Abraham (Abram) 4/12/15

[marysgirl]

Rapid Stream Road was slush/mud/frozen. I made it to the washed out bridge spot with some driving tips I borrowed from Dukes of Hazard. The first stream was bridged, second we had to walk a few yards upstream but made it. Road walk was packed. Beginning of the trail was not deep snow. As we passed the privy the snow got very deep and trails steep. Plenty of blow downs and kind of difficult to find the trail sometimes. I was looking forward to the hut but we never saw a hut. Just a privy, not nearly as interesting, although handy. Once we popped out of treeline it was slush on top of ice and very steep. Followed the cairns for a bit but lost them and headed straight to the (false) summit. Recovered cairns near to the (real) summit. I was very excited to finally see the things I had admired in photos for the last few months, the shelter and the giant Cain but what happened to the tower? Does anyone know? Was it weather? Vandals? Will it be erected again? And how did I miss the fire wardens hut? Or was that removed? At any rate someone was up there recently and left their butt prints in the snow in the steep parts of the trail. Fess up, we have photos of your impressions. To sum this report up, on the way out the snow turned to slush and we left deep snowshoe prints. The bridges were falling and the river rose a few feet while we were hiking. We might be the last ones to use the snow bridges this year unless you get out there soon! This is one hike I would cross a river to do again!!!! Honestly, even with 35 - 40 mph hour winds I didn't want to leave! Great peak! (And I didn't lose anything for a change) fyi, wore snowshoes all the way.

 

[peakbagger]

Tower on summit hs been down for years. I expect weather did it in. Cabin has been gone for a couple of years. Unfortunately for many years prior to its removal it condition warranted someone filming a slasher movie.

 

[marysgirl]

I had no idea about the hut, was it right where the privy is now? There are tent sites there too....seems like a great place to spend the night. Btw, saw bear poop but no moose poop! Much more moose activity at Goose Eye. Anyway, sorry I never got to see the hut, or to climb the tower!

 

[David Metsky]

The tower wasn't climbable, just a frame.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Tower on summit hs been down for years. I expect weather did it in. Cabin has been gone for a couple of years. Unfortunately for many years prior to its removal it condition warranted someone filming a slasher movie.

Tower Frame only finally collapsed a year or so ago. Saw it in 2013.

 

[Red Oak]

The old tower.
c14cfa8&q=Mt+Abram&t=p&ei=v_0sVdekIsigNt2OgYAJ&ved=0CDEQ8gEoATAH&output=classic&dg=brw Info on Mount Abram. Not to be confused with Mount Abraham.. Even the locals get confused. I ran into some Maine hunters on Rapid stream road one time who were looking for Mt. Abram. Lots of hills and mountains with similar names around there. Nice job on this hike marysgirl.

 

[peakbagger]

MATC ripped down the cabin and replaced it with tentsites. Not sure if it ever had a privy.

 

[JustBob]

The tower was up in July 2014. It was climbable, at least for this guy.

 

[David Metsky]

Anything's climbable if you want to climb it. The tower is climbable in its current state too.

 

[marysgirl]

I am sorry that I missed the tower, it would have cool to see it up! There is a privy for sure! There is also a sign for the tent sites, although they were covered in snow. I remembered reading in a trip report that the trail was hard to find and that it was on the left side of the cabin, so I pictured that the cabin was there at that site. Again, sad I missed it!! But what a gorgeous hike!! Truly one of my favorites, the Bigelow's were also awesome!

 

[sdways01]

The tower was still standing on Aug 9, 2014. If I recall though, shortly after that there was a trip report I saw which showed the tower tipped over. When I was there some of the support cables were already broken as well as some bracing. So given the condition of it and the already above treeline view, I didn't go up it. I met someone the next day on Old Speck though that had climbed up it a week earlier.

 

[peakbagger]

The nice thing with Abraham is there really is no need for a tower since it has 360 views.

Boundary Snow used to have a tower and cab in remarkably good condition when I was working on my NE 100 years ago. I was sorry to see recent pictures of the toppled cab. On a summit like that one, a tower is needed.

 

[marysgirl]

Nice to know what to expect when I get there! I have to come back to NH for the Weeks and Vose, then back up to Maine! I still have Baldpate and Elephant then up to the 6-pack.... Maine has turned out to be quite lovely! I know I will go back to Abr(ah)am again in summer.....