When hikers summit Speckled (Peru) from Concord Pond, they may notice that the trail continues along the ridge. It follows the ridge for .8 before swinging north to a logging road. This road can be used to loop back to the pond, but hikers must be comfortable navigating an overgrown former ATV trail between the road and the pond. Alternatively, this lesser-travelled section of ridge, a small stretch of the logging road, and a different ATV trail combine to form the Speckled Mountain Pasture trail. The Pasture trail is a Maine Mountain Guide (MMG)“legacy” trail starting on Dickvale Rd.
Already a fan of the Concord Pond route, I wanted to experience both versions of the Pasture trail. Yesterday Neil and I hiked the loop. Later this week, I intend to hike from Dickvale Rd.
I had wanted to climb Speckled with Neil, of @westernmaineviews, ever since I messaged him about the Pasture trail. He sent me a map showing 4 ways to access the Pasture trail. The Pasture trail expert, sign me up.
After we parked on Redding Road, we found trouble on the 1/2 mile access trail to Concord Pond. Now that more ice has melted, the beaver pond flooding the trail should be more obvious and easier to avoid. I had no idea of the water depth when the sheet of ice split and I sunk up to my knees. Sure sign that the hike would be an adventure.
A synopsis of conditions for the 8.5 mile hike? Snow drifts and wet bare ground. The pond trail is easy enough to follow. The overgrown ATV trail connecting a pond-side campsite to the logging road is not. Track required, preferably with someone who has hiked it before.
When we burst onto the logging road, I felt relieved. On the 1.5 mile walk to the official Pasture trail, we admired Zircon and Tumbledown and the Jacksons. The yellow boundary blazes are the dead give-away to turn off the logging road and start heading up to the ridge. The trail gains 400 ft in a half-mile as it parallels a heavily-harvested clearing. The trail is well-defined, due to dirt bike activity.
Sooner than expected, we reached the ridge and hit view after view. Nothing I love more than a ridge walk, even if I have to hike through calf-deep snowdrifts. I spotted red spray paint and cairns marking the way. I also noticed recent chainsaw work; seems like the dirt bikers keep this side of Speckled more clear than anyone does on the Concord Pond side.
Cannot wait to see Neil’s shots of the hike. I do not need a photograph to remember The Shute on Speckled. It was a surprise when I hiked Speckled during foliage season 2020. This time, it was slippery but not entirely snow-covered. I had to settle for butt-sliding on the bare rock, during which I lost control and bent a pole. Better to bend a pole than break a leg (Neil slipped on microspikes at this point; I played the stubborn hiker card and did not).
For me, this loop is an epic Western Maine route. So much to love on Speckled, and the Pasture trail opens it up even more.
Maine: The Way Life Turned Out 