| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Saddleback Mountain, Saddleback Mountain - The Horn, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Ski trails, Appalachian Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, January 1, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Saddleback is closed for the season, or at least until an ownership transfer is completed (rumors are maybe the end of January). So we were able to park right near the lodge and hike up the slopes without buying a pass or dodging skiers. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
A few minor running drainages on the ski trails. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a couple on the ski trails that were running around while their humans carefully skied down the bony trail. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
From the upper lodge we followed an old snowshoe/ski trench uphill, mostly along the signed (red signs) uphill route. There was enough snow to make snowshoes the best choice, but it was a little thin in places since there has been no snowmaking/grooming this season yet. Once at the upper warming hut (closed of course), we geared up for the stiff winds and low visibility (goggles, facemask, etc). From treeline we poked around and finally found our way to the summit 1/4-mile later. From there to The Horn we figured out the route with only a few false leads, but a GPS track was handy a couple times to confirm turns. Plenty of snow between the peaks except for the occasional bare ledge, and one rather neat ice flow on the Saddleback side just above the col that we had to navigate around. As we returned to the main peak, the sun almost came out, and we actually saw a tiny piece of blue sky briefly, but we never got any views. Shame. Winds were whipping on the main peak and driving snow flurries around, but strangely not that much wind-wise on The Horn. Aside from seeing a few groups of skiers skinning up/riding down, we also saw Liz as we came off the upper steep pitch of the ski trails. Sounds like our tracks were already blown away above treeline and they had the same initial troubles we did finding the summit. Still, a fun hike with Pam, Tim, Chris, Whitney, and Brent! |
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 | Name: |
madmattd |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-01-03 |
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 | Link: |
 https://mattshikes.blogspot.com |
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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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