| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Albany Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Albany Mountain Trail, ledge spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 18, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Flat Rd and the USFS roads to the north trailhead and Albany Brook Campground are in good shape. On the south we saw a pickup drive all the way up to the gate. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No problems, only small drainages. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The trail from the north and summit spur have been well maintained for years, but there was one wet eroding section and as we ascended I figured it would take a ton of work to just stabilize it. On our descent we ran into the esteemed trail maintainer, Eric, who was single-handedly constructing a bypass around that section which we got to do with two others. He said it should replace the other section in 2-3 weeks. Trail maintainers are the best generally, and Eric is one of the best of the best. The ledges section addition to the spur trail is well marked with cairns. The trail on the south is much less used and has a lot of broken branches and some new blowdowns from winter on it, making it a bit tricky to follow going down in the upper hardwood section. It was easier to follow going up, but I had Pepper to help. The old logging roads in the middle section are wet/soft from spring in many places, so waiting for a drier season will help. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Pepper liked these trails; nice grades and footbeds with some sip n dips. Hiking in I thought of Eric's Madison, one of the great hiking dogs we knew when Pepper was getting started. Eric said Madison was able to hike with him on these trails right up to the end, passing away this past winter at 14. I can picture her across the Rainbow Bridge, forever young. |
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 | Bugs: |
A few black flies bothered me during a snack break by the stream in the south section. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
After a couple of hikes in this area (Cold Brook and Royce trails) this past week which found deep snow at 2200-2700', I figured we'd do this always pleasant hike and skip snow all together. Not a patch of snow was seen. The ledges section provided excellent views of the valleys in their pastel spring foliage. We got to visit with Eric and hike the new trail re-route he is putting in. What an incredible amount of work and skill that takes. Thanks! We followed up with a hike of the Albany Brook trail. The initial section is looking like it will be wheelchair accessible but the climb up over the ridge is back to a regular woods trail, although with new waterbars. Nearing Round Pond the trees are marked for future timber harvest. Thanks Pepper, my grand old dog and buddy, for another great day. |
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 | Name: |
Pepper and Me |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-05-18 |
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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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