CrazySage
New member
Date of Hike: 04/21/12
Trails: Appalachian Trail and an (extremely well marked/used) bushwhack
Conditions: CVR is pretty dry up to the AT crossing. The potholes were nothing that my Subaru couldn’t handle. The AT is dry up until we climbed out of the cirque. At the top we started seeing sporadic patches of snow. This continued over most of the ridge to North Crocker, ranging from small patches on the south facing slopes to larger patches on the north facing ones (like on the decent from S. Crocker down into the col). Back on S. Crocker, the start of the bushwhack was easy to find, and the whole trail is embarrassingly easy to follow (we used Rocket21’s trip description on his website – THANKS!!!). There is a bit more snow on the bushwhack, especially after you leave the logging road (the cairn is just barely poking out from a patch right at the entrance). The “bushwhack” down can’t be called anything but an unlisted trail, since it is kept up in such great condition, though navigating the logging roads back to the CVR was a little disorienting. Again the trail was mostly dry with some small patches of snow. The CVR from mile 7 (where we popped out) back to the car, at mile 4, was a gross mess of wet mud. As Anne ordered, “Hold your ground, ground.”
Special Equipment: With most of the snow gone there is little need for any traction or flotation. Some of the deeper patches of snow were messy but only lasted for 10 to 15 feet, then it was dry trail. It looks like the Spring monorail is nonexistent this year, at least in this part of ME. Brush gaiters would have been nice to keep junk out of my boots.
Comments: We didn’t see many bugs, but I’m sure they’re coming. It’s time to add bug spray to my pack. We had wonderfully clear skies for a day predicted of rain. It only started clouding up when we reached Reddington and began raining when we reached the CVR, making for a wet roadwalk, but it could have been worse.
Kudos to my friend, Anne, for finishing up her NE 4,000 footers on Reddington. We drank beer, ate confections, and toasted the hiking life. Way to go girl!
Jen English
jenglish one at worcester dot edu
65/67 NE 4K (stupid Abraham, stupid North Brother)
Trails: Appalachian Trail and an (extremely well marked/used) bushwhack
Conditions: CVR is pretty dry up to the AT crossing. The potholes were nothing that my Subaru couldn’t handle. The AT is dry up until we climbed out of the cirque. At the top we started seeing sporadic patches of snow. This continued over most of the ridge to North Crocker, ranging from small patches on the south facing slopes to larger patches on the north facing ones (like on the decent from S. Crocker down into the col). Back on S. Crocker, the start of the bushwhack was easy to find, and the whole trail is embarrassingly easy to follow (we used Rocket21’s trip description on his website – THANKS!!!). There is a bit more snow on the bushwhack, especially after you leave the logging road (the cairn is just barely poking out from a patch right at the entrance). The “bushwhack” down can’t be called anything but an unlisted trail, since it is kept up in such great condition, though navigating the logging roads back to the CVR was a little disorienting. Again the trail was mostly dry with some small patches of snow. The CVR from mile 7 (where we popped out) back to the car, at mile 4, was a gross mess of wet mud. As Anne ordered, “Hold your ground, ground.”
Special Equipment: With most of the snow gone there is little need for any traction or flotation. Some of the deeper patches of snow were messy but only lasted for 10 to 15 feet, then it was dry trail. It looks like the Spring monorail is nonexistent this year, at least in this part of ME. Brush gaiters would have been nice to keep junk out of my boots.
Comments: We didn’t see many bugs, but I’m sure they’re coming. It’s time to add bug spray to my pack. We had wonderfully clear skies for a day predicted of rain. It only started clouding up when we reached Reddington and began raining when we reached the CVR, making for a wet roadwalk, but it could have been worse.
Kudos to my friend, Anne, for finishing up her NE 4,000 footers on Reddington. We drank beer, ate confections, and toasted the hiking life. Way to go girl!
Jen English
jenglish one at worcester dot edu
65/67 NE 4K (stupid Abraham, stupid North Brother)
