| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Baldpate Mountain - West Peak, Baldpate Mountain - East Peak, ME |
|
 | Trails: |
Appalachian Trail, Table Rock Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Tons of parking at the state park parking lot |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
|
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All pretty easily hopped, although there was a lot of running water and mud on the trail, so wet feet were unavoidable |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trail is well maintained and marked, although rough and rugged |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
|
|
 | Bugs: |
None |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
After watching the weather closely, we decided to give Baldpate a go today, and it paid off! We were the second car in the parking lot upon arrival, and we started with a steep climb up to Table Rock. We explored the caves under the rock, before enjoying the views from the top. At this point, the clouds were still around 2,500'.
After joining up with the AT, we ascended towards West Peak on the very wet and muddy trail. Although we were in and out of the clouds a few times, they had lifted above the mountain by the time we reached West Peak. It was cold and very windy up high, but we thoroughly enjoyed the hike between West and East Peaks with all of the exposed rock and alpine bog. The final above treeline ascent to East Peak is particularly spectacular.
After enjoying the views from the alpine zone for a bit, and eating lunch, we descended via the AT. We were surprised to only see one other hiker (who was section hiking the AT) on this usually popular hike. We were even more surprised to find that our car was the only one in the lot when we returned around 2:15. Baldpate is a spectacular peak, and it was great to get back into the higher peaks now that the snow is mostly gone (we only ran into a few insignificant patches). |
|
 | Name: |
Sam Shirley |
|
 | E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-05-17 |
|
 | Link: |
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/MaineHiking/permalink/2567685793373799/ |
|
|
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. |
|
