| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Big Moose Mountain (Big Squaw Mountain), ME |
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 | Trails: |
Big Moose Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, January 24, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
North Road is plowed out enough for logging operations, so I was able to get up it to the normal trailhead using a Subaru with snow tires. On the Saturday I was there, the loggers were not logging, but there are signs saying to give right of way to working trucks when they are working. They're logging much further in, near Big Indian Pond, so you won't see their handiwork. The trailhead parking lot was not plowed, but there were plenty of tracks in it, and the road shoulder snowbank was packed down enough to drive in and park. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Chatted for a while at the trailhead with a local who does A LOT of maintenance on this mountain. He said he'll be back at some point with a bigger saw to take care of the one blowdown on the trail. It wasn't too difficult stepping over it though. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The trail is well blazed and cleared, and there had been enough traffic this winter to leave a clear footbed trough in the snow, so it was very easy to follow up to the summit. The snow was not consolidated well though, and there are MASSIVE drifts up on the summit ridge, so snowshoes are a must. I get the sense that because of prevailing winds and the less frequent winter hiking traffic this summit ridge is regularly prone to drifting. I kept going past the true highpoint, past the communications tower, to the helicopter landing platform and its phenomenal views over Moosehead lake and the surrounding mountains, including Katahdin.
On my way down I did the detour to the other viewpoint, encountering some moose postholes, but no human tracks. The views from the summit are better of the surrounding landscape, but this detour does offer a nice unique view of the summit cone. |
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 | Name: |
Khiggs |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-01-26 |
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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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