Twin Pines Loop
- 0.5 mi
- round trip
- 160 ft
- climb
- 581 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May, Aug–Oct
- best months
Twin Pines Loop is a cross-country ski route in Maine, about 6.5 miles from the town of Norcross. It is a short out-and-back, roughly a mile long with about 160 feet of total elevation gain and loss, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.35 miles. Winter is the natural season for skiing here. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Millinocket put January highs around 24°F with lows near 5°F, while March runs a little milder, with highs around 36°F. That station sits a few hundred feet lower than the loop, so temperatures on the route run slightly cooler. Black Cat Peak is just 0.2 miles away, and the Lakeside Trail and Golden Road are each about half a mile off. Saddle Loop, another cross-country ski route, is about 0.5 miles away.
Best time to go · May, Aug–Oct
Best time to visit Twin Pines 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, 7.4 mi away at 360 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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