Trails and Roads Update Summary

Much of this information has appeared in various posts over this winter in the Maine forum.

---Effective 29 March and for an estimated two weeks, the carriage roads are closed to allow them to thaw and dry out.

---Vehicular access to Blackwoods campground is open as of today, 1 April (no kidding!).

---The Park Loop Road will open to motor traffic 15 April. Work is now underway to remove the remaining snow and ice and the usual winter debris (fallen rock and trees, etc.)

---The peregrine falcons are returning and beginning to nest. Therefore, the following trails are closed, probably until late July or early August:

--Precipice

--East Face Champlain

--Jordan Cliff

--Flying Mountain (north section near Valley Cove)

---Precipice and East Face were heavily damaged in last autumn%26#39;s earthquake. Further damage may have resulted from this winter%26#39;s snow and ice storms. Work on these two trails cannot begin until the peregrines have fledged (or until it is determined that nesting has failed). Precipice is unilkely to be re-opened until approximately Labor Day at the earliest. East Face may not be open this year.

---In addition, Homans Path (Dorr Mountain) was damaged in the earthquake. It is closed now. I doubt that an estimate of re-opening time will be available until park staff have been able to assess any additional winter damage.

Trails and Roads Update Summary

Thanks for the update. I (and I am certain we all) appreciate it. Let us know as things progress. Coming off of Yosemite in July, we may be ready to tackle the Precipice in late September. Wait a minute. Let me think about that. My wife says we don%26#39;t think so! But Homan%26#39;s is a different story as is Flying Mountain.

Speaking of which, anyone got any feedback on Flying Mountain. It isn%26#39;t very high but I understand the trail is on the difficult side. Any experiences to speak of?

Trails and Roads Update Summary

I will continue to post as things get announced or I hear something via the jungle drums.

In answer to your Flying Mt. query, we have hiked the stretch from Fernald Cove to Valley Cove, then returned via Valley Cove Rd---some heavily rooted sections but nothing out of the ordinary. Pathfinders suggests that part of trail is in need of repair, and looking at my map, there is a section right above the belly of Valley Cove that might be a bit tricky Part of that stretch apparently is an old step/stair trail that has fallen into disrepair.

We did the Flying Mt. trail in July %26#39;05. At that time we took it to Valley Cove and returned via the fire rd. According to my hiking log (I journal every hike for future reference) it was a rocky walk to the summit with very pretty views of Somes Sound and NE Harbor. As we reached the summit, the skies opened up and we walked down the Valley Cove Tr. in pouring rain ( we forgot our rain gear!) so we wrapped ourselves in space blankets and looked like a giant Hershey Kisses parade. Nevertheless, it was a great hike and we%26#39;d do it again and go even further. If I remember in %26#39;01 the trail was partially closed due to the nesting falcons and that%26#39;s why we couldn%26#39;t go further. In %26#39;05 it was due to the monsoon. Maybe this year will be the charm. Enjoy!

RE: Bayley1%26#39;s Flying Mountain hike

That sounds like the route we took, i.e, from the gate near Fernald Cove out to Valley Cove (over the summit) then back on the Valley Cove fire road. From my interpretation of the description in Pathmakers, it is the continuation north that may be tricky. Even so, Pathmakers rates it only ';moderately difficult.';

Thanks Bayley, Thanks cw,

During some downtime at the office yesterday, I spent some time on important things like sketching out some plans for our next visit.

I came up with with the following list

1) Blagden Preserve (for photography and a short hike possibly even on the Saturday of our arrival weather permitting).

2) Acadia/St Sauvier/Flying Mountain

3) Great Meadow/Stratheden/Hemlock/Jesup/Tarn (not necessarily in that order)

4) Pond/Canon Brook/Tarn starting at JPH and ending at SdM

5) Hadlock Brook Trail on up to the top of Sargent Mountain down the South Ridge to Asticou and back

6) Dorr Mountain hopefully via Homan%26#39;s

7) Schoodic

Once again some easy ones and some toughies. This list is cast in sand and will probably change a dozen times before late September.

We%26#39;d also like to wedge in the Baker Island cruise.