| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Crocker Mountain, North Crocker Mountain, Mt. Redington, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Bushwhack, Caribou Valley Road, Appalachian Trail, bushwhack, snowmobile trails |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, February 8, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at Sugarloaf Golf Club. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The one crossing between the golf course and CVR on the first bushwhack is no longer fully bridged, but easily crossed. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Tough hike for sure. The bushwhack from the golf course to the CVR is very easy to follow. Started out by missing the trail head proper on the road walk by about 1/2 mile, combined with the walk back, adding an extra mile. Surprised how little traffic the trail has seen. Saw one other hiker on the trail doing an out-and-back to North Crocker. Our combined snowshoes are a decent start, but the trail is not consolidated, and snowshoes definitely needed. There is one steep segment that is a but tricky. Crampons would not be overkill, particularly if descending.
The bushwhack to Reddington is very tough between South Crocker and the snow mobile trail. Trail finding was very hard. I had a gps track, but I would not recommend doing this unless you are very comfortable navigating off trail. There are a lot of tracks near the summit which caused me some confusion getting started. Eventually I picked up the feint remnants of a track and was able to follow that most of the way. Near the bottom there is a near impenetrable spruce forest. After wasting way too much time trying to find a way through, I opted to regain some elevation and go around. The short bushwhack from the snowmobile trail to Reddington summit was very easy to follow. There us another route down from Reddington which I opted to take, which connects back with the snowmobile trail further to the east. What a disaster. I would recommend not taking that alternate route.
Nice meeting and talking with John this morning.
CVR and the snowmobile trails are easily barebooted. I opted to wear my snowshoes so I didn't have to carry them. You definitely need snowshoes on the trails and the bushwhacks. |
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 | Name: |
Del |
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 | E-Mail: |
dlefevre@tarbellpa.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-02-08 |
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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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