It's Sunday afternoon, and I have a few hours to try to squeeze in a short hike. I decided to try something new: Whitecap Mountain in Rumford, ME. There are several mountains in Maine named Whitecap, and this one can easily be confused with nearby Whitecap at Sunday River. Dr. Robert Story at the hospital where I work told me about this mountain. The mountain is on private land, and the trailhead can be tough to find. From Route 5 cross over Ellis River on Ellis River Road. Then take a left onto East Andover Road. A tenth of a mile or so up the road is a red gate on the right. Park on the left side of the road. I wasn't completely sure I was at the right spot. I followed the trail past the red gate and within a minute I found a trail register confirming I was at the right place. Just after this several trails intersect. I was unsure which way to go. I saw a sign on a tree further down the trail to the left. I followed the trail to the sign. The sign was very faded but stated that it was the trail to Whitecap. There are no blazes to follow on this trail, but I did find some orange ribbons tied to small branches here and there. According to the trail register someone had been up here yesterday. I followed their tracks.
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With the snow quickly melting. There were lots of spots without snow. Going from snow to rock, then to mud, and back to snow again, I decided it best to leave my snowshoes behind.
Whoever had gone ahead of me the day before, must have decided to turn back about halfway up because the footprints disappeared.
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I had my GPS with me today which was quite helpful. Being uncertain of the route, it confirmed that I was closing in on the summit. I broke above treeline and spotted an occassional cairn marking the way to the top.
I left my pack behind for the remaining quarter of a mile climb. A few minutes later I reached the 2214' summit. My starting elevation was about 650. This mountain has a beautiful above treeline summit offering a 360 degree view. Here are a few pictures from the summit.
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Unfortunately, the future of this beautiful mountain is uncertain. Mahoosuc Land Trust is raising money to preserve the land. Lynn likes to hike some of the smaller mountains that I climb. This mountain is only about 40 minutes away so we'll plan to be back, maybe this summer when the mountain is filled with fresh, wild blueberries.
