Date of Hike: 03/26/2011
Trail Conditions: Snow with infrequent bare patches towards the start. Snow consisted of a few inches of powder on top of hard-packed snow.
Special Equipment Required: Snowshoes and poles recommended.
Comments:
Ask for permission at the Philbrook Farm Inn to park in the lower lot. If uncertain where to park, then ask the innkeepers. I've never been turned away, but it's always polite to ask.
The trail heads west on an obvious tote road with some bare stretches here. It bends northward passing a few houses/cottages/cabins. In ~.25 miles the junction of the Red and Blue trails is encountered. Head left for the Red Trail. Not much further ahead is a junction where the remnants of a metal trash can hang from a tree. Head right to continue on the Red Trail. Further ahead is a confusing turn in the trail. Where the trail appears to continue on an unmaintained woods road, take a left across a brook. Just keep following the red blazes. From here, the trail angles upward with a brief respite before the final ascent to Cabot.
Before the peak is a signed trail that heads left to the Cabot-Ingalls col and the Scudder Trail. The blazes from here to Ingalls are orange. The trail heads down and is confusing at first. At this time of year, follow the swath, orange blazes, and orange flagging to the saddle where there will be Shelburne Trails Club signs for Ingalls and Cabot.
At the sag, head up again and enjoy the views from the lower ledges before the trail turns right. There are significant bare stretches here which can be avoided by bushwhacking on the right through the woods. The trail winds through the forest. In a couple of places, there are surprisingly steep pitches. At the last of these steep ascents, the trail flattens out on the quarter mile long trek to the peak. Here the trail meanders left on the upper ledges and hooks right to the summit in the trees. The orange-blazed trail continues past the summit sign for a short distance to Ray's Pond.
Return to Cabot the same way. At the junction with the Red Trail, turn left instead of right (the way of the ascent). There is an opening near the Cabot summit with views towards Maine. Continue following the blazes of the Blue Trail. There are yellow and orange blazes abound, but always follow blue. In some spots, it is recommended to slide down. Once off the steep upper section, the trail gradually descends and takes a more southerly approach to where it reconnects with the Red Trail at the beginning.
I'll wrap this up with odds 'n ends. Both the AMC White Mountain Guide 26th Edition and the Garmin Northeast 24k data suggested this trip would be ~4 miles roundtrip. My GPS measured it at 6.7 miles. Thanks to the STC for their work. A link to pictures and a file readable by Google Earth have been included. WARNING: For the faint of heart, one picture contains the representation of the number 15 in binary by human fingers.
Pictures
https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=49224&id=100000720654864&l=fe07ebb7b2
Trail Conditions: Snow with infrequent bare patches towards the start. Snow consisted of a few inches of powder on top of hard-packed snow.
Special Equipment Required: Snowshoes and poles recommended.
Comments:
Ask for permission at the Philbrook Farm Inn to park in the lower lot. If uncertain where to park, then ask the innkeepers. I've never been turned away, but it's always polite to ask.
The trail heads west on an obvious tote road with some bare stretches here. It bends northward passing a few houses/cottages/cabins. In ~.25 miles the junction of the Red and Blue trails is encountered. Head left for the Red Trail. Not much further ahead is a junction where the remnants of a metal trash can hang from a tree. Head right to continue on the Red Trail. Further ahead is a confusing turn in the trail. Where the trail appears to continue on an unmaintained woods road, take a left across a brook. Just keep following the red blazes. From here, the trail angles upward with a brief respite before the final ascent to Cabot.
Before the peak is a signed trail that heads left to the Cabot-Ingalls col and the Scudder Trail. The blazes from here to Ingalls are orange. The trail heads down and is confusing at first. At this time of year, follow the swath, orange blazes, and orange flagging to the saddle where there will be Shelburne Trails Club signs for Ingalls and Cabot.
At the sag, head up again and enjoy the views from the lower ledges before the trail turns right. There are significant bare stretches here which can be avoided by bushwhacking on the right through the woods. The trail winds through the forest. In a couple of places, there are surprisingly steep pitches. At the last of these steep ascents, the trail flattens out on the quarter mile long trek to the peak. Here the trail meanders left on the upper ledges and hooks right to the summit in the trees. The orange-blazed trail continues past the summit sign for a short distance to Ray's Pond.
Return to Cabot the same way. At the junction with the Red Trail, turn left instead of right (the way of the ascent). There is an opening near the Cabot summit with views towards Maine. Continue following the blazes of the Blue Trail. There are yellow and orange blazes abound, but always follow blue. In some spots, it is recommended to slide down. Once off the steep upper section, the trail gradually descends and takes a more southerly approach to where it reconnects with the Red Trail at the beginning.
I'll wrap this up with odds 'n ends. Both the AMC White Mountain Guide 26th Edition and the Garmin Northeast 24k data suggested this trip would be ~4 miles roundtrip. My GPS measured it at 6.7 miles. Thanks to the STC for their work. A link to pictures and a file readable by Google Earth have been included. WARNING: For the faint of heart, one picture contains the representation of the number 15 in binary by human fingers.
Pictures
https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=49224&id=100000720654864&l=fe07ebb7b2
