Caribou Mountain - Mud Brook Trail, Caribou Trail - 9-25-2011

Hiking Trail Conditions Report
	Peaks	Caribou Mountain, ME

	Trails:	Mud Brook Trail, Caribou Trail

	Date of Hike:	Sunday, September 25, 2011

	Parking/Access Road Notes:	Room for 10+ cars in lot - 4 cars today

	Surface Conditions:	Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant

	Recommended Equipment:

	Water Crossing Notes:	A numbr of small crossings on Mud Brook all easy; a number of crossings on Caribou almost all easy on rocks or rock ledges - the largest is the first crossing - closest to the parking lot - can be crossed on rocks but is a bit tricky to keep boots dry.

	Trail Maintenance Notes:	Mud Brook - 5 blowdowns before the wilderness boundary - 2 small (4-6 inches in diameter) easy step overs 1 small (3 inches in diameter) duck under (right before wilderness sign), 2 much larger (12+ inches) that you'll need to straddle to get over; 2 large (12+ inches) after wilderness boundary that you also need to straddle to get over one of which when the roots came up tore up a small bit of the trail bed. Caribou trail - 2 large (again 12+ inches in diameter) blowdowns outside the wilderness area - one right near the boundary had some work already done to remove a lage branch - step over, one down lower maybe 1/2 mile or so from the parking lot that is a high step over - this is part of a cluster of blowdowns on the side of the hill above the trail - fortunately only one actually is on the trail.

	Dog-Related Notes:	An easy hike for the canines with some minor ledge scrambles on Mud brook at the top. Saw one puppy out today heading up the Caribou trail.

	Bugs:	Some flies at the summit and a few mosquitoes down low - bug spray kept them at bay,

	Lost and Found:


	Comments:	A great day for a hike - warm temps and clear skies all day. Views from the ledges and summit were spectacular as always. You'll need to navigate over a number of blowdowns on both trails. Mud Brook - lived up to its name today - lots of mud along the trail almost up to the first view ledges. Mainly can be avoiuded but there are places where you just have to walk through. There are a few patches that could use a few more strategically placed rocks to help keep out of the mud. Caribou - a few patches of mud that can generally be avoided. A couple of stream crossings are on ledges - today they were wet but not too slick but can get slick in higher water. The first crossing (clsest to the parking lot) is the largest and had rocks to cross though a few today were just at water level - any higher and several rocks would be under water.

	Name:	Brian from Maine

	E-Mail:	brobert1@maine.rr.com

	Date Submitted:	2011-09-25

	Link:	https://
		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.