NewEnglandTrailConditions.com
NewEnglandTrailConditions.com:
MA
|
ME
|
NH
|
RI/CT
|
VT
|
Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Elephant Mountain , ME
Trails
Trails: Old road, skidder road, bushwhack
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, September 13, 2020
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Road was very rough in some spots. Had to park before the busted culvert. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: The only ones were small and very easy to cross. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Ha. Forget the trail, the road could you serious help. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: None. 
Bugs
Bugs: None. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Picked up an old beer can. 
 
Comments
Comments: An interesting hike.

This was our first time up Elephant and we decided to take the approach from the Southwest because we did not want to deal with all the logging slash on the herd path. This route wasn’t too bad and our ascent would have been much easier if we had known how to avoid the thickest spots.

From where we parked on the old road we followed the road all the way up to a sharp left turn where another road starts. We followed that road for 0.8 miles until we came to the junction with another road marked by a cairn and a piece of surveyors tape a little farther on. We took a right at this junction and followed a skidder road high up onto the upper slopes of Elephant. This road was pretty easy to follow and had a herd path most of the way. Both of these roads also had excellent views. We could see Mount Washington, Mount Adams and Old Speck. On the skidder road that climbs straight up the slope we stayed left at all forks. At the top of the skidder road it takes a sharp right and starts to run level. From this point we whacked straight uphill in the woods through very thick spruce until we reached a more open area. We bushwhacked through alternating open and very thick areas until we reached the final claustrophobic patch at the summit. After bushwhacking through that patch we finally found the canister which is a little off the high point.

On the way down we stuck more to the west then from where we came from. This brought us through much easier and open woods. But since we went too far to the west, when we got to the elevation where the skidder road ends, we had to bushwhack south through the woods a short distance until we met up with it again which was a bit below the top of it. This way was MUCH easier because it was mostly open the whole way except for at the summit where it is super thick.

Last Maine NEHH peak. #95!

 
Name
Name: Summit Seeker 
E-Mail
E-Mail: runtowin78@aol.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2020-09-13 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share 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.

Copyright 2009-2024, All Rights Reserved