When I checked out the Yellow Trail again in the summer of 2018, the portion that uses the old logging road was still pretty overgrown (probably due to a general avoidance of this trail by seemingly many people). Sometime around December 2010 or January 2011, the lower portion of the Yellow Trail got obliterated by a logging operation, leaving the Orange Trail as the only reliable option. When the Yellow and Orange Trails were established, the old route from Coburn Brook Road became the "Blue Trail", and the upper portion was moved a good deal southward to meet the Yellow Trail at about the midpoint between its two junctions with the Orange Trail (besides the last thousand or so feet before the summit, there is no overlap between the old blue-ribboned herd path and any of the Yellow or Orange Trails the old herd path ran a good deal North of where the Yellow Trail currently runs). This was before the Yellow and Orange Trails were established, so to my knowledge, it was the only way at that time.
#WHITECAP MOUNTIAN SERIES#
The lower half of this route was a series of unmarked logging roads leading gradually up from Coburn Brook Road, and the upper half was basically a steeper herd path marked by blue ribbons tied to tree branches. I had found out about Rumford Whitecap in John Gibson's "50 Hikes in Coastal and Southern Maine" book - the 2001 edition being the most recent at the time. It was cold and a bit windy, but completely sunny - which was a more than welcome condition after the never-ending clouds and rain (and a light snow on one occasion) that dominated that October.
My first hike to Rumford Whitecap was in November 2005 during my U-Maine Farmington days. This preserve also includes the somewhat-developed Yellow Trail, which meets the Orange Trail to traverse the ridge to the summit. Please respect private landowners’ rights and wishes by adhering to any signs and staying within the Land Trust property. The summit of Rumford Whitecap is owned in part by the Mahoosuc Land Trust and also by private landowners. Stay on the Orange Trail to the open ridge, where the remaining distance to the summit is marked by cairns, orange ribbon flags, and paint blazes. The first section of the trail stays on a logging road before breaking off and heading toward the summit. The hiking trail turns north and east, as the snowmobile trail departs west. The Orange Trail leaves left out of the log yard (north) and shares a snowmobile trail for a brief stretch.
Cross the road, pass around a gate, sign-in at register box, and enter an old log yard to find the trail. To access the trails at Rumford Whitecap, be sure to park in the small lot or along the East Andover Road shoulder.
Many points along this hike provide breathtaking views of the surrounding area: the Mahoosuc and White Mountains to the west, Mexico Hills to the east, and the Androscoggin River Valley to the south. This mountainous part of the Mahoosuc Land Trust’s 1100-acre Rumford Whitecap Mountain Preserve and Ellis River Conservation Area is a must-hike in any season. Rumford Whitecap, rising only 2200 feet, is unrivaled in Western Maine for its open summit, bountiful summer blueberries, and extensive backcountry ski lines.
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