Saddle Loop
- 1.8 mi
- round trip
- 336 ft
- climb
- 730 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May, Aug–Oct
- best months
Saddle Loop is a cross-country ski route in northern Maine, about 6 miles from the town of Norcross. The trail is an out-and-back that covers roughly 3.6 miles round trip, with a total climb of about 336 feet. The route starts at an elevation of about 689 feet and reaches a high point of about 730 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 1.3 miles in, where the grade reaches about 7%. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from the nearby Millinocket weather station show January highs around 24°F with lows near 5°F, and February is similar. That station sits about 370 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the loop run a little cooler. Twin Pines Loop and Katahdin View are both about 0.1 mile away, and Hammond Ridge Trail is about 0.4 mile off. For paddling, Millinocket Stream is about 4.4 miles away.
Best time to go · May, Aug–Oct
Best time to visit Saddle Loop
Best months: May and August–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
24° / 5°
10 wet
Feb
26° / 6°
9 wet
Mar
36° / 16°
10 wet
Apr
50° / 30°
10 wet
May
64° / 41°
12 wet
Jun
74° / 51°
13 wet
Jul
78° / 57°
13 wet
Aug
78° / 56°
11 wet
Sep
70° / 48°
11 wet
Oct
55° / 37°
12 wet
Nov
43° / 27°
11 wet
Dec
31° / 15°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Millinocket, ME, 7.1 mi away at 360 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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0.11-mile out-and-back route in Maine with 22 ft of elevation gain.
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Black Cat Peak
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2.62-mile out-and-back route in Maine with 534 ft of elevation gain.
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Hammond Ridge Trail
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0.35-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 106 ft of elevation gain.
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Twin Pines Loop
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0.54-mile out-and-back out-and-back with 140 ft gain in Maine
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Twin Pines Loop
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0.14-mile out-and-back ski out-and-back in Maine with 64 ft of elevation gain.
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Twin Pines Loop
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1.17-mile out-and-back out-and-back with 185 ft gain in Maine
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Katahdin View
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0.45-mile out-and-back ski route in Maine with 190 ft of elevation gain.
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Katahdin View
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Katahdin View is a 1.17-mile out-and-back ski route in Maine with 106 feet of elevation gain.
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Twin Pines Loop
~1 min drive
0.21-mile out-and-back ski out-and-back in Maine with 25 ft of elevation gain.
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Twin Pines Loop
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0.51-mile out-and-back out-and-back with 155 ft elevation gain in Maine.
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