| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Elephant Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Elephant Mountain Road, logging roads, bushwhacks |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, September 21, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked near the 2 boulders along the start of Elephant Mtn Road, several trucks were able to drive about a mile further along the road. Several washouts and gullies in the road are rather significant. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Some water ran directly over the old Elephant Mtn Road, other places were soggy and boggy, other places not bad. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
This is not a trail |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Met Bergen and his owner along the bushwhack, pup did awesome with the thick thick fir bands |
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 | Bugs: |
Not noticeable or bothersome, noticed small swarms when I stopped back at the car but they didn't seem out for blood today. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Peanut butter jar was picked up, left a hazard orange 3XL shirt up near the summit crest. Also if you are looking for free yellow, pink, orange or blue surveyors tape.. its literally all over this mountain side. |
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 | Comments: |
First two mile dirt/gravel road walk was a good warm up, can't get too lost while following that. After 2mi the route swings onto a highly overgrown/grassy/brushy road which had some extremely soggy footing and water running down the old road in portions. Came out to the landing and located the old rock cairn which indicates the start of the bushwhack/entrance to woods. The coming 1/4 mile was agonizingly slow and treacherous as any indication of herd path is obliterated and laying deep beneath a 2-3' layer of slashed saplings.
After the webbing of interlaced and toppled saplings, ventured into a claustrophobia-inducing thick, young balsam fir patch which had to be "swam" through, this exited into a pencil forest of spruce which was better hiked at a standing height of no-more-than 3' tall. Eventually the dense forest opened up to a nice, open forest with soft footing atop thick moss and decomposing tree duff. When the forest opened up it was possible to pick out a multitude of herd paths all seemingly heading in a similar northwesterly direction.
Picked through the mountainside with a bearing nearly straight at the summit instead of previous routes which hang east just to cut westwardly along the summit ridge, cut out some mileage and floundering that way. Before long we met up with the preexisting herd paths from the east and followed the soft paths across the SW peak summit ridge and right to a minor summit clearing. Located the summit canister with no issue and logged our ascent. Ended up hiking up with Tim + Bergen whom I had met trying to navigate the slash of early on. Great folks out on Elephant Mtn Thursday as I also encountered 3 super nice folks who had attempted the peak 5 years ago, also working on their "Over 70 (or was it 75?) NH48". A pleasure to meet everyone on the trails after spending multiple days slightly north last week without seeing a soul.
This was #99/100 for NEHH.
A brief write up can be found by clicking the link below, also included are color photographs of the harrowing bushwhack! Glad to get this gem of a bushwhack hiked!
Happy Climbing! |
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 | Name: |
Erik Hamilton |
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 | E-Mail: |
ehamilton9481@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-09-22 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.atalkinthewoods.com/trail-reports/elephant-mountain |
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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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