Saddleback Mountain
Saddleback Mountain is a mountain located in Franklin County, Maine. The mountain and its surrounding areas are the target of a Birch Rock hiking trip usually every summer.
Saddleback is part of the Rangeley-Stratton mountain range which also includes Mount Bigelow and Sugarloaf Mountain. There are two main peaks to Saddleback, Saddleback itself and a sub peak, The Horn. A ridge dips between the two peaks, giving the mountain the profile of a saddle when viewed from afar. Saddleback's peak elevation is 2446 feet and The Horn is 2041 feet at its highest. The Appalachian Trail runs over the summit and along the ridge. Nearby mountains also traversed by the AT include Saddleback Jr., Spaulding Mountain (peak via a blue blaze sidetrail), and Sugarloaf.
The first campsite 1.4 miles from the trail head features the landmark Piazza Rock, a huge cantilevered boulder sticking out from the mountainside. This campsite also has a double outhouse with a cribbage board. Buzzard's Roost or Eagle's Nest usually does the trip to Saddleback. The Rangeley Lakes canoeing trip that Pete's Palace does takes place within close proximity of Saddleback Mountain.
Near the start of the trail up Saddleback there is the trail head of an old obsolete trail. In 2006 the Buzzards Roost trip to Saddleback took this trail instead of the real trail. Buzzard's Roost led by the fearless Paul Koepke ended up going deep into the woods on the old trail until it abruptly ended. At that point they decided they must be on the wrong trail so they turned back but had to camp out on a makeshift campsite in the woods for the night.
Pictures from the 2009 trip to Saddleback
