Trail Conditions in Southern Maine

[Goonky]

Does anyone know the trail conditions near Grafton Notch? I was thinking about doing a day hike off there soon to maybe Table Rock and onto Baldpate.

Any info appreciated.

[peakbagger]

The black flies came out with vengeance last weekend in Milan NH about 15 miles west. I expect they will be major issue for the next few weeks, it may be headnet time. I would expect there is still some ice in shady sections of the woods. This weeks dry stretch will probably dry thing out a bit. If I remember long ago, the area between the two summits is one place that holds ice late in the spring but its been a long time.

If you want something different nearby, Sunday River Whitecap is a nice alternative which should be dry as the ice that was there a month ago should be long gone. http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthrea...river+whitecap. The summit cone feels like somewhere up in more northerly Maine.

There was some controversy when I first printed the instructions for the short "bushwhack" which is a bushwhack in name only. http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthrea...river+whitecap The person opposed to publishing had an ax to grind. If you are at all comfortable with off trail hiking its hard to beat.

[egilbe]

The ice was really thick just before the summit of the first bald pate, but that was two weekends ago. image.jpeg

Its probably better now, but prepare for some ice. Last year at this time, there was still three to four feet of snow in the woods and the monorails were epic.

Tablerock is all clear

[Goonky]

That picture is unreal! Thanks for that. Good point on the Black Flies, if I go I will bring my headnet.

I don't intend to go all the way to the summit - maybe to the lean to before the summit - and I'm not prepared to trek across ice, I'd turnaround the first point I spotted it.

Thanks for the info!

[rafe]

Traction devices still required above 3000 feet as of two days ago, on Cannon Mtn. We made it up the mountain wearing microspikes but needed crampons on the way down.