[The Horn, North Peak]

[Raymond]

This 3000-footer, the sub-peak of The Horn — The Horn near Saddleback Mountain in Maine, not The Horn near Cabot Mountain in New Hampshire — did it used to have a trail?

I climbed Saddleback, The Horn, and Saddleback Junior on Wednesday, and when I returned to The Horn on my way back, walked in the direction of its unnamed north peak. I was surprised to see at least two cairns, each with old blue paint on it, which made me think there must have been a trail out there at one time. I didn’t see any sign of a trail continuing past the second cairn, and I didn’t want to take the time to check it out or try to bushwhack all the way to the north peak (I know, leave no stragglers ... ), but was wondering if there could be possibly have been a trail.

 

[Dennis C.]

Raymond, the 3772' peak gets a considerable amount of traffic considering it's on the NE 3000 list and probably has the makings of a herd path, at least part of the way.

 

[Raymond]

That’s the one. But why would there be old blue paint on rocks, is what I’m wondering. Blue is the color for side paths to the Appalachian Trail, so it seems like there must have been an official trail there at one time.

I guess it didn’t necessarily go to the north peak, though; just off of The Horn.

Note that in the distance in the first picture, there appears to be a third cairn, although it was just one rock sitting on another. I didn’t check it out too closely to see if it had paint, also.

 

[John H Swanson]

The blue paint might be marking the boundary of the ski area land ??

 

[Raymond]

I don’t think so. The 2005 AMC Rangeley-Stratton map shows federal land covering The Horn right out across the north peak. Federal land that is not the Navy land, that is, though that is there, too.