| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Puzzle Mountain , ME |
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 | Trails: |
Grafton Loop Trail, Woodsum Spur Trail, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, June 2, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Only a couple of other cars in the small dirt parking area on ME 26. Room for maybe a dozen or so around 7:45am and 2:30pm. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All easily rock hopable |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Not too much in the way of blowdowns beyond easy stepovers and such. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Depends on the dog. Most hiking dogs will probably be okay but know that there is some steep ledge/easy scrambling. |
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 | Bugs: |
They were out and they seemed to be of the obnoxious variety that doesn't seem to bite so much but bug spray also does not deter. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
Grafton Loop Trail is blazed in blue. Clear to follow below treeline. Cairns and occasional blaze mark it above treeline. More blaze or markings could be had above on the ledges; there were some spots where we weren't entirely sure which way to go at first. Not too much in the way of blowdowns beyond easy stepovers and such. I don't recall the blazing on Woodsum Spur...blue maybe? Not usually hard to follow. Maybe a spot or two on the ledges.
Fantastic hike with a couple of friends who are relatively new to hiking. This was there first "legit" hike in a while and they did great! The trail was very gradual for awhile, then become more moderate and steep with occasional breaks. The Woodsum Spur was a nice mix of ledge and beautiful woods which was enjoyable and was relativley easy walking. I'm not sure why it's suggested that you go in the clockwise direction on it. It's not too steep either direction, and, if you went clockwise, you'd be ascending some on your way down which would seem a pain. If you go CCW, you'll ascend the "easy way" on Woodsum Spur, then descend the steeper way on Grafton Loop. Overall, the trail's were pretty dry but there were still occasional deep mud pits and wet areas. The ledges were nice and dry: steep at times, but nothing all that scrambly. Definitely some spots where we weren't immediately sure where to go and it took a few and/or Gaia was helpful. In particular, on the descent, there's a large cairn we went too, then couldn't find the trail. Turned out that this large cairn was a spur and the trail made a sharp turn before this. This spot would probably be much less confusing if going the other direction. I bushwacked to the true summit of Puzzle Mtn. I did not find a cairn or a register of any kind though I'll admit I was in a rush. I walked the ridge and it seems like there are two bumps that could be contenders for the highpoint. The woods were somewhat tight softwoods. Not awful but thick. Note that if you aren't careful, you could start/end your whack in some spruce and/or a wet area though this can be avoided easily enough. |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney, Lil Young, and Stinky Theresa |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-06-04 |
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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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