| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bald Mountain (Oquossoc), ME |
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 | Trails: |
Bald Mountain Link, Bald Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 29, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The parking lot for Bald Mtn Link is very large and had a handful of other cars that seemed to be overnighting and such. It’s in rough shape in terms of the snow. I recommend AWD and mid-clearance. The lot for Bald Mtn Trail is not plowed and as such is inaccessible. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All beneath the snow and trivial. That said, the snow isn’t on the level of the bog bridges over the water so watch your step on them! |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Both trails are blazed pretty regularly in blue. Signage is intact and I believe there was only one blowdown which was a trivial step over with current snow depth. I believe it was on Bald Mtn Link most of the way to Bald Mtn Trail. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Good trails for dogs but I noted a sign at the base of Bald Mtn Trail indicating that they must be leashed. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
I’d intended on hiking more today but unfortunately this was all I got to. That said, this was a nice little hike. I started and ended on Bald Mtn Link and did the 0.3mi each way out and back along the lower portion of Bald Mtn Trail for redlining purposes. The trails had seen a decent amount of snowshoe traffic with some bareboots mixed in. Snowshoes were certainly more efficient in my opinion but after a thaw and refreeze tonight maybe they’ll be ready for spikes tomorrow?
The trails are pretty well blazed and the packed trail made only one slight deviation from the true trail up high that I caught and broke out correctly. Watch out for the turns on/off the tire road down low. The grades along both trails are excellent for snowshoeing except for maybe the last 0.4mi of Bald Mtn Trail which has some steeper pitches. I climbed the tower which had ice on the steps. Spikes may actually have been good here though it was thin black ice further up. I just descended backwards and very cautiously and felt fine though. Gaia had me at 4.5mi, 1000ft of gain, just under 2.5hrs. |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-01-29 |
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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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