rangeley 6 pack options

Hey, Zero-G and I are headed to Rangeley area after a stint in Baxter next week and assuming the river crossing on the West Kingfield road towards the Fire Warden's trail is impassible, I'm thinking of perhaps backpacking the 6 pack, one could dayhike Sugarloaf, Spauling, and Abraham, then go back to the car and then backpack into the Crocker Cirque Tentsite and hike S Crocker, Reddington, and Crocker the next day. Then the Saddlebacks and the Horn could be a dayhike from Rt 4..

Are there any campsites along CVR or perhaps on the way to Sugarloaf?

Jay

Jay H said:

Hey, Zero-G and I are headed to Rangeley area after a stint in Baxter next week and assuming the river crossing on the West Kingfield road towards the Fire Warden's trail is impassible, I'm thinking of perhaps backpacking the 6 pack, one could dayhike Sugarloaf, Spauling, and Abraham, then go back to the car and then backpack into the Crocker Cirque Tentsite and hike S Crocker, Reddington, and Crocker the next day. Then the Saddlebacks and the Horn could be a dayhike from Rt 4..

Are there any campsites along CVR or perhaps on the way to Sugarloaf?

Jay

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There's one just north of CRV just off the AT. "Crocker Cirque Campsite" Look at the online Companion: http://www.aldha.org/companyn/nh-me09.pdf
scroll to page 260.

Hey Papa Bear, Yes, I'm aware of that, Is that literally ONE campsite. We should be there mid-week so that would be an option, if so, We'd more likely do Sugarloaf, Spauling, and Abraham from the CVR crossing as a dayhike, then grab our tents and backpack up to that campsite... Or we could just do two dayhikes...

Jay

I'd recommend against Crocker Cirque, only because it means you have to do the Crockers and Redington as out-and-backs to come back to your site, or you'd have to take all your gear with you (ugh). My personal preference would be to go up to N Crocker, back to S Crocker, over to Redington, then back on the road(s).

There are marked (with a tent sign) sites where CVR reaches the outlet of Caribou Pond, one right there and one to the left over the really-scary-looking but super-solid bridge. There are also some places where people obviously camp (fire rings) along CVR at the wide forks in the road. And it *looks* it would be a non-issue to camp anywhere else around the pond, but I don't know the regulations.

People often tent-camp by the brook crossing on the AT near the Caribou Valley Rd, I agree with MJ that a backpack to Crocker Cirque is non-optimal although there is space for several groups there

A group of us camped at the brook crossing just off the AT/CVR junction when we did the Rangely peaks. We did Saddleback/Horn on day 1, Redington (out&back), Sugarloaf-Spaulding and the Crockers (out&back) on day 2 and the Bigelows on day 3. The peaks you are suggesting are fine IMHO but forget the backpack. Camp at the brook crossing. Plenty of tent sites there.

JohnL

JohnL, et al, the stream crossing from the AT/CVR junction is towards Sugarloaf right? I don't have my maps in front of me but I looked and it seems there is a stream crossing very close to CVR but southbound towards Sugarloaf.

This will be great as it'll give us the option of just staying there and having to drive CVR a bit less. I'm not making any plans, but want to know all the options. Thanks everybody!

Jay

Yes. From CVR the AT goes southbound through somewhat level, somewhat open woods, then crosses the North Branch of the Carabassett River, then it rises up the steep ledge side of Sugarloaf.

Thanks Michael...

It sounds from TEO's blurb that the West Kingfield Road river crossing seems to be passable now. Lets hope that the deluge has stopped for this summer.

I guess we'll have the option of whacking down towards CVR after Redington, I've seen a trip down the SE ridge of S. Crocker back to CVR...

Jay

It's no whack to come back to CVR from Redington. It's a trail walk to a old road walk all the way back, all open.

We thought about camping by the river at CVR, but stayed at the Crocker Cirque campsite instead. The sites by the river were very open, right by the trail.

There are several campsites at the Crocker Cirque location. They filled up one night, but my wife and I still felt we had enough privacy. Plus the cirque itself is beautiful.

We arrived late one afternoon, set up our tent. Next morning we did the Crockers and Reddington. Following day we did Spaulding and Sugarloaf. It was a great trip.

Thanks Daniel for the info on the cirque!

Which are the peaks we should save for the "better day" the Crockers and Redington or Sugarloaf, spauling, and Abraham? I have a feeling its ASS, but just wondering, that may determine where we camp/stay...

Jay

Without a doubt, ASS is a great VFTT hike; Crock-R, not so much. That said, I'm a firm disbeliever in the "save for a better day" school of thought. If you're socked in, odds are that you'll see fewer people and the weather may even be interesting. It also gives you a reason to return.

Jay H said:

Thanks Daniel for the info on the cirque!

Which are the peaks we should save for the "better day" the Crockers and Redington or Sugarloaf, spauling, and Abraham? I have a feeling its ASS, but just wondering, that may determine where we camp/stay...

Jay

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ASS is a long day but definitely the better hike. We did the Crockers and Redington first because it was a drizzly day.

TEO said:

Without a doubt, ASS is a great VFTT hike; Crock-R, not so much. That said, I'm a firm disbeliever in the "save for a better day" school of thought. If you're socked in, odds are that you'll see fewer people and the weather may even be interesting. It also gives you a reason to return.

Click to expand...

Also, with a 8ish hour drive to Rangeley area from NJ, I'm hiking, rain or shine, plus, I've always enjoyed the woods, the flora and fauna so it's usually interesting, even w/o the views, however I do try to save the nicer days on the nicer viewpoints as it just makes sense...

Jay

Just a note for clarification purposes:

The "6 pack region" is generally known as the area NW of Stratton where there are 6 peaks below 4,000' on the NEHH list. While there may be six 4,000'ers near Rangeley, these peaks are quite different than the true 6 pack.

Either way, it's BYOB.

Thanks Albee, sorry for the confusion. A trip report is in the works...

I have heard that West Kingfield Road is passable and CVR is fine to at least the steel bridge at 3.9 miles in. The AT is flagged at the crossing and we camped right at the parking lot before the bridge..

Jay