Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge Trips & Outings
Whitewater Rafting
Rent a Canoe oR KayaK foR a Day • GuiDeD KayaK touRs GuiDeD Pontoon Boat WilDlife CRuises • KayaK sChool
All trips are Family Friendly!
Northern Waters Outfitters
at the Bridge in Errol, NH Call before June (603) 447-2177 • After June (603) 482-3817
www.beoutside.com www.northernwatersrafting.com
Canoe & Kayak Trips Saco River • New Hampshire • Maine SaleS • RentalS • DeMOS • SHUttleS available
2561 e Main St, Rte. 302 Ctr Conway, nH 03813
(603) 447-2177
www.sacobound.com 6 Summer in Western Maine
Climbing Old Speck in Grafton Notch By Cherri Crockett Welcome to Grafton Notch, where you’ll hike the same paths of the thousands of thru-hikers who travel the historic Appalachian Trail each year and find breathtaking views from nearby Table Rock, West and East Baldpate, Eyebrow Loop, Old Speck, and the 39-mile Grafton Loop Trail. Whether you’re looking to spend the afternoon on a short loop hike up Table Rock or Eyebrow, or you’re looking for an enjoyable day hike into East Baldpate, up Old Speck or an overnight adventure on the AT or the GLT, Grafton Notch is centrally located. From the parking lot on Route 26, approximately 12 miles from the corner of Route 2 in Newry, you’ll find ample parking space and outhouse-style restrooms in the shadow of Old Speck and Eyebrow Loop. There are no trash receptacles here, so please remember to be a responsible outdoorsman and follow state park rules and carry out what you carry in, and dispose of waste properly. This day I’m on Old Speck and I’m using it as a training hike for my trip to Katahdin, which is 10 days away, and the day is gorgeous. A little chilly as my friend Jackie and I check out the map on the wooden sign in the parking lot, but it’s perfect for our 7.6-mile roundtrip hike ahead. Old Speck is the tallest peak in Grafton Notch, standing at 4,170 feet, and has amazing 360-degree views of the surrounding area from a tower that stands at its summit. Remember, if you’re planning to hike this area prior to July 1, don’t be surprised to see snow, as the shadows of the mountain don’t feel the warmth of the sun much before this. Be prepared. As is our custom while hiking, my friend and I always start out gabbing and laughing as we hoof it up the steepest sections of the trail, not really paying any mind to anything but the trail ahead. We stop and take a few pictures near some cool rock steps
A hiker on the tower at the top of Old Speck, which has 360-degree views of the Mahoosuc and Grafton notch mountain ranges. (Photo by Jackie Dupuis) that have been placed by the trail maintenance crews of the Appalachian Mountain Club, at a plank crossing, and of course, the Cascade Brook waterfall that parallels the trail about a half mile up. If the water is low and you attempt to bask in the cool mountain spring, use caution, as the moss on the surrounding rocks is slippery. Falling near this waterfall could result in extreme injury. Every now and then, Jackie asks if I’ve seen a white Appalachian Trail marker on a tree or rock. My answer is ‘no,’ as there has not been a single marker for more than a quarter mile. If it weren’t for the obvious trail, we would have been concerned, but we know that it is supposed to intersect with the Eyebrow Loop somewhere in the first mile. Even though most of the trail is well marked, always remember to pay attention to your surroundings and know which color marker you’re following, as the GLT is marked in blue and intersects the AT near Old Speck. Jackie and I continue to walk, listening to the birds, hop-scotching rocks in the stream bed, admiring the tall pines that create a nice canopy, shading the