| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Beech Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Valley Trail, Beech South Ridge Trail, Beech Mountain Loop Trail, Beech West Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, April 22, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Park at the end of Long Pond Rd at the boat lunch. Room for maybe close to a dozen cars before the lot would overflow and you've got to park higher up along the road. There's a no parking sign by the start of the Long Pond Trail but beyond that you seem to be able to park along the road. There were a number of boaters parked here as well so I could see the lot very easily overflowing in summer though there were only a handful here on this day. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Mid-sized, easy stepover blowdown just a couple mins into Valley Trail. 5-10min later, there's another stepover/straddler, small-mid sized that's been delimbed and is also not difficult to get over. Valley Trail is blazed in blue as was Beech South Ridge Trail. Not sure about Beech West Ridge but probably blue as well. They weren't difficult to follow but I don't recall much in the way of cairns along the ledges, just blazes on the rock, so it could be difficult to follow in the snow. All trail signs were intact but note that Beech Mtn Loop Trail is called Beech Mtn Trail on the sign at the summit. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
A little bit of scrambling on Beech South Ridge Trail but it was pretty easy and likely doable for most hiking dogs. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
1st hike of the day, my first full day staying in Ellsworth. Chilly start in the morning but a gorgeous day along the sea! Valley Trail starts off ascending along many steps but is generally pretty gentle. Beech South Ridge overall was not steep but actually had a little bit of mostly easily scrambling. Lots of little view spurs along the way. You can climb the stairs to the tower, but the latch is locked. I descended the steeper, but not unpleasant to descend Beech West Ridge Trail. Respect the private property down low. Trails are pretty dry for this time of year but still had some spots of mud deep/wet enough to want to avoid. Gaia had me at 2.5-2.75mi, 750ft of gain, just under 1.5hrs. |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-04-27 |
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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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