N/S Crocker trip recommendations

[xoomboy]

Hi there,

My buddy and I are planning to hike North and South Crocker on Friday -- with a possible side trip to Reddington depending on time/weather. I've been looking for trip reports specific to a winter ascent, but can't really seem to find anything. Wondering specifically about trailhead access (we'll be driving a Jeep), and any tricky parts or obstacles that we should know about in advance such as large ice sections, etc.

Thanks!

Matt

 

[bobandgeri]

Based on the following Trail Conditions report:

http://www.vftt.org/trail/me/655.html

it looks like the road is plowed for the 1st 3 miles - it is @ 4.5 miles to where the AT crosses the road and you start the hike up to the Crockers.

 

[xoomboy]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the link.

What happens when you get to the end of the available road -- is it okay to just pull over and park?

How is the actual hike? I'm looking at the AMC map and it seems relatively straightforward -- although this is 1:95000 we're talking about. Is there anything to watch out for?

How about the bushwack? Sounds like the herd path is pretty easy to pick up?

Thanks again,

Matt

 

[bobandgeri]

In looking at another couple of Trail Conditions it sounds like parking is not an issue. Haven't been there in Winter ourselves however.

We have been there twice - once we did the bushwhack to Redington from S Crocker and returned via the road. On the other we returned to S. Crocker and went north via the AT to Rte 27.

http://rbhayes.net/Crockers-Redington.html

http://rbhayes.net/laborday.html

From S Crocker the herd path is fairly easy to follow - at least in Summer. In the trip reports above you will find a GPS track for both hikes that may help in the general direction of the herd path as well as some text with more details.

If you are a skier you might think about doing Redington alone via the road after running up and bagging the Crockers.

 

[xoomboy]

Great, thanks for the information! I'll post a trip report when I get back next week.

Matt

 

[sli74]

Great, thanks for the information! I'll post a trip report when I get back next week.

Matt

Please do post a trip report. I might be headin up that way in the next few weeks and would love an idea of the time and difficulty of the trip particularly the Redington bushwhack.

sli74

 

[DougPaul]

Based on the following Trail Conditions report:

http://www.vftt.org/trail/me/655.html

it looks like the road is plowed for the 1st 3 miles - it is @ 4.5 miles to where the AT crosses the road and you start the hike up to the Crockers.

A bunch of us skied the upper road on the 15th. 3-4 inches of snow. Drivable with 4WD for about the 1st 3 mi.

We had no difficulty parking at the end of the driveable section (it was a Sunday). There was active logging along the road--might make things more difficult on a working day.

Doug

 

[Mike P.]

After doing Reddington this summer, I'd agree the road would be a great ski, skins up, ski down. may need snowshoes for last 1/2 mile or so when you leave the wider old logging roads. (& I don't even ski)

 

[DougPaul]

After doing Reddington this summer, I'd agree the road would be a great ski, skins up, ski down. may need snowshoes for last 1/2 mile or so when you leave the wider old logging roads. (& I don't even ski)

We turned back at the bridge just short of the pond. No skins needed. An easy climb on waxes or waxless.

Doug

 

[Double Bow]

I did the Crockers and Redington with the herd path this past September. While it wasn't too difficult to follow, I imagine that in winter you're pretty much just gonna be bushwhackin'. So, either plan to do that or ski up the road. You can pretty much just ski up Redington if you wanted!

 

[Pete_Hickey]

We turned back at the bridge just short of the pond. No skins needed. An easy climb on waxes or waxless.

Just watch the wind. The wind can be fierce at the pond. That's why we turned back. It was windier than a fish on Monday!

 

[Mike P.]

There are a couple of inclines back beyond the pond that are steeper. Still might not need skins, I'm not a skier, but IMO the bigger inclines are beyond the pond, not before it.

Nothing grueling, outside of the route finding (which if you have the right directions are pretty easy - I don't bushwhack usually either. I'd say this is one of the easier NE67 for based on the physcial part of the trip.

 

[MichaelJ]

There are a couple of inclines back beyond the pond that are steeper. Still might not need skins, I'm not a skier, but IMO the bigger inclines are beyond the pond, not before it.

Correct. There is one very nice hill on one of the roads beyond the pond that you turn west (?) onto. It did not require skins but did require herringboning. Coming back down it's the best moment of the ride.

At one point where in the summer it would be a turn from the logging road onto the herd path, we switched to snowshoes from skis; a good enough skier would not need to do this, but given the narrowness I wasn't up for it. That spot *might* benefit from skins, but GO is the knower of all in that regard and I still don't think you'd *need* them.

 

[spencer]

I've skied up the upper part of the Redington trip twice. Both times I used skins from the "turnoff" Michael J mentions. From there, there are really two phases:

the first part is when you leave the road and it becomes a fairly narrow trail and is modest in incline. Then you reach a spot where you realize you are entering the woods and the trail gets a bit narrower and steeper. I've skinned up this section, too, although it was a bit hairy descending.

If you are skiing to Redington b/c you like to ski, ski all the way to the summit register and back down. If you are skiing to Redingto b/c you don't like to walk, leave your skis at the turnoff from the road.

spencer

 

[David Metsky]

If you are skiing to Redington b/c you like to ski, ski all the way to the summit register and back down. If you are skiing to Redingto b/c you don't like to walk, leave your skis at the turnoff from the road.

Wait? There are people who ski in an effort to get places?

-dave-