Saddleback And Abraham In Maine

[Kyle D]

I'd say the Saddleback ridge walk is the most impressive then - most above tree line time. The Spaulding-Abraham Ridge is incredibly soft, gentle, and relatively flat. I really enjoyed it, but it's mostly all wooded until you get to within .5 mile of Abraham. Bigelow Peaks are awesome but relatively short (few tenths of a mile on each) above tree line time. Enjoy. Awesome area and great time of year to be heading there.

 

[JustJoe]

Yes I went ahead and ordered this map based on someone else's recommendation. Can't wait to receive it and check the area out in more detail.

Sorry, I read through quickly and didn't see it mentioned. In that case I'll just give a preview.

 

[Stan]

The Bigelow Range begs for the loop which takes you over So. Horn with a short spur over to No. Horn before Avery and West Peak. That is a good ridgeline, much exposed.

Did not realize Middle Abraham dropped off the list and that it is now a bushwhack from the AT. Well, its still the same mountain with all the features it ever had. IMNSH opinion, it is preferable to enjoy each mountain and each hike for its own merits regardless of the "list" ... that's just an incidental bragging right to good hiking. We always enjoyed going back to an area and on each trip usually spend time scouting out access and trailheads to future adventures ... and paddles.

So folks, take a short trip over to Middle Abraham and repack that trail ... bushwhacks are a whole 'nuther pleasure!

 

[peakbagger]

Years ago when lists mattered to me there was the final round of active logging on the upper reaches of the mountain. They did a large clearcut just south of the Firewardens trail on the east side. We were in my friends station wagon and saw a very good logging road running just north of the trail and decided to drive up it. We eventually saw another road heading south and we saw a rock cairn where the firewardens trail crossed. We kept going and came out on a large fresh clearcut. We could see the summit and Middle Abraham so we just parked and cut over to the trail and hiked to summit. I expect we cut out 1000 feet of elevation and mile of trail. Once on top we headed over through the scrub patches along the ridge to Middle Abraham. It was nice fall day with great views. About half way over we met a lady in her late sixties who was solo bushwhacking from the west side. She joined us at the summit and we pointed out our car down below in the clearcut and offered her to give her a ride back to her car. It was an easy bushwack down to the car. She was working on her hundred highest after finishing the second half of thru hike the year before. We then headed down and around the mountain which is a long drive and then she started giving us directions up logging roads. She had driven up brand new logging roads that morning that were just being built all the way to the end. It was tangle of roads and a fairly large area that looked like it would get cut that winter. This was pre GPS and her plans were to just head down a compass bearing from the summit and hopefully hit her car. It was starting to get dark by the time we got there.

 

[JustJoe]

The Bigelow Range begs for the loop which takes you over So. Horn with a short spur over to No. Horn before Avery and West Peak. That is a good ridgeline, much exposed.

I came up with a loop of sorts when I did The Horns, since I didn't do them with Avery and West and wanted a longer day. Did this clockwise. Cranberry Peak is a gem!

 

[ChrisB]

.... She had driven up brand new logging roads that morning that were just being built all the way to the end. It was tangle of roads and a fairly large area that looked like it would get cut that winter. This was pre GPS and her plans were to just head down a compass bearing from the summit and hopefully hit her car. It was starting to get dark by the time we got there.

When HammerD and I did Middle Abe we saw all those nice logging roads down the BarJum side of the hill and assumed we could just walk around Middle back to the base of the Fire Wardens trail where out car was. NOT!!

After descending to Barjum and wandering among the maze of roads and log yards for a few hours we went back to the top of Middle and retraced the bushwack to Abe. Got to the car at dark.

It's your assumptions that get you in trouble .

 

[VinnieG]

Saddleback is great for the ridge walk. This is from Wednesday, lot of minarure blue berries ripe on the saddle. Was In the clouds most of the morning. Awesome views of the lakes from up there. The trail up the ski slope is not bad either.

 

[DayTrip]

Really looking forward to this one. I got my map from Mountain Wanderer in yesterday and it is excellent so I can starts some real preparation now.

 

[Lefty E]

Did I hear or mishear that Caribou Pond Rd is closed weekdays for logging but open on weekends?? Or missed the info in the above posts??

 

[egilbe]

Did I hear or mishear that Caribou Pond Rd is closed weekdays for logging but open on weekends?? Or missed the info in the above posts??

Caribou Valley Road is closed. It leads to Caribou pond, but there is a bridge that's gated off if you are coming from Rt 27.

 

[rup]

Did Saddleback and via the ski trails - on right facing up. Ridge walk to the Horn. And back. Really hot that day, and very little shade on the ski trail. Gave a lot of food to theu hiikers at the Saddleback summit carn.

Entered Abe via road thru Barnjum and then to AT. Quite a ride! Gerry Largay, a thru hiker, disappeared just W of there in 2013 - body found 2-3 years later ~ 1/2 mile from AT.

http://thebollard.com/2016/07/04/m-i-a-on-the-a-t-no-escape/

 

[Red Oak]

Did Saddleback and via the ski trails - on right facing up. Ridge walk to the Horn. And back. Really hot that day, and very little shade on the ski trail. Gave a lot of food to theu hiikers at the Saddleback summit carn.

Entered Abe via road thru Barnjum and then to AT. Quite a ride! Gerry Largay, a thru hiker, disappeared just W of there in 2013 - body found 2-3 years later ~ 1/2 mile from AT.

http://thebollard.com/2016/07/04/m-i-a-on-the-a-t-no-escape/

Nice job on the Barnjum way. Thats been on my buck list for years. I believe it was washed out for years?[6-8 years ago, not sure] Interesting story on Gerry Largay. Liked the first half, not sure about the second. Seems writer is a little paranoid maybe. The misleading[ not intentional, imho] phone call about her location was a big factor at the start of the search which put wardens in the wrong location. Also within law enforcement circles up around Stratton at the time of the search it was common knowledge she was having possible issues with mental health and depression. This is info I was personally told at the Stratton motel a few months later by someone who knew what was going on with the search. The search was very concentrated around Abraham and Spaulding initially due to faulty info at the start. The search seemed to never recover from these initial tragic mishaps. To continue the blame game and point fingers at the wardens or NCIS is pointless....