Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Coe, South Brother, North Brother, Fort Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Marston Trail, Coe Trail, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We were the only car at the Slide Dam parking area at 6:45 am. Reservations are not required for this hike. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All the crossing were rock hopable or very minor. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Coe trail is very overgrown. We hiked the day after a rain storm and we had to put on our rain gear to keep dry. We were pushing branches out of the way the whole way up to the Coe Slide. Trail up to South Brother was the same way. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
No dogs allowed in the park. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not too bad. We applied bug dope to keep them away. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found one can of cutter bug spray with black hair bands around it during the Fort bushwack. Picked it up and carried out to keep the park clear of trash. |
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 | Comments: |
This was another all day hike to reach four summits on the NE Hundred Highest list. Definitely recommend doing this hike counter clockwise. The Coe slide was challenging with lots of flat steep rocks. The fact that they were wet made it even more difficult but we managed to make our way through, carefully checking our footing along the way. I would not recommend coming down the slide due to the steep grade and risk of slipping . We hiked up most of the morning in cloud cover and mist including our time at Coe summit. The sun finally broke through when we reached South Brother. The hike up to North Brother was in a deep gulley and at times it felt like we were hiking in a stream bed. The summit of N. Brother offered great views just like the previous two. The winds were very strong and I would estimate speeds of 30 mph.
We followed the cairns towards Fort. It took us some time to adjust to the trail and dial in our herd-path eyes. You just have to look down and find the parts of the trail that show the worn away vegetation. There were periodic orange ribbons to reassure us that were were on the right path. It took us one hour and ten minutes each way. We visited both summits and took pics with the airplane radio before heading back. The descent was uneventful.
The steep section down Marston was easy to maneuver through with plenty of rocks and roots to step on. The last mile was endless as we were ready to reach the car and give our feet some rest. Reached the car at 7:30pm. Never saw another person the entire day. Another great Baxter hike. |
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 | Name: |
rdmnks - Rich |
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 | E-Mail: |
rdmnks at gee mail |
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 | Date Submitted: |
2012-07-22 |
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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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