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About


Old Speck Mountain
Grafton, ME

Trailheads, measurements, times, distances, and maps are all approximate and relative to the hike(s) as shown below.
Looking up the Old Speck Trail at the Eyebrow
Looking up the Old Speck Trail at the Eyebrow

Route: Old Speck Trail

After a long post-flu day on Whiteface-Passaconaway, I opted to go for something a little bit shorter.

Starting at the parking lot, I was feeling a bit better than a day earlier. Once the I reached the first set of steeps, I was able to get a rythm going under blue skies. Clouds moved in, though, as I neared the final climb to the ridge (after seemingly countless ups and downs along the way). While broken out, quite a few stretches of the trail were completely drifted in (navigation on this trail in winter, with white blazes and some open areas, can be difficult).

After pushing through brush along the final quarter of a mile of trail, I reached the summit and had decent, though cloudy, views to the east from the ground. I also climbed partway up the firetower ladder, but decided that, still being weak, not liking some ice on the rungs, and seeing snow obscuring the views in other directions, I didn't particularly care about going to the top.

The summit ended up engulfed in light snow clouds shortly thereafter. Nonetheless, the walk out wasn't too bad.


Hike Ratings
Getting To Trailhead: Easy
Destination: Old Speck Mountain
Length: Moderate
Steepness: Difficult
Navigation: Moderate
Views: Excellent
Crowds: Minimal


Hike Stats
Date Hiked: Sunday, February 13, 2011
Hike Commenced: 9:41 AM
Parking Elevation: 1,496'
Destination: Old Speck Mountain
Ascent Commenced: 9:41 AM
Summit Reached: 11:54 AM
Time Elapsed: 02:13
Trailhead Elevation: 1,496'
Summit Elevation: 4,180'
Distance: 3.8 miles
Vertical Gain: 2,989'
Hike Ended: 1:47 PM
Hike Time Elapsed: 04:06
Hike Distance: 7.6 miles
Hike Vertical Gain: 3,304'


The Old Speck Trail trailhead
The Old Speck Trail trailhead

Looking up the Old Speck Trail
Looking up the Old Speck Trail

Looking at the Baldpates from Old Speck - Click to enlarge
Looking at the Baldpates from Old Speck

Topographic map of Old Speck Mountain


Directions to trailhead: Take US 2 East to Route 26 North into Grafton Notch. The hiker parking area is just below The Eyebrow. The Appalachian Trail departs southbound, diagonally left from the kiosk at the parking area.

Back to Old Speck Mountain Profile




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