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2023-04-14
Saddleback and the Horn
Posted by pdittman on June 17th, 2017 in Hiking/Trekking

#59 and #60

After the difficult day hiking Redington and the Crockers, we wanted to take things a bit easier – opting for the 6.8 miles that were the Saddleback, and the Horns in Rangely, ME.   Driving north on Rt 27 beyond Sugarloaf to Stratton, then southward on Rt 16 to Rangely, we arrived at Saddleback mountain ski area shortly before 9am.    Off Dallas Hill Rd in Rangely, there weren’t any fancy signs for the ski area, so the access road was easy to miss…  Plus, we’d heard the area had been shut down – but the ski lodge looked well kept…  Besides, we weren’t skiing, so no problem!

Path to Saddleback and the Horn
Path to Saddleback and the Horn

The day was substantially cooler than the prior day – low 60s when we started – and with less humidity.  Less humidity also meant greater visibility – more on that soon.   Gearing up, we started looking for the trailhead – eventually finding a ‘herd path’ leading uphill on the Gray Ghost ski trail.    We weren’t looking forward to just walking up a ski trail in the tall grass, so it was good to see the path, though it led straight up the ski trail, so we knew it would be a grind.

Following the Gray Ghost trail uphill, we transitioned to the Tri-color trail to reach the summit.  On the way up, the views from the slopes were great, and they just kept getting better and better.   And with the low humidity and a stiff breeze, and this was turning into one of the all-time greatest hikes.

Reaching the summit, we were in awe – really no other way to say it.  Visibility was outstanding, and complete 360 degrees.  This really was hiking at its finest.

Panoramic view from Saddleback
Panoramic view from Saddleback
Saddleback-north to sugarloaf
Looking Northward toward Sugarloaf. Katahdin in the far distance
Saddleback-theHorn
And a very unassuming sign for The Horn

After soaking up the views, enjoying a bit of lunch, we began our trek down. And for anyone who’s ever felt the burn after a long ski run, try hiking down a ski trail!

Definitely one of the best days and hikes we’ve had.  But still more to come – read about our next day hiking Abraham, Spaulding, and Sugarloaf.

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