| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Saddleback Mountain - The Horn, Saddleback Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Road walk, Fly Rod Crosby Trail - Saddleback Spur, Bobcat Loop, Streambed Trail, Fly Rod Crosby Trail, Berry Picker's Trail, Appalachian Trail, Saddleback Side Trail, ski trails |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, June 8, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking at the base lodge |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All unbridged crossings were easily hoppable |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are generally in good condition. There are some blowdowns on the Berry Picker's Trail, but nothing major |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Great for dogs! |
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 | Bugs: |
Blackflies were out, but not terrible. Huge bees are living in the summit sign/stone pile on The Horn, stay away! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Today, we hiked a 12+ mile loop over The Horn and Saddleback. We started at the Saddleback Base Lodge and walked down Rock Pond Road to the Fly Rod Crosby trailhead. We then made our way through the network of trails around Rock and Midway Ponds to the main section of the Fly Road Crosby Trail. We followed the Fly Rod Crosby Trail east past the AT and Moose & Deer Pond, where we took a nice break at the beautiful remote pond, down to the Berry Picker's Trail.
It had been a few years since I'd been up Berry Picker's, and it was great to be on it again. There are so many great viewpoints along the ridge and now it doesn't see very much traffic anymore. In fact, we didn't see anyone else at all for the first 7 miles of the hike, until we reached the AT.
After reaching the AT, we headed up to The Horn. We saw a few people on this section of trail and hiked with a NOBO thru hiker by the trail name of Fish Head. It was nice chatting with him about his experiences on the trail so far. Upon reaching the summit of The Horn, we were treated to the usual 360° views of the High Peaks and beyond. Although slightly obscured by the wildlife smoke, it was a lot clearer than the last few days. It should be noted that bees are living in the summit sign/stones, so you will definitely want to keep your distance as long as they are there!
After eating lunch, we headed back down through the saddle and up to Saddleback. Upon reaching the summit, it was a whole different world than we had been in all day. There were lots of people all over the place, and we only lingered for a short time before heading down. We hiked down the ski trails, which was fast, but very boring. Overall, it was an excellent loop, that I'd highly recommend, especially the first 10 miles. It was especially nice to hike on the east side of the mountain, which sees very little use these days. |
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 | Name: |
Sam Shirley |
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 | E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-06-08 |
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 | Link: |
 https://api-v5.alltrails.com/explore/recording/activity-june-8-2025-bcc0d40-4?p=-1&sh=qriocr&utm_medium=map_share&utm_source=alltrails_virality |
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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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