Mt Cabot In Winter

[DayTrip]

I have Mt Cabot yet to be done on my Winter 4k list and had a few questions pertaining to Winter access.

1)The Gate. I've read many threads about the Summer hikes and they all seem to relate to the dreaded "gate" and when it opens, whether it's locked or not, etc. (The one other time I did Cabot I came in from the North via Mill Brook Road so I haven't dealt with all the shenanigans of the gate). So my question is whether the gate is permanently locked in Winter and their is a road walk involved or if all the gate issues apply in Winter as well (what time does it get unlocked, is it really locked or faux-locked, how late is it open, etc). If anyone can shed some light on the process in Winter it would be helpful.

2)Cabot is pretty far from my house (involved 8.5 hours of driving when I did as a day trip in the Summer) so I will likely stay somewhere in Gorham or Berlin and try and do Waumbek as well while I am up there. Any recommendations on a reasonable affordable and clean hotel or motel in the area would also be appreciated. Will it be difficult to secure a reservation in that area around Christmas time? I will hopefully be doing this midweek Christmas week if everything falls right.

3)I assume there is probably just one route most people use, which looks to be Bunnell Notch Trail. Is there anything I should know about that route in terms of following, features, etc? I generally prefer to have done a route in Summer before I do for the first time in Winter so I am familiar with it but I will not have had that luxury this time. If there are any tricky spots I should be aware of to note on my map it would be helpful. I've seen the Horn already and likely will just be doing this in the shortest and quickest manner possible. The last time I did it was cloudy and poured off and on so I got zero views. I will be trying to do this hike on a nice day.

Thanks in advance.

 

[peakbagger]

The gate is generally plowed in the open position in the winter. There are private homes adjacent to the gate on the very rare chance its locked. The only reason it would be locked if there has been a recent issue of vandalism at the fish hatchery. It really slows down a plow driver to have to open a gate so its stays open. The road is plowed to the Bunnell Notch trail head, it can get real icy in the winter and some folks get going too fast and end up in the ditch. This is a very popular route, generally broken out soon after a storm. There is less use of the loop over to Unknown Pond via the KRT (but it does get a lot of use). It would be real hard to get lost although the ridgeline from the cabin viewpoint to the summit sign can drift in with snow and there are several spots where the trail will not be obvious, its not really an issue just head north along the high point and it will reappear. The one caveat is that the summit sign is not the summit, Keep walking north from the sign about 50 feet and you are there to what seems to be the agreed upon high point (a whooping 5' higher ? than at the sign) .

There are no chain hotels in the area. Dirt cheap is Hikers Paradise the AT hikers hostel in Gorham. Its an old apartment, clean is a relative thing. It has the basics for someone who is probably getting into town late and leaving early in the AM, bring a sleeping bag. It has group kitchen and fridge with shared bathroom. Mt Madison in Gorham is popular with VFTT folks but is closed for the winter. The other options are Town and Country in Shelburne, its popular with group tours so it can get loud plus lots of snowmachine traffic behind the building. The place is kind of dated but they do have a inhouse restaurant. The Royalty Inn in Gorham has a modern section and a more traditional strip motel but no restaurant (several nearby). There are zero hotels/motels or hostels in Berlin. If we get lots of snow the two local hotels can be busy but not something you need to make weeks in advance. Worst case the Cabot Inn in Lancaster is open in the winter and really doesn't get lot of business except snowmobile.

Waumbek is a good second day hike hwne driving home, Its very popular and generally packed out soon after a storm. On sunny day the lower hardwood section can get quite warm. Make sure you go the extra 100 feet and check out the view from the blowdown patch past Waumbek. There is a winter parking lot on the south side of RT 2. The FS doesn't plow the summer lot or its approach road and parking on the public driveway accessing the summer trailhead is regarded as poor etiquette (even though there are plenty of clods who do it).

 

[DayTrip]

Waumbek is a good second day hike hwne driving home, Its very popular and generally packed out soon after a storm. On sunny day the lower hardwood section can get quite warm. Make sure you go the extra 100 feet and check out the view from the blowdown patch past Waumbek. There is a winter parking lot on the south side of RT 2. The FS doesn't plow the summer lot or its approach road and parking on the public driveway accessing the summer trailhead is regarded as poor etiquette (even though there are plenty of clods who do it).

Thanks. Funny, I have only done Waumbek once too and it was that Memorial Day Monday where we got that freak 8 inch snow storm so I feel like I've already done it in Winter. Zero views that day too so I didn't bother going ahead to the outlook. Was quite the interesting drive up the access road. I had to stop and turn around because all the trees were bent over the road making an ominous cracking noise. I was sure I was going to return to my car crushed under a tree limb. I parked at fork in road and asked some residents in their driveway if where I parked would be an issue (because the WM guide specifies not blocking driveways). They said I'd be fine and I ended with "I imagine I'm going to be the only idiot up there today anyway with this weather". There were about 40 cars on the way out all over the road pretty much everywhere there wasn't a driveway opening. So much for that!

Regarding the Bunnell Notch trailhead and the recent post by Sierra about cars getting towed, is there a decent lot at that trailhead or is it just a roadside sign? I assume like most trailheads the earlier I get there the better?

 

[Hill Junkie]

When I hiked Cabot in early March this year, the gate was buried in the old-snow bank and looked as though it hadn't moved all winter.

 

[peakbagger]

The Bunnell notch trailhead is plenty wide and they usually open up 4 or 5 spaces off the main road. Some years they use it as turnaround for the plow.

In a normal winter the road up to Waumbek trailhead can get quite narrow (not an issue in early season) I have been up there at times where cars parked along the main road make it darn close to impossible to drive up it. Its mostly plowed for fire purposes and hikers parked along the road make it impossible to get fire equipment up the road. I have seen the road blocked completely twice where someone driving up the road slid off the side and blocked what is left of the travel lane. I have also seen the road to the actual summer trailhead blocked by someone who foolishly drove over the frozen crust in the AM only to sink up their floorpan in the afternoon. In that case anyone parked up hill has to wait until enough hikers get back to clear out their cars. Odds are hikers are going to stop at the store anyhow so why not just park in the winter lot across the street or in the spaces down near the store.?

By the way, I drove into Gorham during lunch and noticed Northern Peaks motel appears to be open this winter. A lot of folks who don't like Hikers Paradise's "charm" during thru hiker season seem to end up at Northern Peaks.

 

[TinCanFury]

DayTrip,

Did you go up yet? Some friends are discussing trying to do the Waumbek/Cabot traverse this weekend, and I'm wondering how the conditions are in the area?

 

[DayTrip]

DayTrip,

Did you go up yet? Some friends are discussing trying to do the Waumbek/Cabot traverse this weekend, and I'm wondering how the conditions are in the area?

Planning for Christmas Week so no idea on the conditions. There appears to have been a lot of snow up there looking at MWOBS and other trip reports so I'd suspect it could be a challenging trip for you as others have discussed lugging overnight packs, snowshoes, etc. I am not familiar with the stretch between Waumbek and Cabot. I have done very limited hiking in that area and all in bad weather.