West Branch
- 0.7 mi
- round trip
- 508 ft
- climb
- 1,726 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Aug–Sep
- best months
West Branch is a cross-country skiing route in Maine, about 2 miles from the town of Bigelow. The trail is an out-and-back that covers roughly 1.4 miles, with a total climb of about 508 feet and a high point of 1,726 feet. The route is rated moderate, and the steepest stretch comes early on, with a grade of about 9% at around 0.13 miles. Winter is the natural season for skiing here. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Long Falls Dam show January highs around 23°F with lows near 4°F, and the station sits about 566 feet lower than the route's high point, so temperatures on the trail run cooler. East Branch, another cross-country ski route, lies just 0.1 miles away. Mountain bikers can head to Inferno and Widowmaker, both within half a mile. Climbers will find Tufulio's Boulders about 4.5 miles off.
Best time to go · Aug–Sep
Best time to visit West Branch
Best months: August–September. 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
23° / 4°
12 wet
Feb
26° / 5°
10 wet
Mar
35° / 14°
12 wet
Apr
47° / 28°
12 wet
May
62° / 40°
14 wet
Jun
71° / 50°
14 wet
Jul
77° / 55°
14 wet
Aug
76° / 53°
12 wet
Sep
68° / 46°
11 wet
Oct
54° / 35°
13 wet
Nov
40° / 25°
13 wet
Dec
29° / 14°
14 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Long Falls Dam, ME, 12.5 mi away at 1,160 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
