| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Jackson Mountain, ME |
|
 | Trails: |
Little Jackson Trail, Jackson Mountain Trail, snowmobile trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 22, 2021 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking was not an issue at the Morgan Road trailhead today |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
|
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No significant crossings |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are well maintained with only a few blowdowns. Even the snowmobile trail to Jackson Pond is mostly clear. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
|
|
 | Bugs: |
Pretty bad down low, not as bad above 3,000' |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Usually, I tend to avoid Tumbledown Public Land due the crowds that it's been attracting, but I decided to give it a go today and visit a few of its lesser travelled destinations, Jackson Mountain and Jackson Pond. I got a relatively early start to make sure I got a parking spot and was surprised to find that the parking lot at the end of Morgan Road was completely empty, except for my car, at 7:00!
I started up the heavily-travelled Little Jackson Trail and was the first one of the day on the Jacksons. After reaching the col between the Jacksons (there are good view here), I turned right onto the much more lightly traveled Jackson Mountain Trail. Although not blazed, it was easy to follow and passed through some beautiful mossy boreal forest. About 1/3 mile from the col it reaches open ledges which provide excellent views of Little Jackson and many of the Western Maine Mountains. Above the ledges it passes through dense forest before reaching the helicopter pad and communications relay on the summit. There are some limited views from the summit, but not as good as from the ledges lower on the mountain.
After descending back into the col, I followed the trail off the backside of the mountain, which descended gently for about 0.4 mile to Jackson Pond. This small pond is actually at a higher elevation than the more well-known Tumbledown Pond. There is a cabin on its shore which is open to respectful visitors. It seems like it would be an excellent place to spend a night or two, as long as you don't mind sharing it with mice. The only footprints around the cabin were from moose and the last entry in the logbook was from March, so it doesn't seem like the pond sees many human visitors. It was the perfect place to have lunch and was a nice change of pace from the busier other side of the mountain.
After returning to the col again, I descended the Little Jackson Trail back to my car. The crowds must have decided to stay home today because I only passed two other people on the trail, although I saw five others on the open ledges of Little Jackson from the viewpoint on Jackson. I always like to find off-the-beaten-path places and today's hike proves that they exist even a stone's throw away from two of the state's most popular mountains to hike. |
|
 | Name: |
Sam Shirley |
|
 | E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2021-05-22 |
|
 | 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. |
|
