This story was initially revealed in January 2023.
There’s a great cause why I preserve returning to Rumford Whitecap Mountain in North Rumford. Having fun with fantastic views is my favourite a part of the mountain mountaineering expertise. The panoramic vistas from the intensive Rumford Whitecap ridgetop are merely unparalleled in western Maine. The 360-degree views of the encompassing mountains and valleys from the summit are phenomenal.
One other good thing about the outstanding mountain is the relative ease of acquiring the visible rewards. Solely about 1,600 toes of elevation acquire on a well-designed 2.5-mile path brings the hiker to the two,214-foot open summit. The whole trek may be achieved at a reasonable tempo in three or 4 hours.
Thirty-five years in the past, once I first began mountaineering on Rumford Whitecap, the path to the ridge consisted of unmarked, badly eroded logging roads that linked with glorified herd paths at greater elevations. That modified dramatically after Mahoosuc Land Belief bought a lot of the summit and a number of the south and east slopes in 2007. Rumford Whitecap Mountain Protect was established and a community of high quality trails constructed. From the parking zone on the East Andover Highway, two marked trails result in the ridge.
In want of a mountain repair, I introduced a Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society mountain hike shortly after Christmas. I prompt Rumford Whitecap and two different doable choices. I’m not the one Rumford Whitecap fanatic. Virtually instantly, two membership members expressed a choice for the wind-swept uncovered summit. That grew to become my choice.
5 of us, all retirees, met on the East Andover Highway trailhead on a grey, seasonably heat early winter morning. Given two current rainstorms, I used to be stunned by the depth of the snowpack. An inspection of the path indicated a hard-packed snow floor because of heavy mountaineering visitors. We determined to forego snowshoes, which was a great resolution.
4 of us wore microspikes from the outset whereas the fifth participant added them earlier than the trek was over. We ascended steadily following orange blazes on Orange Path in a predominantly hardwood forest. It quickly grew to become obvious that we wanted to remain on the packed path as any deviation resulted in sinking deep into the snow, an exhausting method known as post-holing.
What seemed to be an outdated logging street was the primary part of path. The vast route rose nearly straight up on a reasonable grade. After crossing a few open streams, the trail angled left and we started ascending extra regularly in a cover of softwoods and hardwoods. When the path turned proper, we trekked alongside the west shoulder of steeper terrain. Right here, a hiker descending on snowshoes suggested us that the Black Mountain and Yellow Trails weren’t damaged, which means nobody had not too long ago traveled the route and the snow was intact, making it tougher to traverse. This was useful data as I had contemplated a return on Yellow Path.
The gradient diminished as we proceeded by a sparsely wooded sector to Black Mountain Path junction. Simply past, we dropped right into a small ravine and crossed a stream. Partially uncovered ledges led to the Yellow Path junction the place a path signal indicated the summit was sixth-tenths of a mile.
Some minor post-holing occurred as we traveled by an open space to an abrupt left flip the place a slender icy route was rigorously negotiated to the start of the uncovered ridge. From that time, the exceptional views had been fixed as we adopted cairns whereas climbing ice and snow-covered sloping bedrock to the summit.
Along with the breathtaking views, the Rumford Whitecap summit space is the habitat for what’s believed to be the biggest pink pine woodland within the state of Maine. The distinctive timber adorn the decrease portion of the ridge line the place they root in shallow soil. They in all probability originated on this space because of forest fires up to now.
The highpoint was freed from ice and snow. From that vantage level atop Rumford Whitecap, we lingered to benefit from the exceptional panoramic vistas regardless of a frosty breeze. Afterward, we retired to a decrease location protected against the wind for a lunch break.
The mountains and valleys of western Maine had been the backdrop for our descent of Rumford Whitecap. We met quite a few events of enthusiastic hikers throughout our return. All appeared thrilled to spend one of many ultimate days of the yr on that distinctive peak.
Many extra thrilling mountain escapades are associated in my ebook, “Maine Al Fresco: The Fifty Most interesting Out of doors Adventures in Maine.”
