Bigelow: Cranberry Pk and Peak above Horns Pond 11/14

This terrific trip has made me an even more ardent advocate of climbing 3000 fters! I'm not sure I would have ever wandered out to Cranberry Pk if it weren't on " the list" - the Maine Mountain Guide only mentions it briefly (it's not even close to 4000 ft, but what a gem!).
After a flat first 2 miles on the AT, the elevation gain begins and there are wonderful views through the open forest of the Bigelow Range ahead and of Sugarloaf and the Crockers behind. The Bigelow Range Tr in this section was strewn with hundreds of huge erractic boulders, some nearly house-sized. Cranberry Pond at 2400' was wild, beautiful, and nearly frozen over. The summit of Cranberry Pk is completely open and the Peak above Horns Pond has a large rocky outcropping with both allowing views far into the wilds of northern ME. Lots of blowdown in the lower elevations; up to a foot of snow in the lee of Cranberry Pk. A few boreal chickadees made an appearance, and fortunately no deer hunters were spotted.

Thanks for the inspirational beta. Hard to believe the pond is nearly frozen over!

The trail from the AT to Cranberry Peak is very beautiful. If you hike it in the summer there lots of cool moss and green colors near the boulders. It looks like a wonderland some times. I also agree about the views, very nice from the top. It's also a nice hike from the trail next to the mill.

One summer we sat and watched two otters at play in Cranberry Pond. We heard their calls before seeing them and looked around to find the unusual birds.

The trail at the northern end of the pond is lined with twinflower, and there's a head-high boulder right on the path there that has an amazing variety of mosses growing on it.

And it's always fun to see if beavers have claimed or left the little pond that the AT passes before reaching the junction with the Range Trail. It is a cooling-off spot for the pup.

Thanks for the trip report. Now I'm sure I'll hike Cranberry Peak sooner, rather than later!

audrey said:

One summer we sat and watched two otters at play in Cranberry Pond. We heard their calls before seeing them and looked around to find the unusual birds.

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Otters are birds?!?! Or are those two unrelated statements?

Still haven't made it up to the Bigelows yet. Keep those trip reports coming...It'll take some motivation for me to take on the necessary drive and car spotting.
-vegematic

great description of the terrain. i'd love to check out this area, it sounds very intriguing.

Vegematic

What I meant was that we'd never heard otters before and thought that the chirpy sounds we were hearing were some sort of bird new to us.

I love the Bigelows and the Horns, wish I lived closed! I love this area, the Bigelow range is one of my favorite parts of the NE. I have many good memories of this mountain, just reading these posts make me nostalgic. I will have to do this mountain in winter sometime as my trips so far have all been in the summer and fall.

The pond is really nice in winter time. I snowshoed up to it last winter, and walked across it aways, nice views up to the peaks. It was about 5 degrees out that day, so i never made it up any further, but it was a pretty darn good workout just getting up that far.

the bigelow range trail between cranberry peak and the junction with the AT is a very special trail. in winter the snow really piles up in there - some of the toughest trail breaking i've ever done was right there.

i'll be visiting cranberry peak next week on my usual thanksgiving morning hike. hike all morning and eat all afternoon, what a great hoilday!

Your post reminds me that I should try this trail...maybe this weekend when I get tired of skiing on the three trails that Sugarloaf will have open !

Another Bigelow fan here... I hiked most of he ridge back in August but didn't make it to Cranberry Peak. The next time I'm up there I'll be sure to explore that side of the range.

The Bigelows are great!

Photos 22-47 are from my Cranberry Peak and Bigelow Range hike taken back on July 15, 1981. The mountains don't change just us and our structures do. It was a great hike and you are right that Cranberry Peak is worth the effort.

askus3 said:

Photos 22-47 are from my Cranberry Peak and Bigelow Range hike taken back on July 15, 1981. The mountains don't change just us and our structures do. It was a great hike and you are right that Cranberry Peak is worth the effort.

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Holy retro, Batman! That's so old school, i was counting the pics on an abacus.

askus3 said:

Photos 22-47 are from my Cranberry Peak and Bigelow Range hike taken back on July 15, 1981. The mountains don't change just us and our structures do. It was a great hike and you are right that Cranberry Peak is worth the effort.

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I bought a place at Sugarloaf a fews years ago and I ski there all winter. I love the western mountains and I'm quickly becoming addicted to the area for its hiking potential. I enjoyed scrolling through your pictures identifying areas that I've hiked and areas that I want to hike !! Thanks !