| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
The Rock Overlook, Center Hill, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Rock Overlook Snowshoe Trail, Center Hill Snowshoe Trail, Center Hill Nature Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 6, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I shoveled my own spot near the Center Hill gate, but the lot at Park Headquarters was plowed by the afternoon |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Only one significant crossing and it had a bridge |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Lots of blowdowns and trees bent over from the storm. The trail is not obvious in many places, but there is a good amount of flagging tape to help. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Finally time to break out the snowshoes! I decided to try out the snowshoe trails at Mt. Blue State Park to enjoy the new snow. I shoveled out my own parking spot near the Center Hill gate and started with a road walk down the barely plowed Center Hill Road.
I joined the snowshoe trail where it crossed the road. At this point, there was about a foot or pretty dry snow in the woods (it did not stick to the snowshoes). I followed the trail to The Rock Outlook before retracting my steps. Then I followed the trail on the other side of the road and climbed Center Hill. There was definitely more snow near the summit, probably about 15". The summit was very cold and windy, but the views were excellent. From the summit, I followed the Center Hill Nature Trail and the road up Center Hill back to my car.
I was the only one on the trails and was breaking trail the whole way. There were also many bent over and blow down trees which made going slow in places. Although the trails were well-marked with colored flagging tape, the snow on the trees and sometimes obstructed trail meant that sometimes I had to search a bit for the next marking.
Overall it was a great day to be out in the snow and winter has definitely arrived in the mountains! Now until we get more snow, anyone who wants to use these trails should have a much easier time navigating by following my tracks. |
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 | Name: |
Sam Shirley |
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 | E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-12-06 |
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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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