Mount Cabot

Trails Used

York Pond Trail, Bunnell Notch Trail, Kilkenny Ridge Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Great winter trail conditions today for this peak. The cold morning start made for a microspike superhighway of winter like hard pack with some very stable monorail/beginning of monorail stretches. There were a few barespots here and there and a short stretch of icy trail. The trail developed a slushy layer in the afternoon as I was coming out but overall fantastic trail conditions. Happy to grid out this peak.

Parking

Clear, snowfree.

Water Crossings

All rock hoppable, leapable or bridged.

Trails Used

Bunnell notch, kilkenny ridge

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

The trails to cabot were in surprisingly great shape. They were frozen solid and didn't have many postholes. I used microspikes all day. The bunnell notch trail had some bare sections with running water.

Water Crossings

Hoppable

Trails Used

York Pond, Bunnell Notch, Kilkenny Ridge Trails

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

The entire route had been bare booted and consistently postholed the previous day with a few inches of overnight snow on top. We wore snowshoes car-to-car but the combo of postholes and breaking the unconsolidated snow made for slow going. Trails turned to mashed potatoes in the afternoon sun. We three smoothed out most of the postholes but the trails remain rough, loose and unconsolidated. Packed trail was narrow and unforgiving off the edges. Cabin to summit segment was in good shape with no braiding. Except at the drainages, there was still ample snow cover (generally several feet) throughout. No evidence of passage on the Kilkenny Ridge Trail beyond Cabot's summit. Fun, tough hike with Chris and Renee on a lovely windy but warmish day. Upper woods were gorgeous.

Parking

The small lot right at the trailhead was plowed. We were the only two cars there all day. York Pond Road was a bit rutty but not bad at all.

Water Crossings

The larger crossing .9 miles from the beginning was an easy rock hop. The myriad drainage crossings between the trailhead and the Kilkenny Ridge Trail were open, often deep and steep-sided, and encouraged face plants. Ask us how we know. :)

Trails Used

York Pond Trail, Bunnell Notch Trail, Kilkenny Ridge Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

A few inches of fresh powder from the past two days and only a bare booter had been put there. Definitely needed the snowshoes today to consolidate it down some. Saw one other person in snowshoes while we were out there so the trails are in good shape at the moment.

Parking

Road was plowed but the lot was not when we got there around 8am. Lot was plowed by the time we got back to the car

Water Crossings

Rock hoppable