're too close to someone's driveway. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All passable/hoppable |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few downed trees, nothing to sneeze at |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
N/A |
|
 | Bugs: |
N/A |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Donated my black EMS base gloves to the Bigelow Gods. The wind swept them away into the ether, apparently. :/ |
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 | Comments: |
Exhaustion. It's a thing.
Today was about ultimates and penultimates. And exhaustion, yeah. This capped a weekend of very challenging hiking, and saw the completion of the Winter 67 for my friend Mike H. Ultimate in that way for sure, but also with the winds -- sustained 50-60mph up on the summits, with higher gusts. Was very tough to stay upright. Thankfully only the summits proper saw this kind of insanity.
We wore microspikes for the first 4.5+ miles, but that was before the snow set in. 4-5 inches of snow fell throughout the day, with lots of drifts forming before our eyes as the day went on. Stretches of ice on the upper portion of the Firewardens Trail were pretty dicey. With the new snow now covering them, exercise extreme caution, especially when descending. Snowshoes from the point we switched, to the end of the hike.
The penultimates? This was my 66 of the Winter 67, and Rich's 66 of the all-season 67. Only Old Speck left for me, and North Brother for Rich. Another great, challenging, rewarding weekend in Maine! |
|
 | Name: |
Erik Bertrand |
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 | E-Mail: |
erik@bertpc.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-02-25 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/ceb3caaf5497fee05be42cc111f67b04a20165ba |
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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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