| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Penobscot Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Carriage Roads, Penobscot Mountain Trail, Deer Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, April 11, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking at Jordan pond house lot which was plowed, additional parking at the north lot. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Deer Brook Trail - trail crosses back and forth over deer brook 4 times - stream was largely open and remaining snow bridges were too soft to bear weight. Crossing is on rocks which are submerged under a couple of inches of water. Stream is not wide but snow banks are still 3 feet high so it took some care negotiating down to the stream on snowshoes. Given its locale, there is likely to be snow along the stream for a while and with the melting snow it might be a bit more challenging. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Would work for the canines though the stretch up deer brook they would likely pawhole in the soft snow. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Headed up to Acadia to enjoy the warm weather and sunny skies. A loop hike with a traverse across Penobscot combining trails and carriage roads. Soft snow conditions throughout today though the ridgeline is nicely cleared and dry. Carriage roads still had 6-12 inches of soft snow - Snowshoes worked well. A few bare spots were showing through which should be avoided as the bed is really soft when wet and any steps will cause damage. Deer Brook trail was snow bottom to top - 3-4 feet deep and soft. Only a few sets of older tracks obvious - at the start heading up from the carriage road it is easy to get off trail, if you reach a blowdown patch head right through the short trees towards the stream and you're back on the trail. Keep an eye out for blazes from this point to the top. Snowshoes are definitely needed and we sank in a few spots even with them on. Stream crossing aren't wide but the water is running and high snow banks made it a bit tricky to get down to the stream which was crossed on submerged rocks under a couple of inches of water. After steep pitch up the the summit, penobscot mountain trail was dry rock with the occasional patch of snow for a mile. After junction with spring trail, there is snow for about a tenth of a mile where there is another set of dry ledges. After crossing the gully and over one last ledge, trail was back to snow cover with only a few bare patches down to the carriage road - wore snowshoes but this stretch will likely melt off in the coming week given its exposure. Carriage road back to Jordan pond had 6-12 inches of snow with bare patches. A great day with sunny skies and great temps. A bit windy up top with 20-30 MPH winds with higher gusts. |
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 | Name: |
Brian from Maine |
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 | E-Mail: |
brobert1@maine.rr.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-04-13 |
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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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