bryan
New member
date: 3/12/12
trails: rapid stream road, logging roads, mt. abraham trail (firewardens trail)
conditions: parked off of rapid stream road in a plowed pull off about 5.25 miles in from rt. 27. there is also a large plowed pull off around 4 miles if you don't want to drive farther up the road. where i parked was the last available spot off the road before the plowed way ends. once off of the pavement on west kingfield rd. the driving was interesting with ice and crusty snow in the morning that turned into slush, mud and standing water on the drive out. about a 5 minute walk from the parking the road becomes snowmobile packed up to the 3 way split where you turn left. there is a sign saying "appalachian trail" pointing you in the right direction. the two bridges across a tributary and across rapid stream are both gone. first crossing had a snowmobile made snowbridge which has collapsed, but you can still walk across. the next crossing is open and pretty wide. was able to rock hop across with minimal stepping in water right at the bridge site on the way in. water was higher and faster on the way out and the crossing was a bit wetter. the right turn just after the second crossing is signed to guide you that direction to the trail which leaves straight across at the following intersection.
the abraham trail had been recently boot tracked in the first mile until the tracks stopped and turned around. it was unbroken after that to the summit over a decent base. there was a few inches of heavy wet snow down low which increased to around a foot or more at times higher up. lots of moose postholing in the upper half of the trail the snowfields to the summit were soft and sticky with the depth often obscuring the route of the trail and burying cairns. this was a non issue with todays great visibility. more rocky right near the top. water crossings on the trail were either tenuously snowbridged or straight forward rock hops. route finding was non issue as the trail is very well blazed.
equipment: i used microspikes on the roads then snowshoes the rest of the way except a brief stint in crampons descending the lower snowfields as my snowshoes were balling a bit and a fall down the steep slope wasn't in my plans for today. with a hard freeze crampons or aggressive snowshoes will be necessary to safely traverse this section.
comments: gorgeous day on abraham. nice views and a welcome breeze. the warmth was a bit much for march and the trail was real soft on the way down. a truly spectacular summit. great to be out.
bryan
[email protected]
trails: rapid stream road, logging roads, mt. abraham trail (firewardens trail)
conditions: parked off of rapid stream road in a plowed pull off about 5.25 miles in from rt. 27. there is also a large plowed pull off around 4 miles if you don't want to drive farther up the road. where i parked was the last available spot off the road before the plowed way ends. once off of the pavement on west kingfield rd. the driving was interesting with ice and crusty snow in the morning that turned into slush, mud and standing water on the drive out. about a 5 minute walk from the parking the road becomes snowmobile packed up to the 3 way split where you turn left. there is a sign saying "appalachian trail" pointing you in the right direction. the two bridges across a tributary and across rapid stream are both gone. first crossing had a snowmobile made snowbridge which has collapsed, but you can still walk across. the next crossing is open and pretty wide. was able to rock hop across with minimal stepping in water right at the bridge site on the way in. water was higher and faster on the way out and the crossing was a bit wetter. the right turn just after the second crossing is signed to guide you that direction to the trail which leaves straight across at the following intersection.
the abraham trail had been recently boot tracked in the first mile until the tracks stopped and turned around. it was unbroken after that to the summit over a decent base. there was a few inches of heavy wet snow down low which increased to around a foot or more at times higher up. lots of moose postholing in the upper half of the trail the snowfields to the summit were soft and sticky with the depth often obscuring the route of the trail and burying cairns. this was a non issue with todays great visibility. more rocky right near the top. water crossings on the trail were either tenuously snowbridged or straight forward rock hops. route finding was non issue as the trail is very well blazed.
equipment: i used microspikes on the roads then snowshoes the rest of the way except a brief stint in crampons descending the lower snowfields as my snowshoes were balling a bit and a fall down the steep slope wasn't in my plans for today. with a hard freeze crampons or aggressive snowshoes will be necessary to safely traverse this section.
comments: gorgeous day on abraham. nice views and a welcome breeze. the warmth was a bit much for march and the trail was real soft on the way down. a truly spectacular summit. great to be out.
bryan
[email protected]
