Beta for Maine 4,000 footers backpack

Hi all,

I have to confess my knowledge of the Maine 4,000 footers is scant at best, and my (admittedly very quick) scan for a good webpage didn't turn one up, although I'm sure there's a great one out there, and I don't have the Maine trail guide--although obviously I will get the right maps before heading out!

I'm hoping to do a two night three day backpack over Labor Day and scoop up six, but could really use some people's advice to make sure I have this right.

1) Drive up to where Friday night? Cathedral Pines Campground in Stratton, or elsewhere?

2) Day 1. After spotting a car coming down from the Crockers (where exactly?)

3) drive over to West Kingsfield Rd and hike over Abraham to Spaulding Mtn tentsite. About 10 miles, about 3,500 ft elevation gain.

4) Day 2. Over Spaulding and Sugarloaf to Crocker tentsite. ~8.5 miles ~3,000 ft elevation gain.

5) Attempt Reddington on Day 2 or Day 3? (I would like to get out reasonably early on Day 3 to get back to Boston at a reasonably humane time after picking up the cars at the start) But boy that looks to make Day 2 quite hard.

6) Day 3. Over the Crockers and out. ~7miles and 2,000 ft elevation gain.


Do I have this about right? Any comments or advice would be greatly welcomed! Anything else I need to know?

As always, thank you so much in advance for any help you may offer!


Brian

Your car spot, if you're short on time, is at the AT crossing of Caribou Valley Road, or at the "parking" area just before the green steel bridge.
You can stay at Cathedral Pines, or the Spillover Motel, or at Sugarloaf, or in Kingfield. It's a long drive from Stratton back to the Abraham start of the backpack, you may want to stay closer to Kingfield.
From Spaulding Campsite to Crocker Cirque is a somewhat short day, though a slow, steep descent with a full pack off Sugarloaf after the out-and-back on the spur. Depends on weather, too, if the rocks are wet.
If you can get your car up the slope past the green bridge and park near the AT crossing, what I'd do is leave my full pack at my car when I got there, take a small pack and book it out CVR and back to tag Redington, then retrieve the full pack and go up to Crocker Cirque campsite. Last day do the Crocker summits then come back to the car. Or ... just sleep at your car and don't bring a full pack up Crocker at all. Depends on your personal balance of peakbagging desire vs. backpacking desire.
And definitely be checking out BikeHikeSkiFish's trip reports ... he's up there right now tagging them all as 4 day hikes.

I have backpacked from Oqquosuc to Monson -- a bit longer than your plan, but I got dropped right at the AT crossing in Oqquosuc and was in Stratton happily ensconsed at the White Wolf in in the late morning of the fourth day. Note I didn't take the side trips to Abe, Sugarloaf or Reddington -- hope this gives you some idea of the time involved.

The CVR is not getting any easier on vehicles. There were a handful of SUVs at the AT crossing, and a Subaru Forester just before the steel grate bridge (no longer green.) It rained here last night so it will likely have many puddles hiding the depth of the holes... At least we did it yesterday so we know where some really nasty spots are...

Tim

AT section hike for them all

A few years back my daughter and I did the section from Route 4 to Route 27 with a pickup at CRV and a stay in Stratton. We could well have camped that night at the CG just past the CVR, but we got a shuttle to the Stratton Motel and then back the next morning. A car spot would accomplish the same thing.

We climbed Saddleback, The Horn, Abraham, Spaulding, Sugarloaf, So. Crocker, Redington and No. Crocker (in other words, all of them).

See my report: Report

Rg

I was just in the Stratton area for about a week. Cathedral pines is a great campsite.
The CVR road was rough. I wasn't willing to take my Subaru Outback all the way to the AT crossing, so we parked a little short, probably less than half a mile from the AT.
When we did Reddington, we used these directions: http://home.earthlink.net/~ellozy/reddington.html
It was much easier, although longer than coming over from South Crocker (which I last did in 2002, so it may be in better condition now). It took us about 5 hours round trip, with a leisurely break at the summit.
Your plan looks great. Enjoy.

You can avoid the car drops by basing your operations out of Caribou Valley Road and day-hiking. Crockers & Redington are an easy day. Abe, Spaulding, & Sugarloaf is a somewhat long, but doable day. You could then do Saddleback & the Horn or the Bigelows on your third day, a relatively short one, before heading home. That said, perhaps you'd prefer to stretch it out and camp on the trail--there's something to be said for that.

I'd just add two other things:

1) As I've said a number of times, the CVR may be deteriorating, but most people grossly underestimate what their car is capable of.

2) Most importantly, use great care when driving in that area at night. There are a LOT of moose. I would recommend driving no faster than the speed limit, if not under. It very well may save your life. Last summer, I drove to Stratton via NH/ME 16 in the dark. I will not do that again and I strongly discourage others from doing so.

Wow, gosh, thank you for all this helpful advice! I'll have to chew it over after work this evening.

Your comments were all greatly appreciated!



Brian


p.s. If anyone else has something to contribute, I would love to hear it!

Up here with Tim. We are staying at the Spillover Motel - nice clean rooms, wifi, full kitchen in the basement common area - 2 fridges, 2 microwaves, stove/oven, cooking utensils/pots & pans, and a gass grill outside. Very good grocery store (Fotters) 1 mile down the road where you can buy all your food.

We are doing 4 day hikes. Bigelows were on Tuesday, Crockers/Redington yesterday (heard path from S Crocker is fairly easy to follow), Out and back to Abraham, Spaulding, and Sugarloaf from CRV today. tomorrow we will head South and hike Saddleback and the Horn from the AT crossing on Rotue 4.

CRV is rough, but if you go slow you should be able to make it to the metal grate bridge. Just past it, most cars will be in trouble.

Let's just say that on the trip out today, in Bob's Suburban, there were some sections I was afraid to drink my beer on for fear of chipping a tooth.

Tim

So you want the weekend six pack? On Friday night, park off CVR near AT crossing or before if you feel sketchy about the road. Cold camp next to vehicle. In the morning do the Crockers and then Reddington. Either return to car and make a real camp and decide how you will kill the rest of the day. Or from Reddington follow the road down to the pond. Walk to the other side of the pond and follow the old route up to the lean to. Turn right and go get Abraham. Back track to AT and follow AT over Spaulding and make short detour to Sugar Loaf summit. Return to AT and your vehicle. It is possible to do them all in the same very long day. Most folks can get 3 on the first day and 3 on the second. Just return to camp after doing the Crockers and Reddington then follow the AT the next day. For a quick way out from Loaf, Spaulding and Abe just follow the "trail" behind the lean-to down to the pond then follow the road back to CVR and the AT. You can of course spot cars and drive all over back woods roads to avoid a few miles of backtracking but really for these peaks the most efficient way is to park in the valley and go get 'em. Happy Hiking

After all the helpful comments I concluded that the best way for our group to do this is as a series of three day hikes, and then looked into places to stay.

First called Cathedral Pines--very nice lady answered the phone, but they'r--far, and she suggested Rangeley Lake State Park, which is right where we want to be.

Seems to be perfect: showers, sites for tents, close to the CVR, lake for swimming, if we get back in time, and the price is right.
http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/details.pl?park_id=25

To make reservations, you have to call the Maine parks central reservation number at (207) 624-9950.

Brian

B the Hiker said:

After all the helpful comments I concluded that the best way for our group to do this is as a series of three day hikes, and then looked into places to stay.

First called Cathedral Pines--very nice lady answered the phone, but they'r--far, and she suggested Rangeley Lake State Park, which is right where we want to be.

Seems to be perfect: showers, sites for tents, close to the CVR, lake for swimming, if we get back in time, and the price is right.
http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/details.pl?park_id=25

To make reservations, you have to call the Maine parks central reservation number at (207) 624-9950.

Brian

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Checked out the White Wolf Inn? Rates as low as $35.00 per night. I stayed there once and it was great for such a low price. ($25.00 at the time). Also right next door is a hiker hostel.

B the Hiker said:

First called Cathedral Pines--very nice lady answered the phone, but they'r--far, and she suggested Rangeley Lake State Park, which is right where we want to be.

Click to expand...

Really? That's much further away (34 miles) from CVR than Cathedral Pines (12 miles).

MichaelJ said:

Really? That's much further away (34 miles) from CVR than Cathedral Pines (12 miles).

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Oh crud! What have I done now? The woman at Cathedral Pines told me the campground was 20 miles away, and that the state park was right there. Was she wrong?

B the Hiker said:

Oh crud! What have I done now? The woman at Cathedral Pines told me the campground was 20 miles away, and that the state park was right there. Was she wrong?

Click to expand...

The state park is in a good location if you want to tag Saddleback, the Horn, or the NEHH peaks (Cupsuptic Snow, E Kennebago, N Kennebago Divide, White Cap, Boundary). But it's the wrong side of the Caribou Valley for the CVR peaks and the Bigelows.

Here's a little Overview Map showing the state park, Cathedral Pines, and the start of CVR.

IMHO, Cathedral Pines is more convenient for the NEHH peaks Michael J cited.

Really? We stayed in Oquossoc and felt that we were "right there" at Lincoln Pond Road, Wiggle Brook Cutoff, etc.

Where's that 'trail' behind the lean-to? How disguised?