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Date of Hike: May 16, 2008
Two separate walks:
1) Bunnell Notch Trail and a portion of Kilkenny Ridge Trail to Cabot summit (4170 ft), and return via same route (9 miles round-trip)
2) Starr King Trail to Waumbek summit (4006 ft), and return via same route (7.2 miles round-trip)
Trail Conditions:
1) Some snow along road to trailhead (elevation 1670 ft), but rest of Bunnell Notch Trail dry or slightly muddy for entire length except for two small snow patches around 2900 ft. Kilkenny Ridge Trail (the part between Bunnell Notch Trail and Cabot summit) dry until about 3600 ft. Then occasional ice in trail alternating with dry trail. Very easy to avoid stepping on any ice. Above 3900 ft, the trend was mounds of packed snow alternating with dry ground. Again, very easy to walk around or over the snow, or to step on the rocks peeking up through it. A few spots had waist-deep snow, but that makes it sound far worse than it was, since about 99% of the trail was clear of ice and snow.
2) Starr King Trail is almost entirely clear of snow and ice. Occasionally, the center of the trail has a foot-wide bar of ice 2-3 inches thick. Just go around it. The worst was about a 100 foot stretch of ice, one foot high, just north of the Starr King summit.
Special Equipment Required: None.
Comments: With summer hiking boots and poles, I made it to Cabot summit in 2 hours and to Waumbek summit in 2 hours. Although there is some snow/ice present, it had very little impact on the walk.
Your name: Steve
Two separate walks:
1) Bunnell Notch Trail and a portion of Kilkenny Ridge Trail to Cabot summit (4170 ft), and return via same route (9 miles round-trip)
2) Starr King Trail to Waumbek summit (4006 ft), and return via same route (7.2 miles round-trip)
Trail Conditions:
1) Some snow along road to trailhead (elevation 1670 ft), but rest of Bunnell Notch Trail dry or slightly muddy for entire length except for two small snow patches around 2900 ft. Kilkenny Ridge Trail (the part between Bunnell Notch Trail and Cabot summit) dry until about 3600 ft. Then occasional ice in trail alternating with dry trail. Very easy to avoid stepping on any ice. Above 3900 ft, the trend was mounds of packed snow alternating with dry ground. Again, very easy to walk around or over the snow, or to step on the rocks peeking up through it. A few spots had waist-deep snow, but that makes it sound far worse than it was, since about 99% of the trail was clear of ice and snow.
2) Starr King Trail is almost entirely clear of snow and ice. Occasionally, the center of the trail has a foot-wide bar of ice 2-3 inches thick. Just go around it. The worst was about a 100 foot stretch of ice, one foot high, just north of the Starr King summit.
Special Equipment Required: None.
Comments: With summer hiking boots and poles, I made it to Cabot summit in 2 hours and to Waumbek summit in 2 hours. Although there is some snow/ice present, it had very little impact on the walk.
Your name: Steve
