Mt. Abraham, ME

[askus3]

Has anyone got a good photo album for climbing up Mt. Abraham in Maine via the Fire Warden Trail from Kingfield and an accompanying hike report? Can be any season. Also driving directions.

 

[spencer]

Hi Aaron,

It's not a thorough photo album and I'm too lazy to have written a full report, but here are some pics from a few weekends ago.

Do you have a Gazetteer? If not, get ahold of one. From Rt. 27/16 (northbound) in Kingfield, take a left onto West Kingfield Rd. right after the center of town. Follow it to the end of the pavement (maybe 3.5 miles) and it'll take a sharp right. After about another 2 miles, it'll take a sharp left and go over two small bridges. If you go a bit farther, you'll come to a T and on the far side of the T is where the Firewarden's Tr. starts (option 1). You can turn right there and keep going for a mile or so and take your first left. that road will cross the Firewarden's Trail (option 2), where you can take a right to head towards the cabin.

When Tramper Al, Weatherman, GO and I were there a few weeks ago, we were able to drive to the T. We followed the 2nd option, taking the road which offered more views and is the same distance as option 1. GO said usually you can only drive as far as the 2 bridges in the winter.

good luck...

spencer

 

[weatherman]

great route

This one was one of my all time favorites. Nice length, just enough exposure to keep things interesting, and VFTT like no other. Course it helps to have as good company as I enjoyed...
But do be careful not to drive into the river.
Weatherman

 

[Raymond]

Good directions, as ususal, from Spencer. The road beyond the first trailhead is narrow, you may scrape your car if you encounter another vehicle along it.

Also, when you reach the firewarden's cabin, the trail takes a sharp left. It wasn't obvious when we were there, September 2002.

The upper part of the mountain is open rock. The trail stands out because the rocks delineating the trail seem to be stained brown, while the other rocks are gray.

Didn't have a digital camera at that time, and I don't have a scanner now, so I'm afraid I can't share any photos.

 

[Crusoe]

You can stay in the old Fire Wardens Cabin

if you want to. My son and I have gone up several times in the winter. There is an old wood stove there and someone has banged together some bunk beds. Its still pretty drafty so don't expect much heat. The old spring is behind the camp.

The trail is used enough in the winter so you probably will not have to break trail going in unless you hike right after a big snow storm.

There is a fair amount of back road you will have to hike over in the winter because they are not plowed. Snowmobiles use them too in the winter. We usually ski in on these roads and then switch to snowshoes when we leave the road.

I do not have lat. & longs for the trail but if you need a map on of the trail the book "50 Hikes In the Maine Mountains" has one.

There is a small room made of piled rocks and a wood roof next to the old tower. If you look you will find it. This was used by the old Watchmen in case of a thunderstorm. My son has also slept overnight in that also but I don’t recommend it.

Now a question for you. What’s with this Junior and senior member crap beside peoples names when they post? I just got on this site but I’ve have been climbing mountains around Maine for over 40 years. I worked in the Fire tower on Bigelow for the Maine Forest Service in the 70’s and have not been call a junior anything for some time.

 

[askus3]

First a thank you for your responses. They are helpful.
Second, a clarification as to why I wanted this thread. I am planning a trip this summer and I was up there back in 1981. My plan this time is to hike in from the AT hwose route did not exist then but some in my group may want to go up the Firewarden trail, so I wanted directions since my memory is vague and as you can see we had to cross Rapid Stream via a cable. I am impressed that the cabin is there at all as it was in dilapidated shape back then. I am also surprised the fire tower is there. It looks to be in the same shape as it was back in 1981. And even the rock shelter is still there - WOW!
Now for my pictures from 1981 - another trip back in time scanned for all to enjoy. This photo log is now finished. See: these photos

 

[spencer]

Great pictures, Aaron! Thanks for that trip back in time...

I miss tube socks.

I thought the roof which now covers the low rock shelter (which you'd be hard pressed to get into this time of year b/c it was mostly buried) was the roof from the old fire tower. only the lower stucture of the tower is there (i.e. no platform or roof remains).

I blame my Swedish wife

there are worse things

spencer

 

[Stan]

We hiked that several years ago when the road was washed out and had to park back around where the pavement ended. We arranged a drop off at Sugarloaf and hiked up the ski trails to Spaulding Shelter and returned to the car via Abraham. It was the 4th of July and somewhere below the fire warden's cabin we found a very pleasant clearcut where we decided to sleep under the stars, watch the fireworks in Kingfield and hope that passing moose had good night vision.

 

[The Sikes]

Abraham in ME

I do if you want them. I keep notes and pics of all our trips.

 

[dms]

Askus3, thanks for the photo of the cable crossing! I first did this peak in 1983 and crossed the river using the cable. It was a Saturday of the Labor Day weekend, sunny and warm, and I did not see one other person on this great mountain the entire day!