| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Black Mountain, Rumford Whitecap, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Black Mountain Trail, Black-White Trail, Iles Trail, Winter Shortcut, red-blazed path, roads |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, July 19, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We parked at the Black Mtn ski area where there is obviously plentiful parking this time of year. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Very easily rock hopable. You could filter water but nothing was flowing very strong at all. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I don't recall the blowdown situation, sorry. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Ledgy but no real scrambling and generally not steep so most hiking dogs should be fine. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not bad at all. We didn't even put on bug spray and the only time I really was bothered by them was when we took a long break in the woods. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Black Mtn Trail is signed at the base of the mountain and there's an additional sign or two between the base and where it enters the woods. Once it enters the woods, I don't think it was blazed and was only marked with small cairns on the ground. Not difficult to follow though. Once the Black Mtn Trail ends and becomes the Black/White Trail (I don't think there was a sign indicating this but I could be wrong), it is blazed in black/white diamonds. Not sure how frequent the markings were but the trail's weren't difficult to follow even if they were on the more lightly travelled side. Iles Trail (formerly Red/Orange Trail) is obviously blazed in red/orange. I don't think the winter shortcut is blazed but the unofficial trail to the NE of the summit was blazed faintly, mostly with red and marked with the occasional cairn.
A great MMG redline with a friend. We ascended Black Mtn Trail to Black Mtn, took Black/White Trail to its end, Iles (Red/Orange Trail) to what I think is a winter shortcut, took that back to Iles Trail which we followed to the summit, descended via a roughly blazed path (shown on Gaia and mentioned in the guidebook but not with a distance and as from Black/White Trail, not the summit, though they're the same path) NE off the summit, took Black/White Trail back to Black Mtn, walked the ski area roads to the true summit, then descended Black Mtn Trail back to the ski area.
I was a bit worried about finding the trail in the ski area, especially since Black Mtn Trail is not shown on Gaia but it is signed at its start though there's no clear path through the ski trails. Just stay just to the right of the blue ski lift. You'll reach a jct with other ski trails at the top of the lift where you should look for another sign for the Black Mtn Trail ahead on right. Shortly thereafter, the trail turns right onto a footpath and is easy to follow from here on out. Black Mtn Trail has many steep pitches though nothing excessive or scrambly. You get a little warm-up on the relatively flat ski trails at the very start, then do the hard work of gaining elevation pretty quick, before the trail moderating before too long as it attains the NE ridge of Black Mtn. Around here, or shortly before it, the woods change as well and become quite attractive. There's a great view or two along the trail but nothing to really see as you pass over the summit of Black beyond the cell towers.
Descending Black was a little painful since we'd know we'd have to go back up it all, but the ascend toward the base of Rumford Whitecap was easier as was the contour below the summit. The ascent along Iles Trail and the shortcut (shown on Gaia and there didn't seem to be any vegetation we were stepping on so I don't see a reason not to use it) from there to the summit were not bad either. Though we did not see anyone on the Black/White Trail or Black Mtn Trail, we saw several along Iles Trail and around the summit, some picking blueberries. After a rest at the summit, we descended the path to the NE, enjoying some more views above treeline before descending back into the woods. Look for faded blaze and occasional cairns along this path. They're there but don't always go the most obvious way. Once back on Black/White Trail, it was a short trip down to the col between the two peaks and the ascent back up Black Mtn wasn't all that bad. We took the short sidetrip to the true summit of Black for the NE2000 footers (summit is obvious but no register/cairn; just some box with a lock on it that's part of some treasure hunt) before descending Black Mtn Trail back to the car.
Overall, things were pretty dry but still with the requisite mud I believe. Gaia had us at 11mi, 3300ft of gain, 7hr35min. |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney and Crocamole |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-07-23 |
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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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