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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Hayes, Cascade Mountain, NH
Trails
Trails: Mahoosuc Trail, Mascot Pond Spur, Trident Col Spur, Hogan Road
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, April 27, 2013
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Parked at the RR/walkway bridge where there is room for maybe 8-10 well parked cars. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Significant, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow - Spring Snow 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Rock steps for me, wading for Pepper.  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Trail up to Mascot, and Mascot spur pretty nice with one duckunder. Mahoosuc above Mascot increasing problematic, first with mud spots and then nearing Popsy Spring the trail has become a small brook. In its upper stretches to Hayes there is rotten snow and wet openings in it. From Hayes to Cascade there is a lot of snow heading down, while the climb up on the ledges is dry. Then there is a long stretch of considerable snow that was pretty good snowshoeing. It would have been a postholing mess without them. After Cascade it is alternating snow and open trail; I had snowshoes on and off many times. Spikes would have been useless. There is no monorail, there is no real packed trail of any sort. The Mahoosucs up to Centennial is pretty well painted. The AT section I was on was very poorly painted, I only saw occasional paint blazes and those were often very faint. The trail route is wide but with snow hiding the footbed, it requires some attention to stay on trail. The signs are there. There are some blowdowns on the AT sections - a couple walk arounds, but nothing that is difficult to handle. I saw a small sign on Hoban Rd. calling the blue blazed route the Mahoosuc Detour. But there are just enough AMC Trail signs to keep one on the route but its best to read the AMC Guide first. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Pepper had fun on the hike out as the firmer morning snow held him up, but the real fun was down low where there were many things to grab his interest and brooks for sippin n dippin; his first summery hike this year. On the return hike up high the softening snow meant he was often pawpoling; no big deal for him but he stayed on the trail.  
Bugs
Bugs: None 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: This was a redlining hike and it wasn't what I expected with all the snow between Hayes and the Trident Col tent site. I must have put the snowshoes on and off at least 20 times. I was surprised how poorly painted the AT section was; I spent some time checking to see if we were on the trail on the hike out, and made sure my GPS (global positioning schnauzer)was in the lead on the hike back. I got off once in a dry section when he wasn't in the lead, but he found the trail for me so I didn't have to backtrack. I'm glad we used the alternate way to get to the Mahoosuc TH from Rt. 16 just north of Gorham, although Hogan seemed drivable, a bit rough but dry; I'd take it over my graded stone covered home road which punctured another tire today.

We didn't see anybody on the trails, but a nice family was at Mascot Pond on our hike out. It's a pleasant pond with good views of the Presidentials. We had some nice views on Hayes and Cascade of the Presidentials and Carters. Too bad I didn't get the Trident tentsite spur years ago when I did this section of trail; it was a long hike for a little spur.  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2013-04-27 
Link
Link: https:// 
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