Mosquito Mtn -access?

[buckyball1]

Hi-Can anyone help me with trailhead directions for Mosquito Mtn near Moxie Pond in Maine? I can see in my Gazetteer that i can follow Lake Moxie Rd from the Forks off 201 to Troutdale Rd which goes down the west side of Moxie Pond past the mountain, but it's not clear where the trail up Mosquito might be. Any thoughts on condition of the two roads as i have a small, low clearance vehicle (Prizm)--many thanks---jim

 

[g o]

lake moxie road is paved. troutdale road is a dirt road but passable with any car.

the AT crossing is fairly easy to spot.

 

[Papa Bear]

Directions are given in North Woods Walks by Christopher Keene:

From the Forks: The Forks are located 23.5 North of Bingham on U.S. 201. When you see the sign for the rest area, turn onto this road and continue for appropximately 5.8 miles (passing Moxie Falls at 1.8 miles) to the diminutive village of Lake Moxie and Moxie Pond itself. Begin new mileage. Turn right onto a narrow dirt road for another 1.7 miles. Look for a red blaze in the shape of bear paws on a boulder on the right-hand side of the road. This is the trailhead. Also immediately across the road is a camp.

Note that his map shows this rest area dirt road turning right off of 201 (as you head north) just as 201 bears left across the Kennebec. DeLorme has this as Lake Moxie Road.

We had no trouble finding Moxie Falls last May so you should be able to find the road. Lake Moxie (town) is also in DeLorme and the narrow dirt road which he refers is Troutdale Road wich goes along the Lake.

I guess most of this you already know.

The trail begins approximatel a straight shot NE of the mountain. About here. The camp he mentions may be that little black square on the map.

It's a good book. If you hike in the area you should get a hold of it.

 

[buckyball1]

PB--many thanks-sounds 'easy' --I live in the Bangor, ME area now and am scouting some smaller/fun hikes to try between more strenuous excursions--jim

 

[Nate]

I just hiked Mosquito this past weekend, and it did prove to be a fun, easy hike, with lovely, expansive views waiting at the top. For the trailhead, according to my odometer it's actually 2.0 miles from the junction of Lake Moxie and Troutdale Roads (approaching from the north the trail starts at a point past where the ATV/old logging road turns off to the west north of the moutain, as well as just past where the powerlines abut the road). At first I was even unsure if I was at the correct place for the trailhead, since the red bear paw blaze on the boulder is so faded it is difficult to tell what it is. However, after finding that the trail didn't immediately peter out I felt more reassured, and once I encountered more bear paw blazes I definitively knew it was the trail. After returning from the summit I built a cairn at the trailhead to make it easier for others to find it, but since some of the rocks were precariously balanced I'm not sure how long it will last. Plus, please note that when I was there Troutdale Road hadn't been graded in awhile (a very common theme that weekend), so it was pothole city for much of its length, but otherwise quite drivable for just about all cars. Just overall it proved to be an enjoyable mountain to hike, as opposed to that day's other venture, Moxie Mountain.