Old Speck & Baldplate - First Snow!

[bobandgeri]

Headed to Bethel Maine Friday night - finally found the campground we were looking for after passing it twice :< Woke to temps in the 30's and headed up to Grafton Notch. Saturday we tackled Old Speck and were delighted to fins snow on the summit! We ascended via the Old Speck trail and descended via the Eyebrow trail. By the afternoon the weather cleared giving way to blue skies. It is possible we saw Mt Katahdin ??

Sunday we returned to the same parking lot, this time crossing Rte 26 and heading up to Baldplate. The summit was in the clouds with temps in the 30's and very windy. The trail gets very steep from just past the Baldplate Leanto site to the summit of West Peak. Trail over to East peak had some icey spots that needed care - slowed us down a bit but no issues.

Pics and more details on our Web Page:
http://rbhayes.net/latesthike.html

 

[poison ivy]

I enjoyed the pictures! I've been trying to decide whether to hike Baldpate next or save it until next year. It looked so pretty with the rime ice... now I think I'll head up sooner, rather than later!

- Ivy

 

[bobandgeri]

It was a fun hike - one we hope to go back and do this Winter. FYI - if you decided to take a side trip to Table Rock - do it on your return trip. The blue trail is fairly easy over to Table Rock. The orange trail which starts .1 miles from Route 26 goes straight up from underneath it.

 

[alpinista]

How long a trip is it (in approx. hours)? Looks like a really nice hike.

 

[bobandgeri]

Baldplate was 2 1/2 hours to reach the summit - this included some time to avoid ice spots. On the return we made side trips over to the Baldplate Leanto and Table Rock where we ate lunch. We were back to our car in a little less than 6 hours. Skippign the side trips we would have been just under 5 hours.

 

[Craig Harris]

Baldpate

Thinking of hiking the 10 mile stretch from rte 26 grafton notch to the next road(?) while staying at the lean to half way on weekend of 11/6&7. Any thoughts out there?

 

[alpinista]

Ivy -- what say you and me try to bag this baby this winter, after the AMC winter hiking course??? Just tell the newspaper you need consecutive Tuesdays off to attend!

 

[Head]

Great pics! We were up there earlier this fall in the clouds...The jays were a nice treat as well....(didnt like the 'Go Soxs' pics though ....(I'm a Yank fanbut they do look damn good right now!)
Head

 

[rambler]

Craig: I think you are refering to the Frye Notch Lean-to. It sits only a few feet off the trail. It is in a well-protected woddy area close to a stream. After a steep 200' or so next morning you have an easy downhill hike to a paved East Hill Rd. Only a short distance from beautifull Cascade Falls. A blue trail follows the stream down to the road. The AT passes just above the falls. The sign is a bit confusing there. I remember heading down the blue trail by mistake, though it looked like a pretty way down. The Baldpates are great and the trail down off the tree line is steep over rocky ledge. Be careful if wet.

 

[poison ivy]

Ivy -- what say you and me try to bag this baby this winter, after the AMC winter hiking course??? Just tell the newspaper you need consecutive Tuesdays off to attend!

I'm thinking about hiking this one in a couple of weeks... but that doesn't mean I can't return during winter too.

- Ivy

 

[bobandgeri]

If you two gals want company let us know as this is one peak we have indentified we want to hike this Winter.