salsgang
Member
Date(s) Hiked: October 6th, 2007
Trails(s) Hiked: AT to Sugarloaf Access Trial
Total Distance: 7 miles round trip
Difficulty: Moderate
Conditions: Started sunny, turned cloudy with light rain
Trip Report: Very nice hike with my boys up Sugarloaf ME today via the AT from the Caribou Pond Road. This is kind of a peculiar hike in that all the tough climbing is done in the first mile of the trail. The last 2 miles kind of meander along the ridge line gradually gaining elevation... just enough to make you tired. I saw this on the map but I guess I really didn't think about it.
There is a somewhat tricky spot about 3/4 mile in. You can make the mistake of scrambling up a rock slide thinking its a trail - while the trial continues along the side of the hill before turning upward again. We missed the big white arrow - looks like others have made this same mistake! We turned around after a few hundred feet. No harm done.
I kept expecting to see the top of the mountain during the ascent but didn't actually see it till about 200 yards from the top. Regardless this is still a very good hike and some very good foliage. Lots of leaf drop up high but the valleys still had abundant color.
We managed to get up and down before most of the rain came. Passed a few parties on the trail but there was not a whole lot of traffic considering it was the Columbus Day weekend. Here are a couple of shots from the top:
Looking out towards the Bigelows:
Down the front face looking towards the Whiffletree and King Pine Chairs. We can't wait to get skiing again!!!
Trails(s) Hiked: AT to Sugarloaf Access Trial
Total Distance: 7 miles round trip
Difficulty: Moderate
Conditions: Started sunny, turned cloudy with light rain
Trip Report: Very nice hike with my boys up Sugarloaf ME today via the AT from the Caribou Pond Road. This is kind of a peculiar hike in that all the tough climbing is done in the first mile of the trail. The last 2 miles kind of meander along the ridge line gradually gaining elevation... just enough to make you tired. I saw this on the map but I guess I really didn't think about it.
There is a somewhat tricky spot about 3/4 mile in. You can make the mistake of scrambling up a rock slide thinking its a trail - while the trial continues along the side of the hill before turning upward again. We missed the big white arrow - looks like others have made this same mistake! We turned around after a few hundred feet. No harm done.
I kept expecting to see the top of the mountain during the ascent but didn't actually see it till about 200 yards from the top. Regardless this is still a very good hike and some very good foliage. Lots of leaf drop up high but the valleys still had abundant color.
We managed to get up and down before most of the rain came. Passed a few parties on the trail but there was not a whole lot of traffic considering it was the Columbus Day weekend. Here are a couple of shots from the top:
Looking out towards the Bigelows:
Down the front face looking towards the Whiffletree and King Pine Chairs. We can't wait to get skiing again!!!
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