Sunday River WhiteCap (Maine) Day Hike Route

I ran into this today, thought of your post

http://dailey7779.blogspot.com/2017/07/grafton-notch-loop.html

I guess people do it in a day. Im comfortable with 4 to 5 days.

Glad Dailey liked SRW, it to me it is the high point of the loop. I did the west side of the GLT in a day with a bike spot once and it was long enough day for me. SRW may suffer from the problem that its either a real long day hike via an out and back via the GLT or too short of a hike to make a day of it via the maintainers trail. Plus its too far from Massachusetts to get much day hiking traffic.

The other reason to go there is it appears as though the Pie Lady has given up with the self service stand down the road from Sunday River Brewing on RT 2, the shed is still there but on the rare times I go by the signs are not out. The original stand outside the house on RT 26 a few miles south of Grafton Notch State Park was well stocked this past weekend. I was the third car in a row waiting to pick up a goodie.

peakbagger said:

The original stand outside the house on RT 26 a few miles south of Grafton Notch State Park was well stocked this past weekend.

Click to expand...

Phew, you had me worried there for a moment. I don't get by there often but whenever somebody talks about doing Old Speck I tell them to be sure to hit the stand.

A blast from the past updated

https://bangordailynews.com/2021/02...-leads-to-outstanding-views-in-western-maine/

FYI, they indicated a plowed parking space at RT 26. In the past in winter this was not the case at the old road or at Screw Auger Falls (a popular day spot). RT 26 is quite narrow with no shoulders, Parking there can be problem in winter.

The other caveat is the col where the path meets the Grafton Loop Trail is on broad area of mature hardwoods, the GLT may have an obvious foot bed but its minimally blazed. The canopy is closed in so there is minimal understory. Finding and staying on the GLT south to the summit is difficult. There is an east to west property line in the firs to the south that at one point coincides with the GLT so worst case is find the property line and go east until the GLT swath is encountered. Once a hiker breaks out of the spruce fir, the route to the summit is obvious but it may not coincide with the actual GLT path.

Sadly I have seen no activity at the Pies Lady's spot on RT2 for a year or two precovid. The shack and some signage is still there. The Pie Lady stand on RT 26 adjacent to her house was active in the Fall of 2019.

The pie Lady was still there this Summer and Fall. Baked goods on the shelves and a car or two stopped to check it out. The GF and I did the Western half of the loop during that real warm spell in November. The trail bed, although covered with fallen leaves, was easy enough to follow in most places. One just had to take their time and look at the clues on the forest floor, and the occasional blaze. The Summit of SRW was finally warm and wind free when we were up there. We spent an hour on the summit just being amazed that it was November.

In the Past, we have camped on the south side of SRW on day one. This year, we stopped before. I'm not sure if it was taking eyebrow trail up with a two day backpack, or the Covid pounds that slowed us down, but we didn't make the summit on day 1.