Saddleback

August 21, 2004
(Tim and Danielle - Total Distance: 15 miles)

The shortest route to Saddleback and the Horn is to hike up the ski slopes on the side of the mountain. However, due to ongoing construction that route was closed so we had to follow the Appalachian trail for over 7 miles to the summits. Of course on the day we planned this long hike it rained for almost the entire time we were out there.

We began our hike where the AT crosses route 4 at the big AT symbol outside of Rangely, Maine. The trailhead showed us we had a long day ahead of us, but luckily the trail was rather flat for most of the miles. In about an hour we reached the Piazza rock tent site. The rain was coming down hard and some of the campers were getting ready to head out. We made a short detour up a steep hill to see the rock which was quite an interesting site. 

Piazza Rock
Piazza Rock
Click on image for larger view
Summit sign on Saddleback
Summit sign on Saddleback
Click on image for larger view

Before we left the campground we visited the only outhouse we've ever seen that invites a friend inside for a game. Shortly after, we hit the trail again to begin the climb up Saddleback. As we hiked the rain let up only to return later in the day. We saw only a few other hikers on the trail, most were AT thru hikers, and passed some nice ponds. Soon after crossing a fire road we began the climb up the mountain. It was moderate going for the most part, but in some spots ladders were placed on rocks to help us up. Eventually we made it to treeline and emerged on some ledges buried in the clouds. The trail went up and over some false summits before we finally reached the summit ridge and the top of the mountain.

From the top of Saddleback we continued along the ridge to bag the Horn. On the way, the clouds darkened and the rain quickened. The trail was a stream most of the way across the ridge. Several low lying areas were filled with deep puddles which were a challenge to get through. We had no views on what has been described as one of the most beautiful ridges in Maine, but we did manage to reach the peaks and make it safely back to the car. This was the wettest hike we have ever done.

 

Home | Hikes | Brews | Clever Girl | Travel | Rats | About Us
This page was last updated on:

04/23/2005
Webmaster: timbrod@hotmail.com