Caribou Valley (Pond) Road, ME conditions

[marty]

Hi all,
Last time I was on CVR was two years ago. Found it to be very rough, but passable. Hoping to use it again this summer.

Would greatly appreciate any CVR road condition updates from route 16/27 to the AT trailhead.


Thanks,
Marty

 

[Randalls]

I JUST got back. It was so bad. Took over an hour to do the 4.4 miles. I brought some 2X12's to get over some ares, and it helped. The raised rocks I think were the worse. If I ever do it again, Im using a full sized truck.

 

[TDawg]

Just curious Randalls, what type of car were you using?

 

[Randalls]

06 Hundai Sonata.
http://inlinethumb13.webshots.com/48268/2041593430106472837S500x500Q85.jpg

 

[MichaelJ]

In the past, getting to the wide "parking" area just before the metal bridge has been do-able, while the incline just after the metal bridge was rutted beyond the ground clearance of many vehicles.

Where did you encounter your worst obstacles - before that area, or beyond it towards the AT crossing?

 

[Randalls]

Id say from the metal bridge to the AT. Mostly the rocks were the issue. The 2" X 12" boards worked perfectly getting me on the bridges, but some of the raised rocks were almost impossible to get around. The first obstacle was a well eroded culvert at .8 miles. If we hit the Crockers from this end again, we'll probably stop right there. Lot of potholes and rocks from there until the metal bridge, but they're all somewhat avoidable. Im so glad my wife didnt see what I was driving her car over. Id probably be sleeping in a tent another night.

 

[natron]

better time..

those 4.4 miles are quicker by mt.b. than by car..

 

[Randalls]

We're going to start hitting every section that we can of the AT, so next weekend, my wife is going to drop us off at the 27 crossing, head south on the AT, than at the CVR, walk the road back to 27 where she'll pick us up the next day.

 

[MichaelJ]

One of those bridges was just replaced in 2003, and the snowmobile network goes through there, so I would imagine that there will continue to be some minimal level of maintenance, although it may only be suited to having a foot of snow on top of it.

Technically, to play by the 4000-footer rules, if you are going for the 4k patch, you can only bike as far as you could drive a car. Sounds like that's still the AT crossing but I'm not sure how much further. When you get to a point a car could no longer go, you need to get off the bike and start walking.

 

[Randalls]

I think I would prefer it if it were worded as "As far as one can get in a humvee". Redington would be a cake walk.

 

[MichaelJ]

Don't dwell on that ... Not much longer than a decade ago one could drive a car all the way up past the pond and up the hill. All that was left was a relatively short bushwhacked to the top. Fortunately, if you go back far enough in time, Redington wasn't considered a 4k.

 

[DougPaul]

The easier it is, the smaller the accomplishment.

Doug

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Last July, I found that culvert at 0.8 miles in on the CVR to be the worst obstacle - mainly cuz we could go 25-30MPH at that point and it comes upon you quickly. At/before the steel bridge, there were many passenger cars. Beyond that to the AT crossing were all SUVs/pickups/4x4s.

Officially, the 4K rules say "if you think a Jeep might not make it, walk." Well, after doing Abraham, Spaulding and Sugarloaf, we came upon an old Jeep Wrangler with a couple who were four-wheeling it purely for fun, beyond the AT crossing, so a Jeep can make it to the pond, and thus technically so could a mountain bike. There are only a handful of really challenging spots, so if those were ever filled in, a standard SUV could make it to the pond.

Tim

 

[marty]

Thanks folks.

I guess we'll see how far my Tacoma takes me.

Marty

 

[JoeCedar]

There is really no point in trying to drive beyond the steel bridge. You can walk to the AT crossing in about 10 minutes. The tricky part is crossing the earlier bridges with planks(sometimes) across them.

 

[rbalbs]

I JUST got back. It was so bad. Took over an hour to do the 4.4 miles. I brought some 2X12's to get over some ares, and it helped. The raised rocks I think were the worse. If I ever do it again, Im using a full sized truck.

I have to say I was shocked seeing your Hyundai parked at the AT crossing when I opted to park my CR-V at the steel bridge. My buddy and I were just saying, "The only people who could make it to the AT are the folks in Jeeps and big trucks!"

In hindsight the road was bad, certainly the worst I have ever driven on, but not terrible. Made to the the steel bridge in 30 minutes on the way in and drove out in under 25 once I got more comfortable with the ruts, rocks, and potholes.

 

[Randalls]

"The only people who could make it to the AT are the folks in Jeeps and big trucks!"

And those that really dont like their car all that much.

 

[marty]

Hi all,
well, I ventured out on CVR on July 16. Road was in tough shape, but passable with vehicles with moderate ground clearance using great care. I parked my Toyota Tacoma at an area on the left just before the metal bridge. That area could fit 5 cars. It was a quick 10 minute walk to the trailhead from there. Kudos to Joe Cedar for this excellent advice.

Regards,
Marty

 

[funkyfreddy]

Gail and I are going up there this coming week...... So I guess we park at the area BEFORE the AT crossing and walk, right?

There's a wilderness camping spot at Caribou Pond I was also wondering about.... has anyone camped there recently? Thanks, Fred

 

[Fourfingers]

Marty,
Yesterday (August 13) a Jeep Liberty and a Toyota sedan were parked at the AT Crossing. Almost any car can get to the lot before the steel-decked bridge. I was in there last September in a Honda Civic. The last two days I took a Subaru Outback in with no troubles - about 20 minutes in from Maine 27.

Fourfingers
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