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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Red Rock, Butters Mountain, Durgin Mountain, Speckled Mountain, ME
Trails
Trails: Miles Notch Trail, Red Rock Trail, Cold Brook Trail, Great Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Monday, May 15, 2023
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Giant stick sticking out of a hole in the road just before lower parking area. Our SUV’s did fine skirting it (Mazda and RAV4), but definitely felt iffy. Gate to upper lot on Hut Road was open on our return road walk, but still closed when we arrived at 8am.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Small Patches 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes:  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Fair amount of blowdowns on Red Rock beyond “wilderness” standards that are beginning to see obvious herd paths forming around them. We moved a few on our trip, and made some more passable but the big ones need some more serious attention. Likewise a couple large blowdowns getting the same kind of action due to their size and obscuring the footbed. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs: Black flies were ferocious without the breeze! Picked one tick off early in the day, and counted our luck at the end. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Redlining joy today!
Counter clockwise loop heading up Miles Notch Trail first. This trail is in good shape, a couple smaller blowdowns on the way up, and minor mud pits to work around. Topping out for the notch was absolutely beautiful. We made our descent toward the north side to meet up with the Red Rock junction where we had left off last fall. Here we saw one trail runner who was doing a similar route (and the only person we saw all day).
Red Rock trail being completely within the wilderness boundary has no blazes, and requires care in some places to follow. East ledges of Red Rock Mtn provided excellent views down to Kezar lake, plenty eyefulls of the Whites and surrounding Maine peaks. We enjoyed a snack here and headed west to Speckled. Red Rock trail had no real issues prior to the junction with Great Brook Trail, but past that point is where we found the majority of downed trees and mud pits. The second half of the trail was also where the bugs got super fierce. Upon reaching the summit of Speckled the wind was picking up as forecasted, so we ate our lunches and looked for the spring. We decided we had passed it earlier on the ascent, finished drinking our water and filtered fresh cold water before starting the real climb down.
Great Brook Trail had nothing noteworthy, although there is one section on the steeps where it seems the wind has blown all of the leaves together making it fairly slippery and tricky at times. The river was running nicely, and all crossings were easy. Passed the Butters family cellar hole at some point, but we didn’t see it. We were very surprised (and frustrated) to find the gate to the upper parking lot open at the end of our roughly 1.5mile road walk, since it had been locked when we arrived earlier this morning. Oh well, the day was great despite the considerably small hiccup.

We also saw a giant Great Blue Heron flying out of the beaver marsh while walking the road!  
Name
Name: bria, danielle 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2023-05-15 
Link
Link: https:// 
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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