Stan
Well-known member
As many of you know, Maine Huts and Trails is a growing network of "huts" from the Mahoosucs to Moosehead. These huts are being built, about one every year or two, a day's hike or ski apart and the trails between them are groomed for xc or back country skiing in winter.
The most recent addition is Grand Falls, the third hut in the system. I've been to the other two in summer, fall and winter and decided to scout this out on a late summer hike with rain in the forecast. I don't mind hiking in the rain but, when there is a better option like this facility, I prefer to camp inside.
We made a last minute reservation over Labor Day weekend. The weather forecast probably kept guests away; there were 6 of us with a capacity of 32.
There are three parking options. First is the parking lot for Flagstaff Lake Hut, about 2 miles of easy walking to Flagstaff plus 11.7 miles from there to Grand Falls.
Second is parking along Long Falls Dam Road near "big eddy", a popular camping area along the Dead River which is on the Northern Canoe Trail. From here it is 8.1 miles to Grand Falls hut.
Third possibility is to drive up Dead River Road, a gravel logging road, about 1 1/4 miles to an area with space to park alongside the road (keep well off the road as this is an active logging area). It is 6.9 miles to the hut from here.
It is also possible to paddle downstream from either Big Eddy or from the third parking area described above. This is quickwater but at high water, as it was this visit, I would not like the thought of paddling upstream. Maine Huts and Trails has a landing/dock and this is about 2 1/2 miles from the hut. It may be preferable to land a kayak at a small inlet about 15 yards upstream from the dock.
We hiked from the third parking area and sure 'nuff, were stalled by a thunderstorm that blew through in about a half hour. It was a pleasant walk, some along the river, some through meadows, some along the ski trail. A new bridge crosses the Dead River but from there the signage leaves a lot to be desired.
The first choice is whether to stay on the ski trail, a longer and less interesting route, or take an immediate right after crossing the aforesaid bridge (easy to miss this trail) to a scramble high above the falls which were magnificent on this day.
Next you come to a snowmobile bridge across Spencer Stream, route of the Northern Canoe Trail. Immediately to the right of this bridge is a parking area for paddlers and rafters doing the whitewater trip from here to The Forks. This logging road is Enchanted Road from rt. 201.
Again you have a choice, take the ski trail (which detours back down to the river in summer) or stay on the river trail which in about 3/4 mile rises away from the river to a service road a couple hundred yards from the hut.
I painstakingly describe this in detail because the signage is poor as of this writing and between the river trail, ski trail, logging roads and snowmobile trails it may be possible to wander well off the route without realizing it.
Having said that, the hospitality, good food and sociable guests made the wet trip worthwhile.
On the way out the puddles were deeper and some of those meadows were flooded, not from the river but just from the fact that they're level and don't drain well. We learned that the day after we hiked out the trails were closed due to flooding but everything is so high above the river crest that I was surprised at this.
The most recent addition is Grand Falls, the third hut in the system. I've been to the other two in summer, fall and winter and decided to scout this out on a late summer hike with rain in the forecast. I don't mind hiking in the rain but, when there is a better option like this facility, I prefer to camp inside.
We made a last minute reservation over Labor Day weekend. The weather forecast probably kept guests away; there were 6 of us with a capacity of 32.
There are three parking options. First is the parking lot for Flagstaff Lake Hut, about 2 miles of easy walking to Flagstaff plus 11.7 miles from there to Grand Falls.
Second is parking along Long Falls Dam Road near "big eddy", a popular camping area along the Dead River which is on the Northern Canoe Trail. From here it is 8.1 miles to Grand Falls hut.
Third possibility is to drive up Dead River Road, a gravel logging road, about 1 1/4 miles to an area with space to park alongside the road (keep well off the road as this is an active logging area). It is 6.9 miles to the hut from here.
It is also possible to paddle downstream from either Big Eddy or from the third parking area described above. This is quickwater but at high water, as it was this visit, I would not like the thought of paddling upstream. Maine Huts and Trails has a landing/dock and this is about 2 1/2 miles from the hut. It may be preferable to land a kayak at a small inlet about 15 yards upstream from the dock.
We hiked from the third parking area and sure 'nuff, were stalled by a thunderstorm that blew through in about a half hour. It was a pleasant walk, some along the river, some through meadows, some along the ski trail. A new bridge crosses the Dead River but from there the signage leaves a lot to be desired.
The first choice is whether to stay on the ski trail, a longer and less interesting route, or take an immediate right after crossing the aforesaid bridge (easy to miss this trail) to a scramble high above the falls which were magnificent on this day.
Next you come to a snowmobile bridge across Spencer Stream, route of the Northern Canoe Trail. Immediately to the right of this bridge is a parking area for paddlers and rafters doing the whitewater trip from here to The Forks. This logging road is Enchanted Road from rt. 201.
Again you have a choice, take the ski trail (which detours back down to the river in summer) or stay on the river trail which in about 3/4 mile rises away from the river to a service road a couple hundred yards from the hut.
I painstakingly describe this in detail because the signage is poor as of this writing and between the river trail, ski trail, logging roads and snowmobile trails it may be possible to wander well off the route without realizing it.
Having said that, the hospitality, good food and sociable guests made the wet trip worthwhile.
On the way out the puddles were deeper and some of those meadows were flooded, not from the river but just from the fact that they're level and don't drain well. We learned that the day after we hiked out the trails were closed due to flooding but everything is so high above the river crest that I was surprised at this.
