White Cap Mountain (3,856 ft) & N. Kennebago Divide (3,775 ft) 6-11-16

Distance: 5.44 mi.
Elevation: 1,099 ft (overall) 1,743 ft (total)
Time: 1:08 (White Cap) 2:26 (N. Kennebago) 3:13 (Total)
Trails: Logging roads, access routes, herd path

Due to weather issues and poor planning on my last trip to the area to hike NEHH peaks, I had to come back to hike these peaks along with Snow Mtn, Cupsuptic as well. Getting to these peaks requires a bit of research as neither of them are on regular roads. You have to some lesser used dirt roads that are mostly there for logging purposes. It ended up being about an hour of driving dirt roads just to get to the trail head. Once on the proper logging road, you just have to avoid the rocks and potholes until you can't drive up it any further. This road ends at a small landing with plenty of parking (you won't likely see anyone else anyways) where the route becomes blocked by logging slash and just becomes a skidder path.

To start the hike, head up into the logged off area following the road covered in slash. Maybe 200 feet up the road, you'll see a narrow grassy path (about the width of an ATV) head off to the right. You'll want to go up that. It goes into the trees a bit and stays narrow for a while. Mostly if follows just to the side of the logging cut. As it starts to get away from the cut, the route widens and starts to have much more vegetation in the open spots. The head path was still easy to follow today, but might be harder when the ferns and other things grow up higher.

The path just after leaving the slash

At around 3200 feet, you'll pass a small cairn and a herd path heading to your left. This is one start for the hike to North Kennebago and I marked it in my GPS for reference. Going to White Cap first, I continued up the path I was on. Soon, the herd path went left a bit and seemingly into the trees, while the open area stayed straight. I stayed in the open area briefly, but soon went left to get back on the herd path. The open area actually ends straight ahead, while the herd path moves over to get into the new opening. This opening is narrower, but still very easy to follow.

A bit more open higher up

As you get to the height of land, there is another cairn, and the path splits. You'll want to stay right at the split and on the more open of the two routes. This route again gets narrow, about the width of an ATV again. Steadily climbing, this path soon became quite wet, with water running down it. I stayed out of the deeper spots, but with waterproof boots, didn't waste much effort to avoid all the water. This only lasted for a little while anyways. At times, this route was also a bit narrow with branches on both sides getting long enough to brush your arms some.

Cairn at the height of land

The path after turning right

You'll come to another cairn on this path. It's right in the open and easy to see. Just starting into the trees on the left is the blow down with the small cairn that marks the start of the herd path. This intersection should be easy to find, since if you stay on the "open" path, it immediately becomes much more grown in. Pushing into the trees now, the herd path is still pretty easy to find. As you get in a little further, it becomes more apparent. It was easy to follow this all the way to the summit. There wasn't much to step over and it only got scrappy just before the summit, but even some of that has been cut a bit in the past. The summit is obvious with the canister on your right and an opening with no other paths leaving it.

Cairn at the herd path

Cairn on the blow down at the start of the herd path

Easy to follow herd path

White Cap Mountain

After a brief break here, I headed back down the route I came up until I was at the height of land. Some trips reports mention just heading into the trees here, heading towards North Kennebago until they stumble onto the herd path. I looked at the trees and they still seemed a bit thick. I didn't explore the herd path that turns left here, and I probably should have. Knowing there was another herd path back down the mountain a bit, I decided to use that one in hopes it would be easier to follow. I headed back down until I got to the cairn, then turned onto the path.

Start of the herd path at 3200 feet

It was easy to follow at the start, then it soon turned up the hill. I followed the path up onto the height of land again. Since this route went almost straight back up, it might have been easier to push through trees rather than descend just to come back up so close to where I was. I kept following a path, and it was going well. It was a bit narrow, but you could follow it. I even found a cairn along it. I looked at my GPS here though, and saw I wasn't heading in the right direction. I was going more in the direction of White Cap than N. Kennebago and it appeared I might soon be headed downhill. Perhaps this was the other path at the height of land.

Cairn on the WRONG herd path

From here, I got out the compass and headed in the direction of N. Kennebago. If I wasn't on the right path, this route would hopefully get me there, or at least send me in the direction I would need to find the summit eventually. After picking my way around and through trees a bit, I came to what looked like a herd path. It wasn't super well defined, but it definitely showed wear and tear. I checked it out, and it was headed the direction I wanted. I followed it a bit more, and it was clear that this was the path I needed. This herd path is much less defined than the one heading to White Cap and it's much tighter through the trees. You'll be pushing through branches much of the way, but with a little effort, you can follow it all the way to the summit.

The correct herd path to the summit

North Kennebago Divide

After another short break on the summit, I headed back down. Staying on the same path, I was making pretty good time. When I got to where I got onto the path I paid attention to see where it headed, and it aimed a bit to the right from where I bushwhacked from. I followed it for a while, but soon it kind of petered out. Knowing where the path was lower, I just picked an easy route heading in that direction. It's open enough right here that people might use different routes which makes it less defined. I was soon on the lower section of path, and headed out back to the vehicle. It was smooth sailing from here, except for the light rain as I neared the last quarter mile to the vehicle.

With the issues I had route finding at the height of land between the peaks, I'd be tempted to hike N. Kennebago first if/when I go back. This would get the harder peak done first. As I neared the height of land on the descent, I'd probably just try to bushwhack over towards the open route for White Cap. I might go a bit to the right though while following the height of land just to help ensure I come out somewhere on the open part of the path near or a bit below the cairn.

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

Google Earth representation of the hike