| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Rumford Whitecap, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Orange Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 2, 2013 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Nice lot for 10+ cars |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Blue |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Two crossing both solidly iced over |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Clear and smooth sailing - but note that trail markings are sparse and see comments below. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
A perfect hike for the canines. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
NOTE: Trail can be confusing to those who haven't taken it before!! - trail is relativly easy to follow (though few blazings) EXCEPT: up top after the switchbacks and a nice forest stretch you will reach a sign indicating "new trail under construction." At this sign DO NOT follow the new trail. Rather - take a left down a small gully and up into a clearing - head across and you will meet up with the old trail which looks like a frozen stream and then follow up onto the open ledges where you'll see cairns. (NOTE: on the way down follow the cairns and look where the "stream" AKA old trail enters the woods and then follow back to the clearing - in the clearing you'll see a small sign pointing you off the old trail (pointing to the left) to the new trail in this clearing. I Met 2 parties today that got lost by following the "new" path which is not complete and they could not find the summit. Now the conditions: While it looks easy down low, you will definitely need traction! Down low nice hard pack snow - no need for snowshoes. Once past the "new trail under construction" sign you'll hit old trail which is a frozen stream and then once above the trees - ice sheets almost all the way to the summit. The stretch of old trail until treeline is pretty well a frozen stream - people looked like they tried to stay on the banks but if doing so you're dodging vegetation. In the open above this it's ice sheets with some hard packed snow breaks bewtween - have to say that it's the longest stretch of ice I've had to cross (maybe 1/2 mile with some intervening snow breaks). Traction pretty much needed - solid ice sheets but really not too steep so my hillsounds were just fine and others used microspikes and were doing OK. Some bare rock right at the top. Heading back down over the ice hillsounds were still enough to traverse safely. Still a great hike! Met several groups out today. |
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 | Name: |
Brian from Maine |
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 | E-Mail: |
brobert1@maine.rr.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2013-02-02 |
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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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