On Wednesday, the 23rd, I hiked the Crockers and Redington from where the AT crosses Rte. 27. It was ten years to the day since the only other time I'd hiked those mountains. That trip was part of a seven day backpack. This trip was a day hike in the middle of a camping vacation.
This hike is 6.2 miles on the Appalachian Trail followed by a little over a mile bushwhacking (really following a herd path), and then all that in reverse. So about 15 miles total.
The AT south of Rte. 27 is moderately steep, then fairly flat, then somewhat steep up to the summit of North Crocker, which is the high point of the hike. Then it's down and up to South Crocker, which is lower but has better views, and then it's the bushwhack down and up to Redington.
The summit of South Crocker is a short spur off of the AT, and the herd path to Redington is just the continuation of that. This herd path is way easier to follow now than it had been in 2010. Then I had to keep out a sharp eye to puzzle out where it went; now it's an obvious trail. There are only a few tricky parts:
1) When you get to the AT boundary swath turn right onto the swath. The swath will soon turn right itself. Very soon after that the herd path goes off to the left. There's a cairn there.
2) The field is gone; it's overgrown. The herd path pops out of the woods onto the logging road. Of course, if you hadn't hiked it years ago you'd never be looking for a field in the first place.
3) When you get to the logging road, turn left. Go uphill to where the road starts leveling out. The herd path reenters the woods to the right at a cairn there.
4) At the summit you'll see a "Redington 4010" sign. The path going past that sign takes you to the canister. (Which says "Redington 3984".)
5) On the way back, descending Redington, the herd path forks. Take the left fork.
North Crocker, South Crocker, and Redington were numbers 74, 75, and 76 (out of 115) in my quest to reclimb the Northeast 111 in my 60s. I had been ahead of schedule, but because of the pandemic hadn't bagged one since February. This puts me pretty much on schedule again.
Here are the pictures.
--
Cumulus
NE111 in my 50s: 115/115 (67/67, 46/46, 2/2)
NE111 in my 60s: 76/115 (53/67, 21/46, 2/2)
NEFF: 50/50; Cat35: 39/39; WNH4K: 41/48; NEHH 89/100
LT NB 2009; CT NB 2017
"I don't much care where [I get to] --" said Alice, "-- so long as I get somewhere," ...
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
- Lewis Carroll
This hike is 6.2 miles on the Appalachian Trail followed by a little over a mile bushwhacking (really following a herd path), and then all that in reverse. So about 15 miles total.
The AT south of Rte. 27 is moderately steep, then fairly flat, then somewhat steep up to the summit of North Crocker, which is the high point of the hike. Then it's down and up to South Crocker, which is lower but has better views, and then it's the bushwhack down and up to Redington.
The summit of South Crocker is a short spur off of the AT, and the herd path to Redington is just the continuation of that. This herd path is way easier to follow now than it had been in 2010. Then I had to keep out a sharp eye to puzzle out where it went; now it's an obvious trail. There are only a few tricky parts:
1) When you get to the AT boundary swath turn right onto the swath. The swath will soon turn right itself. Very soon after that the herd path goes off to the left. There's a cairn there.
2) The field is gone; it's overgrown. The herd path pops out of the woods onto the logging road. Of course, if you hadn't hiked it years ago you'd never be looking for a field in the first place.
3) When you get to the logging road, turn left. Go uphill to where the road starts leveling out. The herd path reenters the woods to the right at a cairn there.
4) At the summit you'll see a "Redington 4010" sign. The path going past that sign takes you to the canister. (Which says "Redington 3984".)
5) On the way back, descending Redington, the herd path forks. Take the left fork.
North Crocker, South Crocker, and Redington were numbers 74, 75, and 76 (out of 115) in my quest to reclimb the Northeast 111 in my 60s. I had been ahead of schedule, but because of the pandemic hadn't bagged one since February. This puts me pretty much on schedule again.
Here are the pictures.
--
Cumulus
NE111 in my 50s: 115/115 (67/67, 46/46, 2/2)
NE111 in my 60s: 76/115 (53/67, 21/46, 2/2)
NEFF: 50/50; Cat35: 39/39; WNH4K: 41/48; NEHH 89/100
LT NB 2009; CT NB 2017
"I don't much care where [I get to] --" said Alice, "-- so long as I get somewhere," ...
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
- Lewis Carroll
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