| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Brother, Mt. Coe, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Tote Road, Marston Trail, South Brother Spur, Mt. Coe Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 17, 2018 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Room for about 4 cars at the plowed end of Williams Pond Road, just beyond its intersection with an unnamed logging road about 0.7 miles from Telos Road. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
One crossing on Marston required an easy enough hop. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Meh, with snow depth the way it was, hard to know whether the several individual blowdowns we encountered would be necessary to clear for clear summer travel, but we did have to duck or walk around for them.
If only the trail corridors could be cleared to more like 16' high... We got to see the canopy up close and too personal. :) |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
N/A |
|
 | Bugs: |
none |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
none |
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|
 | Comments: |
An epic final Winter 2018 trip saw enormous challenge in breaking out 2-3 feet of snow, cold temps and high winds above treeline. Williams Pond Road was plowed just 0.7 miles in. From there, the first 1.5 miles of the road were broken out by a single snowmobile so we had to break trail the remaining 3.5 miles to Nesowadnehunk bunkhouse, our basecamp for the trip.
The park tote road was broken out by a snowmobile or two, but we had to break out Marston up to and along the ridge, to South Brother and to Coe. 17.5 miles in nearly 20 hours. Most certainly the hardest hike I've been through. Needless to say, snowshoes all the way, and a constant, judicious management of layering, fuel, and hydration to ensure energy stores remained up to the task. Five of us started out, rotating trail breaking duties, but only three ended up continuing beyond about 1.5 miles up Marston due to loss of energy, and a need to ensure everyone was safe -- a noble and responsible decision!
Hearty and heartfelt congratulations to Liz for completing her second round of the New England 100 Highest peaks, this time in Winter. A lot of sweat and tears along the way, but she persevered and has so much to be proud about. She's a rockstar!
Thanks to Liz for organizing the trip, and to Seth, Dolores, and Alvaro for making the trip so much fun and rewarding in so many ways. This is what life and hiking are all about. See you on the trail again some time! |
|
 | Name: |
Erik Bertrand |
|
 | E-Mail: |
erik@bertpc.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2018-03-18 |
|
 | Link: |
 https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/ce4c16b1531bd2b4405d91d8d2236c048e55aabc |
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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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