Monday The top is a little disappointing if you don't have the nerve to climb the long ladder to the top of the fire tower. Old Speck Grafton Loop Trail Hike Part 2: Western Section. Mostly sunny, with a high near 25. Took the Eyebrow trail on the way up which was probably the most challenging stretch, but there are a few tough scrambles in patches along the way. Super navigable, lots of challenging grade, and some clearly gorgeous views (was socked in today!). As I was sitting there a hiker that I hadn’t met before, 77, passed me and stopped to chat. But, during our trip, all they did was show us what complete nothingness looked like! On the final push up to Old Speck’s peak, the terrain once again steepened. The Old Speck Trail, also the route of the Appalachian Trail, climbs for 3.5 miles before turning onto the Mahoosuc Trail for the final jaunt through gnarled conifers to the summit. We saw plenty of dogs on the trail as well! by Daren Worcester 0. No permits or fees to park here. Old Speck Mountain Driving Directions: Top: From I-95, take exit 63 for US-202/ME-115/ME-4 towards ME-26/Gray/New Gloucester. Old Speck, ME: Trails: Old Speck Trail, Mahoosuc: Date of Hike: Friday, January 8, 2021: Parking/Access Road Notes: Parking lot is plowed : ... Water Crossing Notes: Trail Maintenance Notes: Dog-Related Notes: Sherlock had a great time : Bugs: Lost and Found: Comments: Conditions were great. It's been about two years now since I first told Desi that we would do this hike. Definitely recommend wearing multiples layers from head to toe, the top reaches freezing point with the wind chills. Partly cloudy, with a low around 11. Feel free to climb up the old fire tower if it is accessible. Old Speck Mountain O44070e8 1:24,000: Route #1 : Maintained Hiking Trail Trailhead: Grafton Notch (Paved Road) 1496 ft/456 m Vertical Gain: 2664 ft/812 m Distance (one way): 4.05 mi/6.52 km: Data Source: 1:25,000 (or larger) Topographic Survey Map; Dynamic Map It was interesting, and immediately worth it. took the eyebrow trail up. Northwest wind around 15 mph. Took me a lot longer than what all trails estimates. Old Speck has eluded Matthew and I on one too many occasions – when we hiked the Appalachian Trail we didn’t give it a second thought because it was a 0.25-mile side trial that didn’t have white blazes, and on a Mahoosuc Traverse one summer we were running to reach the car before dark and again didn’t take the side trail. The upper part gets a little steep and rocky then levels out just before reaching the trail junction that turns onto the last 0.3 mile to the summit of Old Speck Mountain. The Old Speck Trail very quickly hits an intersection with the Eyebrow Trail. A slight chance of snow showers before 7am. To reach the summit of Old Speck, hike 1.1 miles from the Pond until you reach the summit and viewing platform. It took about 5 and a half hours total. … Old Speck Mountain Appalachian Trail and Eyebrow Loop – … This trail kind of bored me, I wish there was some sort of scrambling. Loved the trail! Take a left onto ME-26 and follow it 12 miles to the Grafton Notch State Park. We were glad to have hefty midlayers and our heavy Hestra gloves and hand warmers. Old Speck Trail June 21, 2014. We followed the AT both ways and it took us less than 5 hours to get back to our car, including a 30 minute lunch break at the top. Old Speck was a great hike, but much more demanding than similar length Crawford Notch-Mt Pierce trail. My tracker said 11 miles not 7.5. Drive roughly 69 miles until you come to a parking lot on your left side for "hiking trails". The best hike I’ve ever done! I did the Eyebrow Loop on the way down, which had some steep parts that I will do going up next time. Winter Hike the Old Speck Trail in Grafton Notch State Park, Maine. Almost full due to many hikers parking there to access Table Mountain - only saw about 6 groups hiking Old Speck. Believe it or not spikes and snowshoes would have helped with footing. There is an old firetower on top that may or may not be accessible to climb depending on the season and time of the week. There is a great mix of trees and moss covering much of the area that make for pleasant surroundings. by Daren Worcester 2. Andrea is a writer, hiker, and adventurer from New England. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15. There were some really nice ledges just below where the Eyebrow Trail rejoins the Old Speck Trail and I got to watch a family of peregrine … Old Speck Mountain ski area never advanced beyond very early stages of study, so there are no known ski area remains. Layer up! Parking is free and no permits are required. 0.4 miles from the trailhead, there is a split with a right fork climbing The Eyebrow, a steep hike up a cliff face with excellent views. The parking area for the Old Speck Trail is located in Grafton Notch State Park, directly after Mother Walker Falls and Moose Cave. Took eyebrow trail it was easier than reported although I could see this being difficult if icy and wet. So we picked this weekend to finally get Old Speck done since we were not going to be taking part in FOT48 (Flags on the 48). From horizontal lines in the snow, I could tell that skiers had slid down the steep and narrow trail sideways, taking down with them all of the boot-mark texture. The Appalachian Trail, which runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. So it goes. The Old Speck Trail in Grafton Notch State Park is a near-perfect hike for intermediate hikers. You can choose to go either left or right at the junction. To get to the Old Speck Trail parking area. We definitely could have used snowshoes up top. Incredible 360 panoramic views at the top, especially if you climb the tower, which is super fun. Speck Pond is located about a mile below the mountain's summit on the Appalachian Trail. The Old Speck Trail, also the route of the Appalachian Trail, climbs for 3.5 miles before turning onto the Mahoosuc Trail for the final jaunt through gnarled conifers to the summit. Standard Route. Tonight Also didn’t get a good view of the sunrise because of the traveling haze the west coast, but overall a very fun and challenging hike! Awesome trail with varied terrain. You will continue driving for roughly 70 miles until you come to a parking lot on your left and side with a sign labeled “hiking trails”. Wind chill values as low as -6. by Daren Worcester 3. Old Speck is the 4th highest mountain in the entire state of Maine. Couldn’t be avoided. Take a left turn after exiting the ramp and merge onto Route 4. There is a thirteen mile trail that leaves Route 26 and heads up this face of Old Speck to the summit that I also have to do sometime, the western section of Grafton Loop Trail. Speck Pond on the Maine Appalachian Trail. A quarter mile from the trailhead, the trail splits with the right fork climbing steeply up and over the Eyebrow, an exposed, crescent shaped cliff face with good views. Quotes " But reliable sources say [Sel] Hannah names four "complexes" that … And it’s getting very chilly up there. by Daren Worcester 2. The trail is fantastic, but you definitely have to climb the fire tower for the reward of the vista at the top; otherwise your views are obstructed by trees. I took a Thursday off of work (I had to give two weeks notice) and was lucky enough to have a beautiful day! But for today the focus is all on Old Speck Trail and The Eyebrow. I’m not the most fit person in the world but I consider myself definitely FAR better than the average. Old Speck Mountain is a 4,170 foot mountain located in the Mahoosuc Range in Oxford County, Maine. Hiked up eyebrow and down the AT. The summit is wooded with limited views but an old fire tower offers an excellent 360-degree view. You'll want the crampons as the trail is very steep in places and gets icy. Old Speck Mountain is a 4,170 foot mountain in the Mahoosuc Range in Oxford County, Maine. The views didn’t wow me, but the tower was cool. The climb makes you work for it. From the parking area, follow the white-blazed Appalachian Trail southbound along Cascade Brook. Started hike at midnight and got to the peak after 3 hours sharp to watch the sunrise. Wind chill values as low as -6. It was so beautiful when we hiked this today (January 2021). This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Follow Rt 2 east from Bethel for 6 miles to Newry. Wind chill values as low as -3. It took us a little under 6 hours round trip. On day one, we started off by climbing Old Speck Mountain, the massive 4000 footer on the south side of Grafton Notch. Just really long. It’s a steep climb, gaining 2850′ feet in 3.8 miles. Old Speck Mountain Trail is a 7.4 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Newry, Maine that features a waterfall. It reminds me of some of the photos and videos I’ve seen from the Pacific Northwest. Would recommend going early or during the week, if possible. I never expected to revisit Speck Pond after hiking the section of the Appalachian Trail from Grafton Notch down to Gentian Pond in 2009.Speck Pond is on the south side of Old Speck Mountain, a huge 4000 footer with a fire tower at the top. Totally worth it, what a hike! Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. We were passing groups every couple of minutes and had to wait in line to climb the fire tower. Great all around hike. It is also part of the Eastern White Mountains that stretches from New Hampshire to Maine. Otherwise, would have been moderate. Old Speck Mountain Trail is a 11.9 kilometer heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Newry, Maine that features a waterfall. The Speck Pond Campsite offers hikers tent platforms, an AT-style shelter, and a composting privy. We hiked last weekend during the drought, so the waterfall was only a drizzle. Northwest wind 15 to 20 mph. No need to register, buy now! It was all slippery rocks. Partly sunny, with a high near 23. Wind chill values as low as 0. Look for the AT parking area on the left side of the road that will take you up Old Speck. Partly sunny, with a high near 24. Dogs are also able to use this trail. A Walk on Maine’s Wild Side: 22 Days Section Hiking the Appalachian Trail. So... don’t underestimate this hike! Several points where I am sure that would be a great view. Description From the parking area in "The Notch" take the AT: Maine Appalachian Trail Club (ME) a short distance until you reach the junction with Eyebrow Trail… Sunday Night I used micro spikes and hiking poles and would definitely recommend bringing some. It is the highest mountain in the range, and the 4th highest mountain in the state of Maine. Find the perfect old speck mountain stock photo. Firewardens Trail State: ME: The Old Speck Firewardens Trail ascended directly from Grafton Notch to the summit of Old Speck, making it one of the steepest trails in New England. Below is the next four days of weather for Old Speck Mountain. I gave myself almost 8 hours to do the hike and it took me 7 1/2 even though AllTrails says 4 1/2. Here, heart-leaved-paper birch, balsam fir and scattered black spruce, highly tolerant of harsh weather and frequent disturbance, are the dominant canopy spe-cies. I think the walk through the forest on this trail was second to none. Beautiful day hike. The view was great but hazy probably due to smoke from fires out west. Did this hike Memorial day weekend of 2020. If you do, the 360 degree view there is spectacular. The foliage was amazing this time of year. There are occasional outlooks on the way up the mountain that are just as good as the summit. The trail will descend for about a mile until you reach Speck Pond. The AT runs .3 miles away from the summit of Old Speck. The trail is only recommended for very experienced adventurers and is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and snowshoeing. An alternate, much longer route to the summit starts from the Speck Pond Trailhead and ascends to the summit of  Mahoosuc Arm. Conditions were good—6-12” of snow but trail was fairly packed down. On July 16, 2017, dad did a solo hike (daughter had a planned visit to Aquaboggan) of Old Speck Mountain (4,270 ft), a fairly strenuous 7.6 miles, the fourth-highest peak in Maine, located inside Grafton Notch State Park, via the Old Speck Trail and Mahoosuc Trail, with guidance from the AMC Maine Mountain Guide and the Maine State Parks and Public Lands site, which has a map here. About 3.5 miles from the parking area, the AT turns right, and the summit of Old Speck is a few hundred feet on the left hand side after emerging from the gradual, forested ridge. Old Speck is a three hour drive for me, but the closest Maine 4000-footer. The Appalachian Trail runs along the Mahoosuc Range 0.3 miles west of the summit of Old Speck. 3-4” of snow on top. Total time was 4:40 including 20 minutes in the tower. Be sure to check conditions the morning of your hike as conditions change rapidly in the mountians. Took us 10 hours. A couple had passed me on the way up and wrer now returning. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. 0.4 miles from the trailhead, there is a split with a right fork climbing The Eyebrow, a steep hike up a cliff face with excellent views. It is part of the Mahoosuc Range. North wind around 25 mph. The Standard Route up Old Speck follows the AT most of the way. A great AT segment. Just east of the New Hampshire border, this is Maine's 4th highest mountain and 5th highest peak. Old Speck Trail (AT) The most commonly used route to the summit of Old Speck follows along the AT most of the way. Old Speck Mountain Trail Conditions and Trip Reports are crowdsourced from many hiking websites across the Internet. The most commonly used route to the summit of Old Speck follows along the AT most of the way. It's the highest and most northeastern peak in the Mahoosuc Range of the White Mountains. Epic hike! That’s the easy end though, not the hard part. Mileage: 6.80 Elevation gain: 3050' Trails used: Eyebrow Trail, Old Speck Trail (Appalachian Trail), Mahoosuc Trail. It was so beautiful! Pretty steady climb and good conditions but very dry. The Speck Pond Trailhead is located on Success Pond Road, which runs from Berlin, New Hampshire to Grafton Notch, Maine. She enjoys snowboarding, sunrise hikes, winter, night hiking, traveling, and photography. Old Speck Mountain via Appalachian Trail - Maine | AllTrails North wind around 25 mph. Useful info for spending more time in beautiful places. To get to the Speck Pond Trail parking area. The waterfalls and slides along the trail made it worth it. Snow was powdered sugar and then sticky as the day continued. These posts have been tagged with Old Speck Mountain ME, or … Old Speck Trail (Standard Route) Despite the dreary weather, I honestly enjoyed this mountain. Surface Conditions: The 36-foot observation tower gets you way above the trees for a huge 360-degree vista, the … great hike. 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