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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Bigelow Mountain - Avery Peak, ME
Trails
Trails: Stratton Brook Pond Road, Fire Warden’s Trail, Appalachian Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Parked at plowed AT lot on Rt. 27. Keep in mind that there is a lot of snowmobile traffic on Stratton Pond Rd when walking in.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: One or two minor creeks that are still open.  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Lots of blowdowns on lower FWT. Horns Pond trail looks like it hasn't seen traffic in a while.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: None today. Would be a struggle up high for even the hardest mountain pooch.  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: One Nike sneaker at the Stratton Brook trailhead. Maybe the Lafayette trail runners have moved to new ground? 
 
Comments
Comments: Tired of trails that have been packed to a paved sidewalk, well the Bigelows are for you. The bottom portion of the AT/FWT was nice and solid at 0730. Bare boots until past all the blowdowns. Once the trail started to climb I switched to snowshoes. As you climb higher the snow becomes increasingly unconsolidated and deeper as the trail gets steeper. I've done the whole AT loop in summer and I think I used less energy doing the whole loop as I did getting to the ridge today. Just before you top out at Avery campsite the trail becomes windswept, drifted, and disappears. The AT itself is incredibly drifted. I had plans to do the whole ridge and come down Horns Pond trail but my trip to Avery peak made me think twice about a solo journey. I sank up to my hips in spots with my snowshoes. Every step I took made me think that a spruce trap could potentially eat me if I slipped off trail, so I decided that I should retreat in the interests of self preservation.

I think that if I had a partner to break trail up high it would be a lot more manageable trip. Please everyone continue using snowshoes even in the lower elevations. If I did it again I would go up Horns Pond first and work my way to Avery.  
Name
Name: Seth 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2021-01-27 
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.

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