Streaked Mountain, Hebron

By Carey Kish

Copyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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Trail name: Streaked Mountain Nearest town: Hebron Region: Western Lakes & Mountains Length: 1/2 mile Difficulty: Advanced Beginner Elevation gain: 1,770 feet Maps: Get driving directions from MapQuest. View a topo map from Maptech MapServer.

The distinctive west face of Streaked Mountain (1,770 feet) can be seen for miles in the Norway-South Paris area. The mountain offers a steep but short half-mile hike to the top. Find the trailhead on Streaked Mountain Road, a half-mile south of Route 117 and about five miles west of South Paris.

Start by following a small brook and old telephone line along the edge of a field. The trail quickly becomes steep, rocky and eroded. Pass through a dense forest of spruce, pine and hemlock before breaking out onto smooth granite slabs.

Fantastic views begin to reveal themselves here and the scenery gets better as you climb higher. Views of Pleasant Mountain, Mount Kearsarge, the Presidential Range and the Mahoosuc Range all make good excuses for frequent rest breaks. As you trudge steeply upwards, follow red arrows painted on the rocks.

Soon the angle lessens, the trail crosses under the telephone line, and you reach the broad summit plateau and a complex of communications towers and buildings.

Ignore the man-made structures and choose a nice spot off to the side of the summit to enjoy the view. Better yet, hike a quarter-mile south on an old Jeep road to some beautiful ledges to have your lunch. Here you can see all the way from the stacks of the Sappi mill in Westbrook to the Baldpates north of Grafton Notch, including the major peaks of the White Mountains. It's such an amazing scene, you'll forget the towers altogether.

Carey Kish of Portland is the former president of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club. He can be reached at:

happycamper@careykish.com