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BIGELOW MOUNTAIN, SOUTH HORN VIA A.T.. TO TRAIL HEAD, GO RT 27 NORTH, 3.2 MILES PAST SUGARLOAF ENTRANCE AND TAKE RIGHT ON STRATTON BROOK POND ROAD. A.T. CROSSES ROAD AT 1 MILE IN. I PARKED JUST BEFORE TRAIL CROSSED AT THE 3 WAY ROAD INTERSECTION. FOLLOWED A.T. ALL THE WAY TO SOUTH HORN. DUE TO CLIMATE SITUATION, HIKE TOOK 4.10 UP, AND 3.30 DOWN. TOTAL MILES WAS 9.6. TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN DUE TO DROPPING INTO THE COL AT HORNS POND WAS APROX. 3000 FEET.
I HAD HIKED AVERY AND WEST PEAK YEARS AGO, AND THOUGHT WE HAD WENT OVER SOUTH HORN, BUT AFTER LOOKING AT OUR TRAIL NOTES, WE HAD WENT VIA THE FIRE WARDENS TRAIL AND NEVER WENT TO SOUTH HORN. AS FAR AS DIFFICULTY IN RELATION TO OTHER MAINE PEAKS, I WOULD LIST THIS PARTICULAR HIKE, WITH THE WEATHER CONDITIONS THE WAY THEY WERE, AS A DIFFICULT DAY HIKE. OVERCAST DAY AND SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR, ONLY GAVE ABOUT 8.5 HOURS OF USABLE DAYLIGHT. FRESH SNOW COVER OF ABOUT 2 INCHES IN AREAS WAS NOT BAD, BUT WHEN IT WAS OVER ICE, IT MADE FOR SLICK FOOTING. STEEP SECTIONS OF TRAIL WERE ICE GLAZED, AND WATER RUNNOFF IN A FEW AREAS WERE FROZEN OVER LOOKING LIKE ICE FLOWS, WELL OVER 6 INCHES THICK. RAIN AT 34 DEGRESS ON THE DESCENT DID NOT MAKE THE TRAIL ANY BETTER.
TRAIL ITSELF AS FAR AS MAINTENANCE GOES IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. THE M.A.T.C. HAS DONE A GREAT JOB BUILDING AND MAINTAINING.
CERTAINLY NO FLOWERING PLANTS TO REPORT ON TODAY, BUT THERE IS A NICE VARIETY OF TREES ON THIS SECTION INCLUDING PAPER BIRCH, FIR AND SPRUCE. ALSO IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS I WAS CHECKING OUT SOME NORTHERN WHITE CEDARS.
GOING THROUGH THE BOULDER SECTION WAS VERY FACINATING AND IF YOU ENJOY LOOKING AT GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS, SAVE A LITTLE TIME TO CHECK THE AREA OUT. LOTS OF MASSIVE BOULDERS THROWN ABOUT, COVERED WITH A VARIETY OF LICHENS, MOSSES AND FERNS.
THERE ARE A FEW STEEP SECTIONS BEFORE YOU HIT THE RIDGE, THEN AS YOU DROP INTO THE COL, IT IS A BIT STEEP THERE. AFTER THE HORNS POND LEAN-TOS, THE FINAL ASCENT IS A BIT VERTICAL.
WAS ABLE TO GRAB SOME GREAT VIEWS JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME. AS I MADE MY WAY BACK TO HORNS POND FOR LUNCH, THE MOISTURE LADEN CLOUD COVER MOVED IN, THEN SHORTLY AFTER, CAME THE RAIN.
I USED MICRO SPIKES WHICH DEFINETLY HELPED, BUT LIGHT DUTY CRAMPONS WOULD OF HELPED ON THE ICY AREAS. I LEFT THE MICRO SPIKES ON THE WHOLE WAY, WHERE AS THE CRAMPONS MAY HAVE BEEN AN ON AND OFF AND ON AND OFF SITUATION DUE TO THE CONTINUALLY VARYING TRAIL CONDITIONS.
HERE IS A PIC LINK https://goo.gl/photos/1ctmaKEmbacr4jha8 d&d 92/100
I HAD HIKED AVERY AND WEST PEAK YEARS AGO, AND THOUGHT WE HAD WENT OVER SOUTH HORN, BUT AFTER LOOKING AT OUR TRAIL NOTES, WE HAD WENT VIA THE FIRE WARDENS TRAIL AND NEVER WENT TO SOUTH HORN. AS FAR AS DIFFICULTY IN RELATION TO OTHER MAINE PEAKS, I WOULD LIST THIS PARTICULAR HIKE, WITH THE WEATHER CONDITIONS THE WAY THEY WERE, AS A DIFFICULT DAY HIKE. OVERCAST DAY AND SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR, ONLY GAVE ABOUT 8.5 HOURS OF USABLE DAYLIGHT. FRESH SNOW COVER OF ABOUT 2 INCHES IN AREAS WAS NOT BAD, BUT WHEN IT WAS OVER ICE, IT MADE FOR SLICK FOOTING. STEEP SECTIONS OF TRAIL WERE ICE GLAZED, AND WATER RUNNOFF IN A FEW AREAS WERE FROZEN OVER LOOKING LIKE ICE FLOWS, WELL OVER 6 INCHES THICK. RAIN AT 34 DEGRESS ON THE DESCENT DID NOT MAKE THE TRAIL ANY BETTER.
TRAIL ITSELF AS FAR AS MAINTENANCE GOES IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. THE M.A.T.C. HAS DONE A GREAT JOB BUILDING AND MAINTAINING.
CERTAINLY NO FLOWERING PLANTS TO REPORT ON TODAY, BUT THERE IS A NICE VARIETY OF TREES ON THIS SECTION INCLUDING PAPER BIRCH, FIR AND SPRUCE. ALSO IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS I WAS CHECKING OUT SOME NORTHERN WHITE CEDARS.
GOING THROUGH THE BOULDER SECTION WAS VERY FACINATING AND IF YOU ENJOY LOOKING AT GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS, SAVE A LITTLE TIME TO CHECK THE AREA OUT. LOTS OF MASSIVE BOULDERS THROWN ABOUT, COVERED WITH A VARIETY OF LICHENS, MOSSES AND FERNS.
THERE ARE A FEW STEEP SECTIONS BEFORE YOU HIT THE RIDGE, THEN AS YOU DROP INTO THE COL, IT IS A BIT STEEP THERE. AFTER THE HORNS POND LEAN-TOS, THE FINAL ASCENT IS A BIT VERTICAL.
WAS ABLE TO GRAB SOME GREAT VIEWS JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME. AS I MADE MY WAY BACK TO HORNS POND FOR LUNCH, THE MOISTURE LADEN CLOUD COVER MOVED IN, THEN SHORTLY AFTER, CAME THE RAIN.
I USED MICRO SPIKES WHICH DEFINETLY HELPED, BUT LIGHT DUTY CRAMPONS WOULD OF HELPED ON THE ICY AREAS. I LEFT THE MICRO SPIKES ON THE WHOLE WAY, WHERE AS THE CRAMPONS MAY HAVE BEEN AN ON AND OFF AND ON AND OFF SITUATION DUE TO THE CONTINUALLY VARYING TRAIL CONDITIONS.
HERE IS A PIC LINK https://goo.gl/photos/1ctmaKEmbacr4jha8 d&d 92/100
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