| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Gorham Mountain, Champlain Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Gorham Mountain Trail, Cadillac Cliffs Path, Connector Trail, Bowl Trail, Champlain South Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 29, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
$30 to enter the National park. The road was a zoo but there were actually several spots available at the parking lot at 4pm. More still when I returned ;) |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Crossing of the outlet of The Bowl was a very easy rock hop |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are all blazed in blue. Trails above tree line such as Gorham Mtn Trail and Champlain South Ridge also have some cairns. The latter could probably use more blazing above tree line. Not hard for an experienced hiker to follow but I met a group coming down that seemed to be having a little trouble. I think some of the blazes have faded/been worn down by foot traffic. No blowdowns. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Some may struggle with the scrambles on parts of Champlain South Ridge. Always seemed to be another way around though. I think I saw a few out. |
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 | Bugs: |
Minimal |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Third hike of the day after Flying Mtn and Acadia Mtn. This one was solo. Just before this, I also walked the length of Sand Beach because I’d realized that I was technically missing this piece of “trail” as the guidebook describes from doing the Great Head Trail a couple days before.
This was a fantastic hike! You get up into the scrub on Gorham Mtn quite quickly and have fantastic views as you walk along the ocean :D I loved it! Cadillac Cliffs was a fun little jaunt. The ancient cave was cool. A little bit of roc scrambling that was easy enough to actually be fun rather than strenuous. No views though. A relatively minor descent to Bowl Trail, then backtracked a short ways to take what the guidebook describes as a “connector” to a bit further up the Bowl Trail. Not given with a distance in the guidebook so I guess not technically needed though?? Fun, flat trek around The Bowl, then a quick ascent to tree line on Champlain Southe Ridge. This was followed by a much longer climb to the actual summit. Beautiful views out to the ocean and surrounding mountains. I think it’s so cool to walk along mountains and see the ocean! The trail overall is at a very modest grade however there is some scrambling over the rock/ledge. A way around the tougher scrambles. Trail can be a bit hard to follow at times so keep an eye out for the blazes and cairns.
Very windy up there. Many small puddles of standing water along the south ridge and some mud on the trails as well. I returned the same way, taking Gorham Mtn Trail the whole way back rather than Cascade Cliff Path. I was surprised that I hardly saw a soul while ascending Champlain Sourh Ridge. I guess things were quieting down. Still a good number of people around The Bowl though. Gaia had me at 6.25mi with 1400ft of gain, taking me just over 2.5hrs. Great afternoon :) |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-05-29 |
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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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