Whitecap (Rumford) ME

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buckyball1

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Orrington, ME
...Record hi temps and heavy rain over much of Maine yesterday cleared out snow/ice on lower peaks so i pulled my gear out yet again to climb

Whitecap (Rumford)-2210', by far the lowest of the 4 ME Whitecaps on my lists of last few years; others being Whitecap (Oquossoc), Whitecap (Sunday River), Whitecap (KI)

Whitecap is/was the last of a dozen or so peaks I've done in the Rumford/Bethel area recently. I assumed it required a bit of planning/route finding and at least a modest whack so i did my usual map/sat pic study to pick a few plausible routes. Fortunately i had another "duuuh" moment a few days ago when i noticed a Trail Conditions report by Pat/Jane on Views ---of course the little peak not only has a trail, but is in MMG. I just assume nothing i'm doing now would be in MMG and this is the 2nd or 3rd time this year i've felt foolish..once finding a trail description only after i'd done a well planned, nifty 'whack to a summit :)

The trail is off the E Andover Rd north of Rumford Point. I took "Trail #1".The hike is a bit under 3 miles one way, 1600' ascent and all moderate grade or easier.There are side roads, snowmobile trails, other ascent routes and multicolored flagging all over the place, but i think the "trail" is pretty obvious--just take a left at the only questionable fork in the first half of the hike. After about 3/4 of a mile on a pretty mellow road, the going gets just a bit rougher and the wide trail turns to slab rock /ledge all the way to the summit.

Normally I love motoring up slab rock, but today the upper 5/8 of the route was really wet, water gushing down the slabs almost everywhere (add in a fair amount of moss on the rocks); care needed going up and more care needed coming down. I'm glad I didn't hike this tomorrow because it's going to flash freeze tonight and be a sheet of ice for well over a mile.

You begin to break into the open a bit less than 1/2 mile from the top--all still slab/ledge/scrubby trees and the views are very fine-i think easily the best of any of the peaks i've been on around there. The top is obvious (small cairn/BM plaque) -sweeping 360 views--Black Mtn with it's communication towers just to the NE, Rangely/Stratton bigger stuff to the N in the clouds, Long, Puzzle, the Baldpates, Old Speck all open around the Grafton Notch Loop, the Evans Notch crew with the Pressies behind them and a nice large, symmetrical pyramid way in the distance further toward the South--can't imagine is Moose...but that's why i'm not Scudder..[edit--am guessing Amicus ID is reasonable--M was a poor guess as it's waaay too far away and "behind" too many peaks on Kanc]........regardless, just a great top and view.

if you're in the area, it's easy, a fun hike up and huge bang for the buck views for last 0.4? miles

jim
 
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I did this in August, and the trail was a stream then also. Trail #2 had even more open ledges (and views) on the way down. But once it drops steeply off the last ledge, the trail is extremely muddy for quite a ways. The water on the rocks on Trail #1 was easier to deal with.

Even with the water, I agree that this is a great "smaller" mountain. The blueberries were very tasty and abundant in August.
 
. . . and a nice large, symmetrical pyramid way in the distance further toward the South--can't imagine is Moose...but that's why i'm not Scudder...regardless, just a great top and view.

"Symmetrical pyramid" sounds like Kearsarge No., which would have been 39 miles at 214 degrees, roughly, from your summit. It would have been a little to the left of Speckled (one of them).

It's an ill wind that blows no good.... Skiers cry while you set a personal best for latest Maine peak bagged. Good for you!
 
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