| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Sunday River Whitecap, Old Speck Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Grafton Loop Trail, Old Speck Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, June 26, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
There was ample parking at the Old Speck Trail trailhead at Rte 26. If you drive from there toward Bethel you will pass a place called Puzzle Mountain Bakery. You absolutely must stop - best pie ever! :) |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
I hiked while it was actively raining; water crossings on Grafton Loop were all rock hops except the Bull Run tentsite water crossing which was absolutely impassable due to water volume. At day’s end, while descending the Old Speck Trail to route 26, the two water crossings near the trailhead (one of which might normally not be a water crossing) were knee deep wading adventures for me. At that point I didn’t care and just plodded through! |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The Old Speck Trail, from Grafton Loop junction down to route 26, is in fine shape. Grafton Loop Trail seems to get a lot of use from the western end (route 26) up to the second tent site (Sargent Brook). In this segment it is well marked with blazes and cairns, and there are minimal blowdowns. Between Bald Mtn tent site and Sargent Brook tent site there is a single 100 yard run of incredibly overgrown hobble bush. The climb from Sargent up to Sunday River Whitecap is beautiful - those ladders are stunning and the scree walls and elevated bridges, to protect the fragle alpine vegetation, are in place and a joy to see. The problems start in Miles Notch. Though there was intermittent, impressive axe work on some blowdowns prior to this, the blowdown quantity increses dramatically from this point. About 0.3 miles before the Slide tent site there begins a nearly continuous run of hobble bush and maple saplings that are so grown across the trail that they are a significant obstruction to break through. The hobble bush is taller than me. I thought maybe things would get better after Slide but they actually worsened. From this point to Bull Run it was a continuous, unending, very miserable overgrown mess. The growth was so obstructing that I couldn’t see the blowdowns and have a significant number of shin and thigh (and right hip) bruises from smacking into a blowdown hidden by the overgrowth. The Bull Run tent site is just sad. The “donations please” sign is laying down at the trail spur and there are so many blowdowns, on that trail, that it is a slow going hike down. As if it couldn’t get worse, after the Bull Run tent site, the climb to Old Speck continues to be the taller-than-me hobblebush and maples, but now the conifers are joining in on the fun. The blowdowns are still catching me by surprise … and there is a really copious quantity of moose poop and very, very fresh moose tracks (headed uphill, as I am). I was truly concerned about running into a moose in such close quarters; I did not. Possibly due to my very loud, off key singing. About 0.3 miles below the summit the hobblebush and other overgrowth abate and it is smooth sailing from here. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
None today. |
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 | Bugs: |
Yay for rain - no bugs! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
I lost my yellow Osprey pack cover on the Old Speck Trail, below the junction with Grafton Loop Trail. I am hoping that someone packs it down to the Rte 26 trailhead; I will be back there in a few days to hike the Eyebrow Trail. |
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 | Comments: |
I had my very first carspot ever (thanks PackFlag!) in order to hike the Grafton Loop Trail as a traverse. I started at the west end. From Old Speck, I hiked the Old Speck Trail down to rte 26. It was not optimal to hike this in the rain, but, dagnabbit, the weather is messing with my hiking plans! I didn’t have views, and will go back to Old Speck, for sure. Vast quantities of the trail were muddy, had standing or running water, but other than as noted above, allwater crossings were passable.
I didn’t see anyone until I got onto the AT, and then I saw a whole lot of hikers who were just as drenched as I was.
The details of this hike are contained in the Trail Maintenance section of this report.
* I re-filed this report under “Maine” after erroneously initially filing it under “NH.”
So sorry for the confusion. |
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 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-06-28 |
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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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