| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Pleasant Pond Mountain, Middle Mountain , ME |
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 | Trails: |
Appalachian Trail, Pleasant Pond Lean-to Spur, Troutdale Road |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, August 25, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Grassy parking area down a bit of a rough dirt road (mid clearance definitely fine, low clearance could be okay too) as described in the guidebook off of Boise Rd. On Gaia, the road for me is shown as a trail and is just south of the AT where it crosses Boise Rd. The road starts where Boise Rd turns NW. Room for at least a few cars in scattered places though some of these were taken by thru-hikers that were camping. I was the only one there at 5:45am and 12:30pm. |
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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: |
Believe it or not, there aren't any! |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There were a handful of blowdowns but nothing very difficult and most of which were trimmed. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure. They might need help up a couple mini-scrambles but most hiking dogs should be fine. |
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 | Bugs: |
They were just starting to come out as I was finishing. There were also swarms of some unknown annoying bug as I came back over the summit of Pleasant Pond. Not sure what those were but I was in the thick of them for a little, swatting them away before they left me alone. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
The AT is blazed in white. Easy to follow below treeline and not difficult to follow on the ledges either though in winter that could be very different with much of the blazing beneath snow on the ledge. I can't remember where they were, sorry. There's at least one spot where the trail could be trimmed back a bit but it wasn't too bad. I don't recall where this was either.
What better way to celebrate finishing SNH Redlining than to get 2hrs of sleep, get up at 1:45 in the morning, and drive 3+hrs for some Maine Redlining?! This was a fantastic OAB hike along the AT to redline the section between Boise Rd and Troutdale Rd. I hiked from west to east (or south to north) then back. Note that, because of where the parking area is, you don't need to hike the small portion of the AT between Boise Rd and the parking area. A lot of mud (some deep but not awful) all across the trail in every which direction in the first 1/2mi or so of the trail. Gentle downhill grade mostly here, then the trail becomes moderately steep most of the way to the summit. I believe both spurs to the beach were signed but note that when you come to the lean-to on the westernmost one, there are multiple trails leading away from the lean-to. I took the one downhill to the right which was the wrong call. Go left instead (and I think go up a little at first). You'll head east, then come to the East Rd where there's a parking symbol on Gaia and it shows the other spur descending to the pond. The road is where the two spurs merge. Also lots of thru hikers camping along these spurs.
The ledge and views on and around Pleasant Pond were phenomenal, especially in the early morning with some valley fog. In the early morning, I could barely make out Katahdin in the distance. When I came back later in the day, it was a bit clearer. Great views to other peaks you'll hike if redlining the MMG as well such as the Moxie Bald peaks just north along the AT (another FANTASTIC hike!), Mosquito Mtn, and Moxie Mtn. Great faraway views to other peaks as well. The ledge continues on and off for quite a ways. It's a loooong but mostly easy hike from here out to Troutdale Rd. If redlining, make sure to do the road walk between the AT parking area and the AT crossing (arguably not needed since it's not in the gray box description of the guidebook though it is described in the text). The 5mi back to Pleasant Pond were a pain but relatively easy. There was some trail magic in the form of coolers by Troutdale Rd which was cool to see.
Always cool to meet many thru hikers, many of which are about to finish, and have some very nice conversations with a few. One short horrifically muddy and wet area along the ledge. Gaia had me at 13.5mi, about 3000ft of gain, 6hr24min. |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-08-26 |
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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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