Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Bigelow Mountain (West Peak), Bigelow Mountain (Avery Peak), ME |
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| Trails: |
Stratton Brook Pond Road, Firewarden's Trail, Appalachian Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 20, 2016 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Stratton Brook Pond Rd. was rutted and icy, so I parked at the start of the unmaintained part of the road and walked to the summer TH. Limited room for cars. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Spring Snow, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
All bridged or rock hopped. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No major issues. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Didn't see any, but if you take your furry friends up here, watch them on the steep upper part of the Firewarden's Trail. |
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| Bugs: |
Not today! |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Finally nabbed these two, and a perfect day to do so! No wind, no clouds, clear skies, cool temps, and views for miles!
The road walk was mostly icy with some dry parts- microspiked it. From the summer TH, I wore spikes to the drop before the bridge, where I put on Hillsound Pros and kept them on until I hit more dry ground. Barebooted a short distance and then put the spikes back on again. From that point on, the trail was covered in frozen granular snow/ice. Traction wasn't an issue until I hit the steep upper part of the FW trail; I wore the Hillsounds from there to West and Avery peaks, and back down most of the way to the pond outlet. Microspiked the road back to the car.
Other than a camper at the pond, I didn't see anyone else the whole time, which was a shocker to me because of how incredibly nice of a day it was. Oh well, more mountain for me!
63 and 64 on the NE67 are down! Three to go! |
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| Name: |
Spencer |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-03-20 |
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| Link: |
https://youtu.be/f82TFF_q2vA |
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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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