ME Peaks - Abraham, Sugarloaf and Spaulding in one day

[slowandsteady]

I searched through the trip reports but only found a few reports addressing all three peaks as a single hike and I think none as a one way. Has any one hiked Abraham, Sugarloaf and Spaulding in a day as a "traverse" using a car spot? Looks like about 13 miles from Firewardens' trail to slide trail to AT to CVR and up/down the various summit spurs with significant elevation gain/loss but doable in late June/early July with the long days. Does any one have a recommendation as to direction (Abraham first or last; AT CVR trail head versus ski trail to save mileage, etc?). Is the Abraham slide trail OK for descending? Any comments/recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[whans]

I did this two years ago, me with 7 and 9 year old boys, spending one night at the spaulding shelter. It was fantastic. We were loaded down, and I wouldn't have wanted to push those kids any more than that, but it was great. We spotted the car on Caribou rd instead of Sugarloaf, because there was a chance of thuinderstorms in the forecast and we didn't want to be compelled to go up and over the open Sugarloaf summit. As it turned out, the weather was fine and we went up Sugarloaf without packs anyway. The drop down off the back of Sugarloaf into Caribou valley was really cool, though-- very steep plunge with yawning views down into the river valley... and we swam in the river at the bottom...so consider that instead of the ski area if you want to avoid civilization on the way out. Caribou Valley rd is a little rough, but we did it fine in a volvo. There was no sign where the AT crosses the road, however...we missed it at first. Look for a couple of parking spaces carved out on either side of the road and a very prominent white blaze on a rock on the left side of the road where the trail crosses. You see this easily if you look to the side.

The summit of spaulding is fully treed, but Abraham has miles above the treeline... a nice ridge walk beyond the summit. As I remember there's a really nice lunch spot just off of the left side of the AT, just before the Sugarloaf spur trail branches off.

 

[SteveHiker]

as long as you can find the trailheads, it sounds doable to me. I was with a group last August that was going to do this, but we got lost on the way to Abraham to setup the carspot (the directions in the Maine Mountain Guide leave a lot to be desired). The AT crossing on CVR is sometimes overgrown this time of year and can be easliy missed as well.

 

[David Metsky]

The AT crossing on CVR is sometimes overgrown this time of year and can be easliy missed as well.

The road goes to hell right after the AT crossing. They'll notice it.

I know Seeker did it as and out and back from the CR, and it made for a pretty long day, but doable. I had plans of doing it as a traverse starting at the ski area, but we started too late and just did Sugarloaf and Spaulding and back.

Getting to the trailhead at Abraham is a bit confusing, but as long as you find the fork where you cross the river on two bridges you'll be fine.

-dave-

 

[Double Bow]

I tried going to the Abraham trailhead this Memorial Day Weekend. The directions we had were OK but, one of the bridges looked way too risky and so, since we didn't have time to add a roadwalk, we scrapped that plan.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I know this isn't what you asked, but ... unless you're really pressed for time, I'd do them as two separate hikes and they're well-worth savoring.

For Sugarloaf and Spaulding, I like to spot a car at the ski area and then start from the CRV road. The climb up is steep, rough, challenging and alot of fun! And, as you skirt the top of the glacial cirque it's pretty spectacular as it falls away to the right. When you get to ridge, turn right to do and over and back to Spaulding and then head down over the ski area. Usually I'm not a big fan of ski areas as the trails are too steep for hiking comfort but make an exception here, as the views across the valley of the Bigelows are excellent, especially if you do in the fall during foliage season. And Abraham has a very interesting & extensive alpine zone, especially if done via the Firewarden's trail.

OTH - if you're just peakbagging and only intent on grinding them out, then doing three in a day from either direction is doable, if long.

 

[bill bowden]

Abraham is worth a day to itself

The Fire Warden trail on Abraham is pretty good even if you must park on the road before the official trailhead, offers nice views. There is a not too bad bushwhack to the open summit of Middle Abraham, formerly a NEHH peak, and a reputedly rigoroous bushwhack to the open S. summit of Abraham, a NE3K peak. Unless you are seriously in need of summiting the NE 4000 footers, give Abraham a day of it's own for the views and the alpine environment. In particular, it is a fantastic peak on a fall day.

 

[Mike P.]

I did the three out & back from the Sugarloaf resort back in 1997. CVR was impassable to my rental car at the time. They done some work to it & it was drivable to a Forester beyond the AT last year.

I would definitely leave Abraham for last, the view of the Bigelow's from Sugarloaf is nice but the ski area isn't what I'd call scenic. Abraham's summit area is covered in rocks, very Northern Presidential-ish, except for Katahdin, no other ME peak IMO is really like that on top.

IMO Abraham may be one of the most under appreciated peaks. In ME, you hear more about the peaks in BSP, the Bigelows & Saddleback. Abraham & Saddleback on my repeat list ahead of the Bigelows at this point. (Done the Bigelows 2x, Abraham & Saddleback just once)

Sugarloaf is the only ski area I've climbed up & down in summer. Trails designed to generate speed on skis are not really hiker friendly for grades.

 

[amstony]

I suggest doing them separate on a CLEAR day, but if you decide to do them all at once start with Abraham and then go over to Spaulding and then Sugarloaf. Spot a car at CVR and/or in the Sugarloaf lot and one at Abe's trailhead. Start with Abe since the views are amongst the best , and then go over to Spaulding- no views, and finish up with Sugarloaf, where the views are awesome, minus the development on the peak.

If your beat or running low on daylight you can descend the ski trail or if you have time and spotted a 3rd car you can go out the AT route to CVR. Driving the CVR in darkness or twilight can be an interesting experience. Also the Abraham trailhead sign was torn down and burned by vandals late last Summer, not sure if it is back up.

If you go up via this route you can avoid descending from Abraham at the end of what is a long day. Then going down a short but somewhat ocassionally steep slide and then slogging out to your car.

However, I agree with Kevin. Do Abe and Sugarloaf separate and tag Spaulding on one of them as a peakbagger visit!

 

[RoySwkr]

I've done the 3 as a loop from CV Road, Sugarloaf first which was a trash heap, over to Abraham, follow old trail/skid roads down from Spaulding leanto and road walk to car. The problem with spotting a car is the slow driving around.

 

[askus3]

I have done the three peaks as part of my AT series of dayhikes southbound. Yes, they can be done in a reasonable 13.3 mile hike. What we did was dropped a car off at the Perham Stream Road crossing of the AT the night before. E-mail me for directions to this location. I believe some thread on VFTT I wrote out the directions. Then the morning of the hike I drove in Caribou Valley Road and hiked north to south, using the three spur trails to get to the three summits. The next day, I hiked the AT southbound from ME 16/27 to Caribou Valley Road including a spur bushwack from South Crocker to Redington. So only after that hike I retrieved my car from Caribou Valley road. So we never had to do all this monstrous car shuttling as part of the day of hiking. If you send me your e-mail address, i will be more than glad to send you my complete trip report, directions to Perham Stream and time statistics for this hike. Also, for some info all photos are labelled and you can get a feel of this hike by viewing my photo album here

 

[slowandsteady]

Thanks!

Thanks for all of the responses - great advice/recommendations. We will scout out the various trailheads on our way back to NH from Baxter at the end of next week. We could go either way as to one long hike or two shorter ones. The only drawback to two separate hikes is all the extra time driving to the area.

Aaron, I'll send you a PM with email address. Great photos, except for the snake shots on S. Crocker.

 

[lx93]

My vote would be to do Abraham last for the reason that it's VERY wet between the trailhead & where the trail breaks out into treeline.

My vote would also be to go up the Sugarloaf ski slope to avoid CVR, which IMHO is the worst tote road of all that I travelled on in bagging the NE 67.

I would also ditto the comments about the AT being VERY difficult to find & not well-marked- I just remembered parking being on the RH side of the road either right before or right after it, and there was only space for 8(?) cars.