mt cardigan holt trail, is it really that tuff?

[IQuest]

Well now I know.

So we tackled the Holt Tr yesterday after a nice 12 mile warm up in 80 degree weather. The upper ledges were a steep climb and there was only one or two spots that were a bit dicey. (The pictures in this thread show them but don't do enough justice.) There were numerous spots that could cause a slip if wet and I don't think I would bother with this trail in icy conditions. At no time did I feel like I would fall to my death although a slip would most likely lead to a skinned knee. Most of the ledge is rough and some what grippy. My worn treads on my leather boots worked fine. Marlie needed some guidance but made it up under her own power. She really had to dig in on a few spots and I would spot her from below. A dog could find themselves in a dangerous position if they stray away from the trail.

One of the toughest in New England? I guess it would depend on how many trails you included. I would not place it in the top 5.

Maddy- The West Ridge Tr is in excellent shape. Wide and well blazed. There is some mud but there are plenty of rocks to step on to avoid it.

 

[Stan]

About 15 years ago I hiked down that trail without a second thought. A few years later, on a gray frigid late November Day, I hiked up with a friend who had faithfully followed my example of freezing my spare bottle of water in the summer so it would be ice cold by the time I started drinking it ... I think the biggest hazard of that hike up Holt was that I couldn't stop laughing ...

Of course, that was all before I'd read on the internet that it was a tuff trail ... and I was a lot younger then ...