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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Blueberry Ledges, Grassy Pond, Daicey Pond, Lost Pond, Foss Pond, Knowlton Pond, ME
Trails
Trails: Road walk, Appalachian Trail, Abol Pond Trail, Blueberry Ledges Trail, Park Tote Road, Daicey Pond Nature Trail, Lost Pond Trail, Foss and Knowlton Pond Trail, Foss and Knowlton Canoe Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Plenty of parking at the BSP winter parking area just before crossing Abol Bridge. Golden Rd is well plowed but icy. Suitable for any car but I’d go slow. You should be fine but should you need to hit your brakes for any reason… well, that’s why I went slow. Beware of the occasional logging truck that may fly by you. Some still go quite fast on this road despite the icy conditions.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Trivial  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: The AT is of course blazed in white. Blazing looked fresher if not more frequent than many places in the White Mtns. I don’t recall the blazing of Abol Pond Trail; probably blue. Blueberry Ledges Trail was blazed in blue. Daicey Pond Nature Trail is blazed in blue. I don’t recall the blazing of Lost Pond Trail; again, probably blue. Foss and Knowlton Pond Trail was blazed in blue. Sometimes rather faded along the ponds. Overall, the trails were blazed well enough and/or were broken so as to be easy to follow. Signage was intact. I’m sure there were some blowdowns but I don’t recall how many or where. I do remember being impressed that some work was getting done in winter along the AT where there’s clearly been some recent blowdown work.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Are dogs allowed? Are they just not allowed on Katahdin or is it in the park more generally. If they’re allowed, I’d say these are fine trails for dogs.  
Bugs
Bugs: None  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: None 
 
Comments
Comments: Another very late trail report. You’ll have to forgive my fuzzy memories for the details of this but this was a great hike with nice, sunny, and relatively warm weather my second and last day spent staying in Millinocket. My route: BSP winter Parking Area —> road walk to AT to —> Abol Pond Trail —> Blueberry Ledges Trail —> Park Tote Rd West —> AT south —> Daicey Pond Nature Trail —> Lost Pond Trail —> Foss and Knowlton Pond Trail —> AT —> road walk back to car. I also hiked spurs along the way to Katahdin Stream along the Blueberry Ledge Trail and the spurs to the ponds on Foss and Knowlton Pond and Lost Pond trails.

I was pleasantly surprised at how many of these trails were broken out but I guess in retrospect it’s not that surprising but as a newbie to BSP (in winter) I’m still learning. Snowmobile and human tracks abounded for a ways, then ski tracks. Old snowshoe tracks were seen on Abol Pond Trail. The ski tracks continued on Blueberry Ledges Trail. This pleasant trail was a peaceful and very gradual walk through a nice hardwood forest until the ledges. I was surprised to see bare ground and some points and the lack of Snow depth! Unfortunately my progress was slowed by new snowshoes where the BOA binding kept going through the snowshoe and getting stuck on the other side. Any time this happens it’s incredibly annoying. When it happens regularly, it’s infuriating and very slow going. The ledges and Katahdin Stream were all gorgeous. This has got to be a very popular spot in summer!! The ski tracks stopped here which made it seem as if the trail descended to the stream but these were really the spur trails. Continuing along the trail, you found yourself in more softwoods and ascending a bit more. Unfortunately, the BOA eventually snapped off my snowshoe here which made the rest of the day difficult. We managed but you’ll have to excuse the occasional posthole when I ripped my snowshoe off my foot in disgust ;) I almost turned around but given the lack of snow depth, the fact that it seemed to be staying on my foot relatively well, and that other trails were likely to be broken, I ventured onward.

I eventually reached the shelters, then Park Tote Rd, and enjoyed a quick, packed walk along it before turning left on the AT. The AT was beaten by at least a few snowshoes and made for very quick going. Very enjoyable trail through here and by the ponds. Daicey Pond Nature Trail along the east side of the pond was unbroken and while tolerable for a ways soon become quite difficult as it neared the pond and became drifted. Off goes the snowshoe…

Luckily, everything from Lost Pond Trail onward was very well broken and I was happy to hear a man a short ways in pulling a sled report this. Snowshoes still best in my mind though. The only exceptions were where the packed trail goes over the frozen ponds, and I was stuck breaking trail alongside them. Overall, very scenic and pleasurable, although without the grand views like Daicey and Grassy Pond have. Long walk out, but really quite quick and easy. I highly recommend this loop if you’re looking for accessible redlines in BSP in winter. Gaia had me at 13.75mi, 1100ft of gain, just shy of 8.5hrs.


 
Name
Name: Liam Cooney 
E-Mail
E-Mail: liamcooney96@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2023-02-12 
Link
Link: https:// 
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