White Cap from Chairback. Big Spruce Mountain is partially blocking it.
White Cap Mountain, at 3654 feet, is the highest mountain between the Avery Peak and Katahdin on the Appalachian Trail. To its southeast are a collection of rugged, untrailed mountains over 3000 feet (the Boardmans and the Spruces). From the summit you can see all the mountains in the 100 Mile Wilderness and around Moosehead Lake. On a clear day, you can see the Bigelows and have a spectacular view of Katahdin.
Snow-capped Katahdin from just below the summit.
You can see White Cap from the hill on Broadway in Bangor as the road drops down to Dysarts. The summit has been snow free for some time this spring, so I decided to head up and climb it from the south. Most people climb White Cap from the north, hiking up the Appalachian Trail from the end of Frenchtown Road (see my August 19, 2019 blog post for a description of that route). I first climbed White Cap from the south about 25 years ago. Since then, the road in has deteriorated to the point that you had to walk the last four miles to the trailhead. A couple of years ago, they logged the valley below the mountain again and fixed the road to the White Brook Trailhead.
To get there from Route 11 in Brownville, drive north 4.9 miles past the bridge over the Pleasant River. Turn left onto the KI Road at the sign for Gulf Hagas. Drive 6.5 miles to Katahdin Iron Works. You have to register and pay an entrance fee here. Cross the West Branch Pleasant River (this is the river that flows through Gulf Hagas) and turn right. Drive 3.5 miles. Bear right at the sign for High Bridge. Drive 2.2 miles. Turn left and cross High Bridge. Drive another 3.7 miles. THIS SECTION OF ROAD HAS SEVERAL SPOTS THAT ARE EITHER WASHED OUT OR VERY ROUGH. The worst is about 2 miles beyond HIgh Bridge. I made it in my Honda CRV, but it’s pretty sketchy. The road ends at a large gravel cul de sac with a huge pile of gravel at the far end. Park here.
High Bridge
The hike is a 6.4 miles out and back with 1838 feet of climbing. This is a slightly easier hike than climbing White Cap from the north.
0.0 The first 1.2 miles of the hike are on what’s left of the road beyond the parking area. The route is easy to follow, but sometimes looks like an old road bed and sometimes looks like an overgrown trail and sometimes looks like a moose trail. There are occasional cairns (that have mostly fallen over) and a blaze or two on rocks on the ground. Along this section, you get views of Hay and White Cap Mountains as you approach the saddle between them.
One of the more open sections of the approach trail. This is good moose habitat.
1.2 Eventually, the trail reaches an open area that is somewhat overgrown. Stay to the left and look for the cairn with a faded blaze on it. This is the White Brook Trailhead.
White Brook Trailhead
1.6 The trail climbs gently to a pretty crossing of White Brook.
White Brook at the crossing
1.7 The trail climbs away from the brook to a junction with two signs. The trail used to fork here, but doesn’t any longer. In 2020 the MATC volunteer who maintains area cut a new trail from here to the AT. Turn left at the junction (the only way to go).
2.1 The trail switchbacks up the steep slope, then climbs steadily to the Appalachian Trail. Turn right and head north on the AT.
Climbing toward the AT
3.2 The AT climbs steadily to the summit ridge then is relatively flat to the summit. (When I did this section on May 15,2021, there was still two feet of snow on the ground under the trees even though the summit itself was dry.)
Where the trail breaks out of the trees the first time. You have great views north and west.
The summit sits at the edge of a stand of stunted spruce that block the view north. But the slope of loose rock below you (that give the mountain its name) allow for spectacular views east, south, and west.
The summit
Looking west from the summit
To get the best view of Katahdin and BIg and Little Spencer Mountains, continue north on the AT around the summit for about 0.1 miles.
Snow-capped Katahdin in the distance from along the AT just north of the summit
The Spencers from just north of the summit along the AT
After your hike, be sure to stop and visit White Brook at HIgh Bridge. The stream falls into a sculpted gorge before passing under the bridge. It’s a cool formation and a good swimming hole.
The small gorge on White Brook at High Bridge