| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Eyebrow, Old Speck Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Eyebrow Trail, Old Speck Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, July 28, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Big parking lot off Maine 26 in Grafton Notch State Park. There is a small fee, but there were no envelopes to put it in. Put our 8 bucks in and left a note on my dashboard saying we did so. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Easy |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Great! Signage is good, the entertaining rungs, bars, and ladder are in good and safe condition. Thanks! |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Probably not a good idea on the Eyebrow. Check with State of Maine rules about dogs. |
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 | Bugs: |
Lovely butterflies. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I have opened Pandora's box. Prema LOVED this hike and wants the other 18 on the NE67 list. Here we go!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Speaking of children, some of you may remember the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young song "Teach your Children." There is a line later on "Teach your parents well." This could be the theme for this hike. Many times it seems like a crazy challenge, but Prema says we should do it anyway, and IT WORKS! We did the Eyebrow, I did not think it was difficult at all, it was FUN. There is one sketchy part where you walk across a ledge that has a stream down the middle. Not a problem this day, but could be if the stream was bigger. We both loved the Eyebrow and made it to the Old Speck Trail sooner than expected. I took one look at it, it seemed so far, but the mileage on the sign suggested not that far. Prema thought we would be fine, so we went for it (we carry 3-4 headlamps and turn around when we fell enough is enough). No regrets. One of the most beautiful trails I have ever been on. Sure, there are frequent ups and downs and a lot of elevation gain, but there was a lot of camaraderie - day hikers congratulating NOBOs and wishing them success and them encouraging us. I loved this trail geologically - the rocks are very grippy, so even when they are wet, there is less slipping. 50 million shades of green, the mosses are like velvet. There are frequent openings, so you get great views (this can work to your detriment as well, because you see how far away Old Speck seems. Finally made it to the spur path to the summit. The old saying "Maine, the way life should be," should be changed to "Old Speck, the way Hale should be." The ladder was a little scary, but worth the climb, 360 degrees of views (glad we saved a good day for this).
The descent: one good thing about being a slower hiker is you get the alpenglow. The lighting over the surrounding mountains (Baldpate in particular) was beyond words. The nice thing about including the Eyebrow in this hike was that the end of the Old Speck Trail before the parking lot had many great surprises. There is a ledge with a great view, and the rest of the way down is cascades. I put on my light 5 minutes before arriving at the parking lot. I will be eternally grateful to my hiking partner and daughter for encouraging me to do this. Thanks, Prema
A young man in the lot asked me if we anted a beer or soda. He had recently finished the AT and was giving back with his trail magic. Great to see so many good people in the world.
A final note: Dear NH, Hale is NOT in a wilderness area. Why can't we have a ladder, too? |
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 | Name: |
Beckie and Prema |
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 | E-Mail: |
beckiejani@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-07-30 |
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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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