Now that I have completed the lower part of the Speckled Mountain Pasture trail (Peru), I plan to call it Speckled’s Vestigial Tail, due to not being hiker-friendly and its subsequent lack of use. As attached as the AMC may be to this “legacy” trail, I strongly recommend NOT using the Dickvale Road trailhead.
The problem is not the 1.9 mile route on uninspiring ATV trails. It is the trailhead-no-one-would-ever-know-was-a-trailhead on Dickvale Road. It is located where the pavement turns to dirt, at “The Searles Orchard Road” gate. The Maine Mountajn Guide instructs roadside parking. It is not the widest road and provides little shoulder. Adding to the awkwardness, that gate is located opposite a residence. A better parking situation is .4 downhill (north) on a wide shoulder next to the stream.
Rather than describe the neighborhood, anyone interested can go on Google Earth and look at the intersection of Dickvale and Mary Turner to sense the vibe. Alone, I feared for my safety more than any other trailhead in Maine (experimented with Facebook Live for the first time and that coaxed me through the discomfort).
Thankfully, this trailhead is not the only portal to the highly-worthwhile, lesser-travelled side of the Speckled Ridge. Starting at Concord Pond, hikers can either venture .9 past the Speckled summit and turn around, or, if adventurous, brave the informal loop. The AMC book could axe the Dickvale Road trailhead and Pasture trail heading, and assimilate the extraordinary .9 ridge walk as a mentioned distance from the summit in the Speckled description.
I doubt the AMC will sever Speckled’s Vestigial Tail, but do not take that as the green light that all is well. The book comes with a “use your best judgement” disclaimer. Unless a hiker is trying to complete every trail in the book, no reason to go to Dickvale Road, trust me.
Maine: The Way Life Turned Out 