Last November the Wiggle Brook Rd. bridge over the Kennebago River became unsafe when a support collapsed. The bridge was closed, but VFTT'rs continued to drive over it en route to Snow, White Cap, and N.Peak of Kennebago Divide. Now, last month, the bridge was removed. This created a problem for those wishing to access those peaks, primarily those doing the NEHH.
Judging from reports, there are several options:
1) Ford the river a hundred or so yards upstream, put your boots back on, and hoof it up the logging roads. (Sir Edmund)
2) Drive up the west side of Little Kennebago Lake as far as you dare, park, then walk up the road the rest of the way to join Wiggle Brook Road and walk miles from there. (Adam Apt)
3) Buy a pickup truck with four wheel drive and high clearance and bull your way through the treacherous road up the west side of Little Kennebago Lake.
4) Wait for a new bridge to be built.
5) Wait for the west side road to be improved.
6) Move on to another list
But wait! There's option 7) for those heading to Cupsuptic Snow:
"The West approach to Cupsuptic Snow":
This isn't really a new route; when gates barred Wiggle Brook Road in days of yore, this was the way to go. And the 3k enthusiasts know this way, too. Right, Roy? Audrey?
But what's better about this route now than years ago is the logging road up the East Branch. It's like a highway! That facilitates the trip up to Cupsuptic Snow.
On your DeLorme, locate Upper Cupsuptic township. Between T4 and R4 you see a dotted line branching east off the road, heading up the valley of the East Branch. This recently bulldozed road will take you to about 2600' ... within 1200 vertical to the top of Snow. My little Japanese sedan had no problem with either the Burnt Mt. Road or this logging road. Here are the particulars:
1) Take the Morton cutoff off route 16 north of Cupsuptic Lake. The dirt road is a few hundred yards west of Cupsuptic campground. There's a small street sign nailed to a tree. Make this mile 0.0.
2) 3.0 miles up Morton cutoff, go right, then quick left up Burnt Mt. Road. A small sign here says "Rescue zone 8D". This is a one lane dirt/gravel road with grass growing in the middle. But it's smooth and you can really zip along on it. Shortly you'll see W. Kennebago Mt. straight ahead with its fire tower on top.
At 7.8 miles, notice a nice camping spot with a fire ring off to the left next to Cupsuptic River. Sign here says Rescue Zone 9.
12.5 miles...take right fork onto rocky bulldozed road.
14.7 Dead end. Park here. It took me :38 to drive here from route 16.
Straight ahead you'll see the continuation of the old logging road, now heavily filled in with encroaching branches. I left a giant 4 foot cairn here where the "trail" begins. You're at about 2580'.
As you head up the old path, you'll hear the East Branch flowing off to your right.
At 2660 the path is obscure. But look to the lower right. As you resume, the noise of the creek is off to your right again.
2780 ... about :20 up the path...take the right fork...heading magnetic east.
2820 ... take an obscure left fork (the right fork quickly ends at the creek). The left fork leads to an open grassy area where you see the East Branch flowing.
2880 ... about :30 into your hike, you'll hit your first muddy spot and a small creek crossing. Then you encounter a slick mini-slide about 20' high. Surmount this by 'whacking through the brush on the left, emerging on top at 2900'. You'll find a couple more not so steep wet bedrock slabs ahead. You're still heading magnetic east. The path is now a wet drainage.
3120, :45 into the hike, a couple of horizontal spruce block the path. This is a good spot to start the bushwhack. Head magnetic north.
The woods are thick at times, and open other times. The blowdown patches are easily circumnavigated. There are no "human" herd paths, but you'll pick up animal paths from time to time.
I crested the ridge after :49 of bushwhacking, east of the primary summit. :11 of ridge walking, the last three on a faint herd path, brought me to the canister. Total ascent from the car took 1:45.
There are two large animal bones on display here. The canister shows only 11 entries from 2004.
Descending, I strayed a little west of south and encountered a small creek/drainage system that made things a bit wet. But I followed that drainage down and it took me to the path at 2900, just below that 20' slide. I think my route up was better.
Back at the car, I clocked my hike at 3:23, which included :20 on top.
Out of curiosity, I checked the northern continuation of Burnt Mt. road, to see if it reached the northern end of Wiggle Brrok Road. The road bent to the west, then there was a bridge. The bridge was sturdy enough, but the approaches on either side were extremely rough and just beyond the bridge was a serious rocky dip/washout. A real close call backing my car over the bridge and back to safety. Again, you'd need a very sturdy pickup truck. And I don't know what horrors lie beyond that bridge.
Anyway, I think this East Branch route is a good one for Snow, and may be the best alternative until a new bridge is put in or until that west side road is improved.
JT
Judging from reports, there are several options:
1) Ford the river a hundred or so yards upstream, put your boots back on, and hoof it up the logging roads. (Sir Edmund)
2) Drive up the west side of Little Kennebago Lake as far as you dare, park, then walk up the road the rest of the way to join Wiggle Brook Road and walk miles from there. (Adam Apt)
3) Buy a pickup truck with four wheel drive and high clearance and bull your way through the treacherous road up the west side of Little Kennebago Lake.
4) Wait for a new bridge to be built.
5) Wait for the west side road to be improved.
6) Move on to another list
But wait! There's option 7) for those heading to Cupsuptic Snow:
"The West approach to Cupsuptic Snow":
This isn't really a new route; when gates barred Wiggle Brook Road in days of yore, this was the way to go. And the 3k enthusiasts know this way, too. Right, Roy? Audrey?
But what's better about this route now than years ago is the logging road up the East Branch. It's like a highway! That facilitates the trip up to Cupsuptic Snow.
On your DeLorme, locate Upper Cupsuptic township. Between T4 and R4 you see a dotted line branching east off the road, heading up the valley of the East Branch. This recently bulldozed road will take you to about 2600' ... within 1200 vertical to the top of Snow. My little Japanese sedan had no problem with either the Burnt Mt. Road or this logging road. Here are the particulars:
1) Take the Morton cutoff off route 16 north of Cupsuptic Lake. The dirt road is a few hundred yards west of Cupsuptic campground. There's a small street sign nailed to a tree. Make this mile 0.0.
2) 3.0 miles up Morton cutoff, go right, then quick left up Burnt Mt. Road. A small sign here says "Rescue zone 8D". This is a one lane dirt/gravel road with grass growing in the middle. But it's smooth and you can really zip along on it. Shortly you'll see W. Kennebago Mt. straight ahead with its fire tower on top.
At 7.8 miles, notice a nice camping spot with a fire ring off to the left next to Cupsuptic River. Sign here says Rescue Zone 9.
12.5 miles...take right fork onto rocky bulldozed road.
14.7 Dead end. Park here. It took me :38 to drive here from route 16.
Straight ahead you'll see the continuation of the old logging road, now heavily filled in with encroaching branches. I left a giant 4 foot cairn here where the "trail" begins. You're at about 2580'.
As you head up the old path, you'll hear the East Branch flowing off to your right.
At 2660 the path is obscure. But look to the lower right. As you resume, the noise of the creek is off to your right again.
2780 ... about :20 up the path...take the right fork...heading magnetic east.
2820 ... take an obscure left fork (the right fork quickly ends at the creek). The left fork leads to an open grassy area where you see the East Branch flowing.
2880 ... about :30 into your hike, you'll hit your first muddy spot and a small creek crossing. Then you encounter a slick mini-slide about 20' high. Surmount this by 'whacking through the brush on the left, emerging on top at 2900'. You'll find a couple more not so steep wet bedrock slabs ahead. You're still heading magnetic east. The path is now a wet drainage.
3120, :45 into the hike, a couple of horizontal spruce block the path. This is a good spot to start the bushwhack. Head magnetic north.
The woods are thick at times, and open other times. The blowdown patches are easily circumnavigated. There are no "human" herd paths, but you'll pick up animal paths from time to time.
I crested the ridge after :49 of bushwhacking, east of the primary summit. :11 of ridge walking, the last three on a faint herd path, brought me to the canister. Total ascent from the car took 1:45.
There are two large animal bones on display here. The canister shows only 11 entries from 2004.
Descending, I strayed a little west of south and encountered a small creek/drainage system that made things a bit wet. But I followed that drainage down and it took me to the path at 2900, just below that 20' slide. I think my route up was better.
Back at the car, I clocked my hike at 3:23, which included :20 on top.
Out of curiosity, I checked the northern continuation of Burnt Mt. road, to see if it reached the northern end of Wiggle Brrok Road. The road bent to the west, then there was a bridge. The bridge was sturdy enough, but the approaches on either side were extremely rough and just beyond the bridge was a serious rocky dip/washout. A real close call backing my car over the bridge and back to safety. Again, you'd need a very sturdy pickup truck. And I don't know what horrors lie beyond that bridge.
Anyway, I think this East Branch route is a good one for Snow, and may be the best alternative until a new bridge is put in or until that west side road is improved.
JT
