We’ve been watching weather forecasts closely today…..
As of 5:30 pm Thursday evening. both hike leaders are still eager to go tomorrow. If the forecast turns sour overnight and the hike leaders decide to cancel, we will post another email. Whatever, don’t leave your rain gear at home.
This week’s hikes on May 29th to Hermit Falls and Speckled Mountain do not in fact leave from the same trailhead. Our initial announcement was in error. Here is the revised information:
Speckled Mountain:
Difficult – Speckled Mountain (2,906 ft.), Evans Notch, ME. 6.2 mi. RT, Elevation gain 1650′, RT hiking 6.0 hours, RT driving 2.0 hours. Meet at the Denmark church at 8:30 AM. We will climb via the Spruce Hill Trail. [note: that this is slightly different rout than originally posted. Greg assures us that we will appreciate this change.
We will hike Speckled Mountain via the Spruce Hill Trail. The parking lot is across the road, at the trailhead for the East Royce Trail
The Speckled Mountain via Spruce Hill Trail at the White Mountain National Forest near Bethel, Maine is a moderate 6.3-mile out-and-back trail that ascends Speckled Mountain and features spectacular near-360 views from the summit.
Directions to trailhead parking: Going north on Route 113 through Evans Notch, the parking lot is 3.1 miles north of the road to the Basin Recreation Area. It is also 0.6 miles north of the Evans Notch height of land, and scenic turnout. Parking lot is on the left (west) side. The Spruce Hill trailhead is on the other (east) side, but we will gather in the parking lot.
Spruce Hill Parking Lot, 8246+32, South Oxford, ME 04217
Meet at the Denmark church at 8:30 AM, or the trailhead at 9:30 AM.
Hermit Falls
Easy – Hermit Falls (elevation of where the falls are is about 1100 ft), Evans Notch, NH – 2.6 mi RT, Elevation gain during the hike: 230 feet (+70 feet on return. This varies somewhat by website. So does the reported distance.
Height: of falls 30′. RT hiking 3.0 hours. RT driving 2 hours. (Dual Hike- see below). There’s a stream crossing at the inlet for the pond.
Hermit Falls is tucked a mile northwest of the Basin Campground, which is operated by the U.S. Forest Service. A seasonal waterfall, the best time to visit this waterfall is between mid-May and early July, or after a substantial rainstorm.
In high water conditions, Hermit Falls is a pretty 30-foot horsetail within a remote, moss-surrounded ravine. In low water, the falls turns into a powerless slide down dark wet rock.
The parking for Hermit Falls is at Basin Pond which is the left just as one reaches the gate across 113 that is closed in the winter.
Google map parking : 44.263959, -71.006508
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