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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks North Kennebago Divide, White Cap Mountain, Boundary Park, ME
Trails
Trails: Bushwhack, boundary swath, Power Company Dam Road, Big Island Road
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, January 16, 2022
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Much to my surprise, Big Island Rd was plowed and all of the gates were open; I also drove out and checked Power Company Dam Rd and it was plowed all the way to the end, near to the old logging cut that goes up to the boundary swath. On a weekend right now, you could get within ~1-2 miles of Boundary Peak. One resource for determining which roads are currently plowed is Seven Islands Land Group in Rangeley; they manage the logging contracts and are aware of which roads are actively being used.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: None 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes:  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: My LL Bean branded Nalgene fell out of my pack's side pocket betweek Kennebago and White Cap, so if you should find it, I'd love to get it back. 
 
Comments
Comments: I parked on the side of Big Island Rd, followed the old logging road up towards White Cap and then bushwhacked up toward the summit. All open areas not covered by trees had thigh-deep snow drifted over them; it was brutal to bushwhack and took me 2 hours to go the last mile to the top of the climb. I popped out onto the herdpath between the summits and went over to Kennebago Divide; the herdpath was harder to follow in winter and I ended up in the woods a bit, but the conditions weren't bad - only calve/knee- deep snow. I followed my tracks back to the split and headed to White Cap. It was easy to follow the herdpath to the summit. Then it was off the back of the mountain and wayfinding through the tighter forest, making sure to keep heading towards the col. I'd decided to head directly to the boundary swath and avoid the large open area by Dennison Bog, which was the right call. Under the trees the snow was manageable. On my last push to the swath, I encountered a few hundred yards of open area with snow up to my waist; it was completely exhausting. But once I got to the swath, the going became much easier. A snowmobile had traveled along it perhaps a week ago and while it had some snow drift over it, it was a fairly packed surface. I made good time to the summit of Boundary, and then headed back the way I'd come for a short while to get to the logging cut. I then fought my way through waist-deep snow downhill towards Power Company Dam Rd, with the snow getting more shallow as I descended. In fairly short order, I arrived at the end of the completely plowed out road, where I changed into spikes for the ~4 mile walk back to my car via the logging road. All said and done, a good day's work.  
Name
Name: Data 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2022-01-17 
Link
Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/6536011746 
Bookmark and Share 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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