| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Saddleback Mountain, Saddleback Mountain - The Horn, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Fly Rod Crosby Trail, Appalachian Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, August 10, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We parked at the upper end of the condos at Saddleback Mountain off Rock Pond Road. There is space for a few cars. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
A couple of minor crossings on the Crosby Trail, easy |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Minimal |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
We wanted an alternate to hiking up the ski trails at Saddleback, but didn’t want lots of miles, so the Fly Rod Crosby Trail fit the bill. The beginning of the trail was extremely muddy, but we could manage to get around most spots without too much trouble. The trail took us by two ponds - Rock Pond and Midway Pond, which were very pretty and quiet, though there was a gentleman fly fishing on Rock Pond, and a couple of canoes were stowed in the trees for neighborhood access.
The Fly Rod Crosby Trail is well marked overall, though there were a couple stretches where they seemed to be spaced a little far apart and we thought it would have been helpful to have additional markers. There was one intersection early on where the trail turned right and pointed to Midway Pond, and another trail departed left. This was blocked by some logs. After a minute, we realized the trail marker was to the right higher up on a tree - straight ahead would have been nice. There was also a stretch after we cross a small stream twice that we started going down an old logging trail and didn’t see a marker for quite some time. The only other place where we had to pause and check our bearings was on a dirt road with ATV access. An extra marker along that stretch of road would have been helpful.
The trail was mostly flat until we got to the dirt road and started a gradual climb. Once we intersected with the AT, we had a steady climb through the trees and over rocks to the summit of Saddleback. We met half a dozen thru-hikers and they enjoyed some trail magic left by a local. In the interest of time, we descended via the ski trails, and there was a fairly well-traveled path, but had we had the time, we would have much preferred returning by the Fly Rod Crosby Trail. We would highly recommend it for anyone wanting to summit Saddleback. Round trip would be 12 miles, including the Horn. |
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 | Name: |
Tandemhiker |
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 | E-Mail: |
Dsmsbs@comcast.net |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-08-11 |
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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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