Muddy2Shoes
New member
Conditions: I found this to be a good route for Cup. Snow. The day was a prefect dry clear day with no bugs.
Equipment: A compass and maps (a USGS topo is recommended as the DeLorme Atlas is not good for the real lay-of-the-land) both are necessary for locating the ‘trailhead’ and the summit. A GPS came in handy but was not essential. As for any bushwhack, long pants and sleeves are necessary for the thick fir and spruce.
Comments: A thank you to Bagpiper John whose directions we used from his 8/26/07 trip report. Our mileages came out slightly different but noting of significance. This was our third time reaching the summit of Cupsuptic Snow: first time was the usual route from the Wiggle Brook Road, second time was an arduous bushwhack from a newly logged road from the south and this one was the west approach driving up the East Branch Road. This route was by far the easiest and shortest route with very little thick fir and spruce. There was a lot of activity on Burnt Mtn Road. If you go before snow, be prepared to pull FAR to the side of the road. Low clearance vehicles can make most of this drive but pulling off the road to give loggers their right might be an issue.
Here are the directions from Route 16 west of Rangeley, the newest DeLorme Atlas shows this route well: 1) From Rt 16 from Rangeley, turn right onto Morton Cutoff Road (set odo at 0.0) , 3.1 miles to a T intersection with Lincoln Pond Road 2) turn right onto Lincoln Pond Road and immediately take a left onto Burnt Mtn Road, 3) follow Burnt Mountain Road past an unmarked road on the left at 4.0 miles, another grown in road at 4.2 miles on the right, bear left at a T intersection at 4.6 miles 4) continuing on Burnt Mtn Rd pass an unnamed road on the left at 6.9 miles (a sign for camp Tarsal ->), thru some S curves 5) at 7.4 miles you will pass a road with a ‘no camping’ sign 6) at 9.1 you pass a clearing on the right, the road turns to the left and you get a view of Snow 7) pass “T” Rd at 9.5 miles on your right, at a clearing on the left at 10 miles you get a view of West Kennebago with it’s fire tower 8) at a Y intersection bear left at 10.8 miles (Little East Branch Road is to your right) 9) at 11.7 miles you pass mile marker 12.0 10) continue north and turn right onto East Branch Road which is marked with a very faded sign at 12.4 miles, bear left at an intersection at 12.5 miles 11) pass a logging yard (from 2007) at 13.5 miles and bear right at a Y, continue uphill and northeast until the road becomes rough and passable for 4 WD only 12) at 15.0 miles, approximately 2,800 ft elevation, the road ends with a short section straight and a short section to the left.
There was pink flagging at the end of the section to the left and we followed the flagging through open forest about half way up to the saddle. When the flagging ended we continued on to the saddle. From the saddle we got a glimpse of Cup. Snow to the right. We continued to the summit going through a small section of thick fir and spruce and an occasional herd path. As we got close to the summit, the herd paths joined for a more definitive path which we followed to the summit. The flagging that was on this herd path from 2 years prior had been removed. The canister is close to the end of the summit ridge. We followed our compass and GPS track back down to the car. We were done in about 2 hours – less time than the drive in and out.
We are hoping the Burnt Mtn Road is plowed this winter to repeat this hike.
Equipment: A compass and maps (a USGS topo is recommended as the DeLorme Atlas is not good for the real lay-of-the-land) both are necessary for locating the ‘trailhead’ and the summit. A GPS came in handy but was not essential. As for any bushwhack, long pants and sleeves are necessary for the thick fir and spruce.
Comments: A thank you to Bagpiper John whose directions we used from his 8/26/07 trip report. Our mileages came out slightly different but noting of significance. This was our third time reaching the summit of Cupsuptic Snow: first time was the usual route from the Wiggle Brook Road, second time was an arduous bushwhack from a newly logged road from the south and this one was the west approach driving up the East Branch Road. This route was by far the easiest and shortest route with very little thick fir and spruce. There was a lot of activity on Burnt Mtn Road. If you go before snow, be prepared to pull FAR to the side of the road. Low clearance vehicles can make most of this drive but pulling off the road to give loggers their right might be an issue.
Here are the directions from Route 16 west of Rangeley, the newest DeLorme Atlas shows this route well: 1) From Rt 16 from Rangeley, turn right onto Morton Cutoff Road (set odo at 0.0) , 3.1 miles to a T intersection with Lincoln Pond Road 2) turn right onto Lincoln Pond Road and immediately take a left onto Burnt Mtn Road, 3) follow Burnt Mountain Road past an unmarked road on the left at 4.0 miles, another grown in road at 4.2 miles on the right, bear left at a T intersection at 4.6 miles 4) continuing on Burnt Mtn Rd pass an unnamed road on the left at 6.9 miles (a sign for camp Tarsal ->), thru some S curves 5) at 7.4 miles you will pass a road with a ‘no camping’ sign 6) at 9.1 you pass a clearing on the right, the road turns to the left and you get a view of Snow 7) pass “T” Rd at 9.5 miles on your right, at a clearing on the left at 10 miles you get a view of West Kennebago with it’s fire tower 8) at a Y intersection bear left at 10.8 miles (Little East Branch Road is to your right) 9) at 11.7 miles you pass mile marker 12.0 10) continue north and turn right onto East Branch Road which is marked with a very faded sign at 12.4 miles, bear left at an intersection at 12.5 miles 11) pass a logging yard (from 2007) at 13.5 miles and bear right at a Y, continue uphill and northeast until the road becomes rough and passable for 4 WD only 12) at 15.0 miles, approximately 2,800 ft elevation, the road ends with a short section straight and a short section to the left.
There was pink flagging at the end of the section to the left and we followed the flagging through open forest about half way up to the saddle. When the flagging ended we continued on to the saddle. From the saddle we got a glimpse of Cup. Snow to the right. We continued to the summit going through a small section of thick fir and spruce and an occasional herd path. As we got close to the summit, the herd paths joined for a more definitive path which we followed to the summit. The flagging that was on this herd path from 2 years prior had been removed. The canister is close to the end of the summit ridge. We followed our compass and GPS track back down to the car. We were done in about 2 hours – less time than the drive in and out.
We are hoping the Burnt Mtn Road is plowed this winter to repeat this hike.
