| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bear Mountain (Hartford), ME |
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 | Trails: |
Bear Mountain Trail, new trail, unnamed trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, March 13, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking lot is not plowed |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All unbridged crossings were easily hoppable |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are clear and in good shape |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Great for dogs |
|
 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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|
 | Comments: |
Today, we hiked Bear Mountain in Hartford via the new trail. The new trail diverges right from the regular trail soon before it reaches Bear Mountain Road. The best part of the new trail is that it skips the short road walk on the maintained section of Bear Mountain Road. It then parallels the old trail for most of the way to the summit turn off. On the way up, we took a side trip to the west summit, which looked like it hadn't been visited in quite a while. The new trail also cuts the corner and meets up with the summit trail, making for a short route overall.
After enjoying the views at the summit, we descended via the old trail. Snow conditions were very firm, and much of the old trail and summit trail were basically ice, due to snowmobile traffic.Conditions were perfect for using microspikes. It is nice to have an alternative route up which isn't as eroded as the old trail, and also makes for a nice loop hike. |
|
 | Name: |
Sam Shirley |
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 | E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-03-13 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/activity-march-13-2025-7a54486?p=-1&sh=qriocr |
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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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