Hitchhiking on Success Pond Road

[Undershaft]

I'll be hiking southbound through the Mahoosucs in about three weeks. I'm hiking solo and plan to park my car in the parking lot at the base of Old Speck. I'm trying to complete a hike I couldn't finish last year after sustaining a knee injury on Mt. Success. Anyway, I will be descending to Success Pond Road via the Success trail or the Carlo Col trail. I expect it will be around noon/early afternoon on Saturday or Sunday that I would be at the trailhead. What are my chances of hitching a ride back to Grafton Notch? Is there much traffic on the road after labor day? Is one trailhead better than the other in terms of getting picked up? Any better ideas for getting back to my car without hiring a shuttle? I truely appreciate the help from folks with more experience in the area. I just discovered this website a few weeks ago and have learned a lot from the posts. Again, thanks in advance for any advice or information.

 

[arghman]

I suppose you could also post here to see who's hiking in that area when would be starting your hike, maybe they could help you spot your car at the Success Trail trailhead & drop you off in Grafton Notch.

(Not sure which place is safer to leave a car though. Grafton Notch SP would be far more out in the open [relatively so], the Success Trail logging yard is pretty tucked away)

 

[Greg]

I've only tried hitching once off of the Speck Pond trail back to the Notch trail on a sunday morning and got picked up immediately. Kind of wierd how fast that white van came as I exited the woods. Could be coincidence, but weekends see a fair amount of traffic. Whether any are headed to Grafton Notch or not I wouldn't know; most seem to head toward Berlin.

 

[Stan]

I prefer to spot the car and hitchike the first day rather than on the way out. The road route you describe would require at least three rides unless you were very very lucky or if you got a northbound late day ride on Success Pond Road, also very lucky since few people leave the area in that direction.

Would you consider a loop that led you back to your car by either a roadwalk (if necessary) on Success Pond Road or perhaps a less daunting hitchike on route 26? How about spotting the car at Goose Eye trailhead, road walk (or hitchike) to Mahoosuc Arm Trail, it's a relatively short hike from Mahoosuc Arm to Old Speck and Speck Pond leanto/tentsites. After Mahoosuc Notch you'd then have the option of bailing out after Goose Eye or continuing to Carlo Col which descends to Success Pond Road a short distance from Goose Eye Trail.

 

[dr_wu002]

Quick Fix!

You can always do what I do:

Leave your car closest to the road on the Trailhead. Put a note on the window along with the keys and $5, offering anyone to keep the money if they drive your car to whatever trailhead you plan on exiting on. That way you can do a "car spot" with only one person and one car.

Hope this works!



-Dr. Wu

 

[Remix]

Around early September last time I was up in the whites there were plenty of AT folks (north bounders and south bounders) looking for rides and plenty of rides offered by myself and others in the notch. I guess its because of the proximity to Lincoln.

 

[peakbagger]

The hitching on Success Pond road is usually more successful if you are hitching towards Berlin. Most of the campowners at the pond are from the Berlin area and tend to be pretty good at picking up hitchhikers. The section north of Success Pond to Rt 26 is less busy plus the intersection of Rt 26 and Success Pond road is not traditionally well marked (it varies from year to year).

If you want to have a fast hitch, hike from Gorham (being aware of the detour at the dam) than take the Speck pond trail back to Success Pond road rather than going all the way to 26. Save the hike from 26 and up Speck for a later day hike. Cutting out this section gets you down to an easy hitch down the Success Pond road and a usually easy hitch down from Berlin to Gorham. If you come out on 26 you have to catch a hitch up 26 to the Sucess Pond road entrance and then most likely have a long wait for a hitch in from 26 to the head of the pond, then an additional hitch into Berlin.

The alternative to hitch south on 26 to Bethel and across to Gorham is usually an all day event.

 

[MtnMagic]

There isn't much traffic on this road. I hike there several times a year. This is a road that is used as a "short cut" from ME to NH or vice versa and doesn't have much traffic to begin with. I've done my share of hitching, and on an Interstate let alone a very back road, it's hit or miss, and certainly can be a long day. Your safest bet is to post what you require and perhaps several from this site will be able to give you a ride to your destination.

Happy trails and much luck!

 

[Undershaft]

Thanks for helping a new guy

Thanks for all the help and information. I really do appreciate it. Last year while waiting at the Carlo Col trailhead I saw a number of vehicles pass by going north, but figured they were heading to the pond. That's why I asked the question. Your answers have been very helpful. Peakbagger, I may take your advice and park my car at the Success trailhead, hike north, and hitch back from Speck Pond trailhead, then do Old Speck as a dayhike. This will work as I built an extra day into my hiking schedule(in case I got hurt again). I will be posting my itinerary in the trips and events section in case anyone else wants to hike the same area around the same time. Thanks again!