Hiking the White Cap Range- Solitude in the 100 Mile Wilderness

White Cap Mountain is located on the Appalachian Trail in the heart of the 100 Mile Wilderness. Because it's the first time north bound thru hikers get an unobstructed view of Katahdin, it is a memorable mountain to many thru hikers.  The views are quite impressive in all directions. I am also drawn to this mountain since I see it nearly everyday when I drive to my house.  In the winter, its white summit stands out prominently among the other mountains in the area.   

Getting to White Cap is not an easy feat.  Because of its location in the 100 Mile Wilderness, road approaches are somewhat difficult.  The shortest approach to White Cap from the road is via the White Brook Trail.  Depending on road conditions and the vehicle, a round trip hike of 5 miles is possible to the summit and back.  This involves more than 16 miles of travel over increasingly rough dirt roads that can be difficult to follow on a map it you are not familiar with the area. The summit can be reached by the AT from the north on a 6 mile round trip hike but the drive to the trail is even further away from civilization.  From the south on the AT, it is nearly a 12 mile hike to the summit from the nearest road.

I have hiked to White Cap a couple times via the White Brook Trail.  This hike is straightforward but not worth the abuse to my vehicle.  I haven't been to White Cap in about four years and wanted to revisit.  I have not hiked the other summits on the AT in the White Cap Range since my AT thru hike in 1999 and wanted to hike them again as well.  After looking at some maps, I found a loop that would take me over all four summits of the range by connecting the AT with other trails and logging roads.  The route would avoid driving the worst dirt roads. 

My hike would cover more than 20 miles.  If you have read my blog in the past, I enjoy the occasional long day hike, so I was up for the challenge.  To add to the challenge, I was faced with a short November day and the start of winter conditions.  Saturday's forecast sounded promising so I got an early start and headed to the mountains.

I  started my hike near High Bridge about 710AM.  High Bridge is a drive in camping area.  I followed a logging road about two miles to its end at Hay Brook where there are a few campsites.  A short side trip upstream along Hay Brook took me to Hay Brook Falls, a scenic waterfall with a drop of about 30 feet.   After stone-stepping across Hay Brook, the Pleasant River Tote Road begins.  The Pleasant River Tote Road is a relic from logging days and is now a trail.  After .75 miles, the AT is reached.  With the exception of a short detour at Gulf Hagas, I was on the AT for the next 11 miles.  This was also the lowest point of the trip at 700 or so feet in elevation.

Hay Brook Falls

The trail stays relatively low in elevation for a while.  Where the AT section starts, it passes through an area of old growth forest called The Hermitage containing very large pines.  In a little over a mile I arrived at the trail to Gulf Hagas containing numerous waterfalls.  I made a brief detour to Screw Auger Falls, just a short distance from the AT.  The trail meandered with little significant climbing as it followed Gulf Hagas Brook.  As I hike higher and deeper into the mountains, a dusting of snow started to cover the trail.  The trail reached a lean-to where I stopped for a bite to eat.

Screw Auger Falls

Screw Auger Falls upper falls

10-12 foot cascade on Gulf Hagas Brook

Snow starting to cover the trail

After the lean-to, the trail finally started to climb steeply.  Gulf Hagas Mountain is the first mountain climbed in the White Cap Range.  At 2683', Gulf Hagas Mountain is the runt of the range.  Despite its lowly elevation, it is probably the most interesting summit after White Cap.  Some partial views of the surrounding mountains are seen through the trees from the higher reaches of the mountain.

Boggy upper reaches of Gulf Hagas Brook

Gulf Hagas Mtn summit

West Peak coming into view

The AT continued over West Peak and Hay Mountain.  The mountains became progressively higher as I hiked.  Trail crews did an impressive job building stone steps on the steeper sections of trail. The trail never seemed to steep compared to most other mountain ranges on the AT in Maine.  West Peak and Hay Mountain have wooded summits with very few views beyond the thick forest.

Stone stairs climbing West Peak

Hay Mtn summit

After 11 miles on the AT, I reached White Cap.  At 3654', White Cap is the highest mountain in the 100 Mile Wilderness.  It's the highest summit on the AT between Katahdin and the Bigelows, a distance of 180 or so miles.  White Cap's summit has wonderful views.  The southern half of the summit is completely exposed and bare.  Scrub covers the top of the peak while the northern part has another open area.  Looking to the north on  clear day, Katahdin dominates the horizon.  Parts of Moosehead Lake are visible to the west as well as most of the higher peaks in the area including the Spencers, Lily Bay Range, and Big Moose.  To the south, the Barren-Chairback Range dominates the view.  In the distance to the southwest, the Bigelows are easily identifiable.  With a temperature in the mid 20s F and windchills dropping below 0F with gusts, I didn't linger more than 15 minutes at the summit.

White Cap summit, book elevation is 10 foot higher

West Peak and Gulf Hagas Mtn in foreground, Baker Mtn to right, Moosehad Lake just beyond Baker (Click on pic for clearer view)

Bigelow Range is the tall peaks on the horizon in the center (click on pic for clearer view)

Looking south over Big Spruce Mtn.

Saddleback Mtn beyond the shoulder of Little Spruce Mtn

Big and Little Spencer Mtns beyond Roach Ponds

Looking north over West Branch Ponds toward endless lakes

I retraced the AT for a short distance before descending to the valley.  I descended on a discontinued trail that eventually reaches the White Brook Trail.  The trail, which I have used in the past, has become quite overgrown at places.  The trail had occasional old blazes in blue and white.  It must have been an old section of AT at one time.  At one time a fire tower stood on White Cap.  Perhaps this was originally the old trail to access the tower.  I soon reached the White Brook Trail.

Last view descending back down White Cap toward Baker Mtn

Descending discontinued trail in a heavily eroded section

Very overgrown section of discontinued trail.  I was full of snow passing through here.

The White Brook Trail ends at an old logging road.  The logging road was overgrown and a little difficult to follow at a couple of spots.  Eventually the logging road became more prominent before reaching High Bridge near my car in a few miles.  Along the logging road there were some good views looking back at White Cap.

Looking back at White Cap's exposed southern face

I reached my car right around 3PM, almost 8 hours since I started.  The hike was about 21 miles.  For the distance, the hike wasn't extremely difficult.  Several miles of the hike were on logging roads which allowed for quick travel.  While I gained over 3000 feet of elevation, the elevation gain was relatively gradual compared to other Maine mountains.  The cold and snow however added a little challenge to the hike.  With a brisk windchill, I didn't care to linger in one place too long.  The snow, while not more than a dusting, covered most of the trail. Because of the snow, roots and rocks along the trail were more slippery than normal.

Despite seeing several cars in the High Bridge area, I didn't see anyone the entire time.  All of these cars were most likely hunters.  I did see a few deer early on which made uneasy with hunters in the area.  Because of the snow I saw nearly endless tracks.  Most were snowshoe hare or squirrel.  I did see a few cat tracks, most likely bobcat.  Numerous deer, moose, and coyote tracks were seen in the snow along the logging roads.

Although the forecast called for a clear day, most of the trip was under mostly cloudy skies.  A few short snow showers fell along the way.  Because of the clouds, the views from White Cap were a little obscured.  The visibility was decent most directions but unfortunately Katahdin's summit was in the clouds and obscured by snow showers.

Borestone Mountain

At 1981 feet in elevation, Borestone Mountain is not among the highest mountains in Maine.  In fact there are more than 400 summits in Maine that are higher. Despite Borestone's lowly elevation, its rocky and bare summits provides grand views in all directions, giving it the feel of a higher mountain.

The summit is gained just over 2 miles.  Because of the short distance and big views, Borestone Mountain is a very popular hiking destination.  It is also a prominent landmark in the area.  Borestone's rugged profile is visible from many vantage points in the area.

Borestone is a fairly quick trip from my house.  I can leave my house, hike to the summits, and return home in about three hours.  Because of this, I sometimes go to Borestone Mountain if I am looking for a quick outing with great scenery.  After taking care of my morning chores on our farm on Monday, I had a couple hours to take advantage of a beautiful fall day.  With darkness coming early this time of year, Borestone Mountain seemed to fit the bill for a quick mountain escape.

Borestone Mountain is in Elliotsville, Maine on land owned by the Maine Audubon Society.  From the trailhead, hikers have two options.  They can hike the Base Trail or the access road.  I usually choose the access road.  It is slightly longer but more straightforward.  The Base Trail and access road meet just before reaching the Visitor Center on the shore of Sunrise Pond, just over a mile from the start.  During the summer, there is a caretaker and interactive displays in the Visitor Center.  In the off season the Visitor Center is closed.

Looking over Sunrise Pond at the West Peak of Borestone

From the Visitor Center, the hike becomes more strenuous as it climbs the Summit Trail to Borestone Mountiain's two summit.  After passing the pond, the trail begins climbing steeply.  Several spots on the trail are climbed via rock steps.  About a half mile from the Visitor Center, the trail traverse the first section of steep rock below the cliffs of the West Peak.  A few sections have iron rungs and railings to help climb the steep rock.  After .7 miles of hiking from the Visitor Center, the West Peak of Borestone is reached.  From the summit, the 360 degree views are far reaching.

Rock Steps along the way

Scrambling is required as you near the summit

Rungs and railings to help hikers in steep stretches

Looking down on Sunrise, Midday, and Sunset Ponds below the West Peak

Looking toward East Peak from West Peak

Leaving the summit, the trail drops slightly over rocky terrain before climbing the higher East Peak of Borestone in just .3 miles.  The 360 degree views from the East Peak are slightly better with the higher elevation.  Immediately at the foot of Borestone is Lake Onawa, 1500 feet below.  Directly across the lake stands Barren Mountain with Barren Ledges and Slide prominently visible.  The Lily Bay Range and Big Moose Mountain are quite prominent in the Moosehead Lake region.  Beyond the Moosehead Lake mountains, Boundary Bald Mountain is easily seen just a few miles from the Quebec border.  The Bigelow Range's sets of twin peaks stand out to the southwest with Sugarloaf, Abraham, and Saddleback just beyond the Bigelows.  Low terrain dominates the landscape to the south and east with distance peaks visible beyond the Penobscot Valley.  On the East Peak there is a sign that shows what mountains are visible on the horizon.  To return to the trailhead, just retrace your path down the mountain.

Barren Slide and Ledges with Baker Mountain in background

Close up of Slides and Ledges

Looking over Lake Onawa toward Barren Mountain

Looking back to West Peak with Big Moose Mtn in distance and Boundary Bald Mtn to its right on the far horizon just a few miles from the Quebec border

The Bigelows are the furthest peaks visible in the middle (click on pic for better view)

Sign on summit labeling the landscape 

Another look over Lake Onawa toward Benson Pond and Benson Mountain

One last view before dropping of the summit

With such great scenery, I don't go to Borestone as often as I should for how close it is to my house.  In the summer it can get crowded and there is a small fee to hike the trails.  However, in the off season, there are rarely any other hikers.  On my hike, I saw just one other hiker on the access road. I was lucky enough to have beautiful blue skies without a single cloud.

For experienced hikers, Borestone is a great place to get in a quick hike with big views.  The summit feels much higher than it is with its far flung views.  For less experienced hikers, Borestone is a good place to hike before tackling a more ambitious hike on a bigger mountain.  The hike climbs about 1100 feet and tackles some rocky terrain giving the feel of a bigger mountain without covering huge mileage.  On a clear day, nobody will be let down with the summit vistas.

See http://tomcatoutdoors.blogspot.com/2013/06/kayaking-lake-onawa.html for pictures of Borestone from an earlier trip kayaking on Lake Onawa.

Backpacking the Mahoosuc Range

The Mahoosuc Range is not as well known as other mountain ranges in New England.  They are not as tall as the lofty peaks of the Presidential Range in New Hampshire or Katahdin in Maine.  Perhaps the Mahoosucs are best known to Appalachian Trail thru hikers.  They are often considered the most challenging mountain range along the entire trail.  Having hiked the entire AT myself, I will agree that the Mahoosucs are among the most challenging sections of the trail.

With the exception of an ascent of Old Speck at the eastern end of the range, I have not hiked the Mahoosucs since my AT thru hike in 1999.  I was eager to revisit the area.  With cold weather reaching northern New England, time was running out for a backpacking trip in the area.  I made a somewhat last minute decision to hike the range before winter conditions set in on the mountains.  On Thursday, I left work early and headed to Gorham, New Hampshire to hike the entire range.  I was flying solo.

My trip followed the Mahoosuc Trail starting in Gorham to Old Speck Mountain in Maine.  From Old Speck, I followed the Old Speck Trail to Grafton Notch at Maine Route 26.  With the exception of the first several miles, my route shared the same path as the Appalachian Trail.  With a couple of short side trips, the length of the trip would be about 32 miles.  It's not the distance that makes the Mahoosuc Range a challenge.  The hike gains 11000 feet of elevation in those 32 miles as it traverses the range.  Adding to the challenge, the trip goes through the Mahoosuc Notch, often considered the toughest mile on the entire Appalachian Trail.

I arrived at the trailhead in Gorham, New Hampshire a little after 4PM on Thursday. A few sprinkles fell as I neared Gorham.  As I got to the trailhead, the sprinkles turned to flurries.  From the parking lot along RT 16, a short jaunt takes you to the official start of the Mahoosuc Trail.

The trail begins climbing immediately.  The first summit, Mt Hayes, is about 3 miles from the start.  The views were obscured by snow on Mt Hayes, although I could see Gorham below in the valley.  Approaching the summit of Cascade, it began to get dark.  A large creature ran into the woods ahead of me.  I only caught a glimpse of it, but because of its size and color, it was either a black bear or a moose. I didn't see any other signs of the beast.   I didn't have a set destination the first night.  My goal was to hike until dark and find an appropriate spot to camp.  It eventually became dark enough I had to put on my headlamp to continue.  I hiked about 40 minutes in the dark by the light of headlamp until I reached Trident Col Tentsite.

Gorham from Mt Hayes as flurries fall

I arrived at the tentsite about 645PM. I covered over 6 miles and got further than anticipated.  I set up my tent and called Puma to let her know I was alive and well before turning in early.  Despite a brief period of starry skies, I could hear light snow fall on the tent periodically through the night.

I began hiking around 8AM on Friday.  Light flurries fell most of the morning.  The hiking was relatively easy with a few easy ups and downs.  The most difficult part of the hike was seeing the trail.  In the lower elevations, fallen leaves covered the trail, making it blend in with the rest of the forest.  The trail passed several ponds and stayed relatively low for the first 6 miles of the day.

Page Pond

Bog bridges with a little snow

More bog bridges

Mt. Success is the first formidable peak that the trail traverses.  As I approached Mt Success, I could see the mountain was covered in snow and rime.  The trail climbed somewhat steeply up Success.  Mt Success has a long open summit mixed with low scrubby growth and alpine meadow.  The entire summit was covered in rime.  Light flurries fell on the summit obscuring the visibility somewhat but not diminishing the fine views in all directions.  Only the lofty Presidential Range, which was socked in the clouds, was completely obscured.  The summit was chilly.  The tube of my Camelbak froze as I crossed the summit.  A steady, brisk wind added to the chill.

The first traces of rime on Mt Success

View from Mt Success

Alpine stretch on Mt Success

Frosty summit of Mt Success

After descending Mt Success, I left New Hampshire and crossed into Maine.  After a short break for a snack and to refill my water in the sheltered Carlo Col,  I began to tackle the peaks in Maine.  The first mountain climbed is Mt Carlo.  Mt. Carlo is about the same height as Success but doesn't have nearly as much exposed alpine area.

Leaving New Hampshire and entering Maine

Beyond Mt Carlo, the trail reaches the Goose Eyes.  The trail passes over the West, East, and North Peaks of Goose Eye Mountain.  The West Peak is the highest of the three and the first one that is reached.  The approach to Goose Eye is impressive.  The trail ascend through open alpine meadow with great views as it approaches the summit.  Just below the summit, the trail climbs small cliffs.  Iron rungs and wooden ladders are in place to tackle the steepest sections.  The entire mountain was covered in rime with similar conditions to Mt Success.  A few stretches of the trail had substantial ice on the rocks making for tricky footing in places.  A very short side trail takes you to the true summit, a tenth of a mile out of the way.  From the summit, much of the Mahoosucs are visible including the Mahoosuc Notch, Mahoosuc Arm, and Old Speck.

The Goose Eyes from Mt Carlo

Looking south from Goose Eye

Icy section on Goose Eye

Looking over Mt Carlo towards the Carter Range

The peaks of the northern White Mountains

West and East Goose Eye

Rungs climbing Goose Eye

Ladder on Goose Eye

View over Mt Carlo

Looking toward the Mahoosuc Notch

Close up of Mahoosuc Notch

Carter Range in the distance

View towards East Peak of Goose Eye

Another view from Goose Eye

The East and North Peaks are just as impressive as the taller West Peak of Goose Eye Mountain.  After a small drop, the East Peak is climbed.  Much of the trail to the North Peak passes over alpine meadow with far flung views.  The descent from the East Peak was particularly tricky as there was numerous icy sections on steep rock.  The trail traveled several exposed miles with only brief sections sheltered in the trees.  The temperature at this elevation was below freezing and I would guess the windchill to be in the single digits.  Light flurries periodically fell as well.

Looking back to West Peak of Goose Eye

The steps on the snowy bog bridges made life easier as the trail descended 

Lots of rime 

After dropping down from the North Peak of Goose Eye, the trail immediately climbs the South Peak of Fulling Mill Mountain.  Fulling Mill had a small area of open scrub but was not nearly as scenic as the Goose Eyes or Success.  From Fulling Mill, the trail dropped steeply to the head of the Mahoosuc Notch.

The Mahoosuc Notch is notorious among Appalachian Trail thru hikers.  It is often cited as the most difficult mile of the AT.  The trail covers one mile as it passes through the Notch.  The Notch is a steep ravine between Mahoosuc and Fulling Mill Mountains.  The Notch is choked with giant rocks that must be climbed over and crawled under.  Numerous caves are passed through along the way.  It is slow going at best and a real challenge with a full backpack as it often gets caught up in the tighter squeezes.  It's not uncommon to hear stories of people taking as long as three hours to pass the one mile through the Mahoosuc Notch.

Wall of the Mahoosuc Notch

Arrows directing hikers in the Notch

Typical view in the Notch

A tight spot in the Notch

Another cave in the Notch

More rocks to traverse

Yet another tight spot

More arrows showing the way through caves in the Notch

Looking down the last cave in the Notch

I certainly have less than fond memories of the Mahoosuc Notch from my AT thru hike.  On my thru hike in 1999, I passed through the Notch with a fellow hiker.  We made it through in an hour or so.  Then the fun began.  We stopped for a break after the notch.  I had a snack and Vee Dub (other hiker) stepped into the woods to take care of some business.  I didn't wait for him and continued on the trail.  I noted on the map a feature called Notch 2.  As I hiked, I thought that the Notch 2 was just as hard as the Mahoosuc Notch.  After struggling through the Notch 2 for a while, I reached a sign.  It was the sign at the beginning of the first notch.  I hiked the wrong direction.  I hiked almost 2000 miles from Georgia and this was when I got turned around, on the hardest mile of trail.  After consulting my map, I realized there was no way to get around the Notch.  So for a third time in less than three hours, I went through the Mahoosuc Notch.  Angry with myself for my mistake, I hurried through the Notch the third time with little concern for my body.  By the end of the day my knees were quite sore from the fiasco.

This time, my experience with the Mahoosuc Notch was much better.  I made my way through the mile of trail uneventfully in just under an hour.  Is the Mahoosuc Notch the toughest mile on the AT?  I would say probably not, although it's the slowest mile for sure.  I would say the hardest thing about the Mahoosuc Notch is that it is followed by a climb of the Mahoosuc Arm.

After the Notch, the trail climbs Mahoosuc Arm.  After hiking 17 miles with a full pack and just passing through the Notch, I would say the last mile of the Mahoosuc Arm is the toughest mile on the AT.  The climb up Mahoosuc Arm is steep and relentless.  The trail only goes one way, up.  To make it even tougher, I was battling daylight as well as the mountain.  I became quite hot and sweaty climbing the Mahoosuc Arm.  As I broke into the scrubby trees near the summit, I was chilled by the wind.

I made it to the summit of Mahoosuc Arm with only the faintest light remaining.  Fortunately, I had less than a mile downhill to Speck Pond Campsite.  I put on my headlamp and covered the remaining trail in the dark.  Along the way I slipped on an icy bog bridge and submerged my foot in mud but otherwise made it to the campsite safely.

A group of three was already at the campsite.  This was a welcome sight as they had a fire.  I was chilly from sweating on my climb and the fire helped me warm up quickly.  In addition to the fire, the trio had a cauldron of chicken ala king cooking.  They had far more cooking than they could eat themselves and were more than happy to offer me some.  I was planning on a cold dinner.  The hot meal hit the spot.  We sat by the fire for a little while and chatted.  To the trio at Speck Pond Campsite, thank you for the hot meal and fire.

Speck Pond has a lean-to.  The idea of crashing in the lean-to seemed better than setting up my tent.  Speck Pond, at 3400 feet is one of the highest ponds in Maine.  At that elevation it was quite chilly at night and I was glad I brought my 5 degree F sleeping bag.  By morning the remaining water in my Camelbak and bottle froze solid.  My shoe that was submerged in the mud the night before was also frozen stiff.

My second day was challenging.  With side trips, I covered 20 miles and gained 7250 vertical feet.  On the rugged terrain with a full pack, very short hours of daylight, and subfreezing temperatures most of the day, I was tired.

On my final day, I had less than five miles to cover before reaching the end of my hike.  I had 1000 feet of climbing and a mile and a half of hiking to the summit of Old Speck Mountain.  At 4170 feet, this was the high point of the trip.  Although the summit of Old Speck is wooded, an observation tower provides views in all directions.  Climbing the tower was a little hairy as the upper rungs of the ladder to the observation platform were covered in rime ice.  I took in the views and snapped some photos before descending the final four miles to Grafton Notch.

Old Speck coming into sight

Looking down Old Speck

The Presidential Range briefly breaking out of the clouds

Looking back over the Mahoosucs toward the Presidentials

Mahoosuc Notch from Old Speck

Close up of Mahoosuc Notch

Freshly blown snow at Sunday River

Sunday River White Cap

Endless mountains in western Maine

The Goose Eyes with white caps and the Carter Range beyond

Looking down Grafton Notch

Old Speck's observation tower

Looking up the tower's ladder

Waterfall along Old Speck Trail

My car was in Gorham.  I planned on hitching to Gorham but after nearly a half hour, not a single car passed.  Another hiker that I passed on the way down the mountain reached the parking lot.  I kindly asked him if he minded giving me a ride.  He was more than happy to help out a fellow hiker.  Not only did he give me a ride, but he was passing through Gorham and took me back to my car.  We swapped tales of our hikes throughout New England along the way.  Thank you very much Charlie.

Despite the cold weather, I'm glad I made this trip.  After 14 years passed since my last trip through the Mahoosucs, I didn't remember them very well.  With several open and exposed peaks, the scenery is impressive.  Features like the Mahoosuc Notch add to appeal of the range.  The weather was chilly, but the winter like conditions enhanced the scenery with ice covered summits.  The ice did lead to a few close calls however.  I have to agree that the Mahoosucs are one of the most challenging mountain ranges to hike in the east.

With the exception of Old Speck, the Mahoosucs aren't as crowded as other mountain ranges in New England.  The biggest users of the Mahoosucs are long distance backpackers and AT thru hikers.  Since I was in the off season, I didn't see anybody the first 26 miles of hiking until I reached Speck Pond.  A handful of people were climbing Old Speck near the end of my trip.  To anyone looking for a challenging backpacking trip without the big crowds, I recommend this trip.