Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Blueberry Mountain (Weld), ME |
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 | Trails: |
Blueberry Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 22, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
YOU NEED PERMISSION TO HIKE THIS IN WINTER!!! They will have kids sledding down the road at times, the road is sometimes unmaintained, etc. At the base of the road is a SMALL green sign to this effect. They’re working on getting something larger. Call 207-585-2410 for permission. The road was well plowed but a bit icy so I used great caution and went very slow down hill. There was a pretty bad accident on the road just a week or two ago. AWD recommended but maybe a 2WD car with snow tires would do?? The regular parking area is unsigned and unplowed. I parked in a large pullout next to a bus just above it on the right and around a corner. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The trail is blazed in blue and also has blue ribbon tied to trees. I’d say it’s blazed or at least marked pretty regularly but not always with great frequency. Surprisingly, I don’t recall a single blowdown which is pretty impressive for this time of year! Only sign is at the beginning by the hiker lot. It’s an owl and says “Blue Trail” |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Call the number above and ask permission |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
YOU NEED PERMISSION TO HIKE THIS IN WINTER!!! They will have kids sledding down the road at times, the road is sometimes unmaintained, etc. At the base of the road is a SMALL green sign to this effect. They’re working on getting something larger. Call 207-585-2410.
This was my first time in snowshoes this season! Last year I went into January without wearing them too…scary! I figured I beat my record this year but fb memories tells me it was the same day…ha! Anyway, the start of the trail could be a bit tricky to find in winter. If driving uphill, look for a sign in the ground in the shape of an owl that says “Blue Trail” maybe 30yds from the rd, if that. It’s also just below a turn in the road where a bus is parked on the right just beyond. The trail is not shown on Gaia or AllTrails but there’s a track for it on AllTrails so if you search for it you can pull it up which helped me to find the start of it.
Snow conditions were not as nice as I’d hoped for. Less powder than I figured and an icy crust underneath that you broke through. Ugh. Overall, a bit less snow depth than I thought as well. Definitely not the worst crust I’ve ever been on but it did slow things down. The trail is relatively easy to follow even with snow on the ground. I didn’t see much blue blaze on the trees as the ledge appeared near the summit but there was some blue tape and I still found the trail relatively easy to find. The guidebook’s distance to the summit is way off. It’s about 1.5mi one way. Gaia had me at about 3mi with 1400ft of gain. It took me 2hr45min to complete. |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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 | Date Submitted: |
2023-01-24 |
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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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