Baldpate Mtn. and Table Rock

The trailhead starts from the bottom, right hand corner of the parking lot (when looking at the lot from the road). Almost immediately, it crosses the street and traverses over several nice boardwalks (although the ground beneath wasn't even wet at the time I hiked it). After 0.1 mile, Table Rock Trail begins. I took a right to get onto Table Rock Trail. It starts out as an easy walk then shortly becomes quite steep. Lots of rock staircases and a few well placed iron rungs make the climbing easier. The trail skirts the mountain side with wonderful views to the facing ledges - provides a good excuse to take a rest from the steep climb. A bit beneath Table Rock, the trail skirts by several slab caves. Take the time to climb in and explore. They are narrow but very tall and neat. I'm guessing one of them is about 20 feet deep and 40 feet high with "skylights" letting in some light from the top. After a mile, my efforts were rewarded by the open ledges of Table Rock. There were several people at the summit. I went right to the edge to check out the steep drop-off. From the ledges, I could see the highway, the nearby rock faces, and the surrounding mountains. After taking a snack break, I continued along Table Rock Trail. It started off with a short, steep descent, but most of the half mile to the end of this trail was pretty easy. For people wanting to get to Table Rock without so much steepness, going up the AT first then taking this upper trail junction to Table Rock would be a pretty easy route. The junction with the AT marks the end of Table Rock Trail. I took a right and followed the AT up to West Peak of Baldpate Mtn. Most of this trail was fairly mellow except for a steep section shortly before West Peak's summit. At the summit there were good views to the northwest and towards East Peak. Lots of pretty water views. I couldn't see in other directions due to the summit being mostly covered by scrub. The open areas mostly face East Peak. Lots of conifers, mountain cranberry, blueberry bushes, lichens, etc. There were only a few other people at the summit but none of them stayed for long - either heading to, or returning from East Peak. The highlight of my day was seeing a pair of Gray Jays on the summit. I've only had the privilege of seeing these birds once before. They are beautiful, about the size of a robin with a gray back and white belly and jet black claws, beak, and eyes. I fed them a mixture of walnuts, almonds, and spelt flakes. They didn't care for the cereal at all but loved the nuts. It was amusing to watch them grab a big walnut in their delicate beaks. They ate from my hand and one even bit my finger in protest when I held my hand up from the ground in an effort to get him to perch on my hand. I felt honored to be bitten by a Gray Jay - it was such a treat to see them up close. About 65 degrees, sunny, no clouds but still hazy. Start time: 11:00 a.m. Driving Directions Get on Rt. 26 North in Maine. The parking area is in Grafton Notch State Park, along Rt. 26, on the east side (left hand turn when heading north). The entrance is approximately a dozen miles north of Newry, which is at the northern junction of Rt. 2 and Rt. 26.

Website by LeapfrogProgramming.com

© 1998-2007