| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Sandwich Dome, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Smarts Brook Trail, Sandwich Mountain Trail, Tri-Town ski trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, August 4, 2013 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot is often crowded but not today. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
rock steps |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
From a ways below the wilderness sign up to its end, the Smarts Brook trail was a delight, with a nice footbed and fine trail work. There were a couple of recent old stag blowdowns in the lower section that people are walking around. A couple more aren't as bad, one just down from the top and one just up from the last stream. Other than that just a couple wet/mud spots. There's some water and mud below that to the road but not much. We took Tri-Town on the way down instead of the road and it was a nice walk. In terms of signs, just after entering the woods from the parking lot and going up a short stretch, an arrow pointing left might be nice at the intersection for those who don't read the AMC Guide before the hike. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Lots of nice sip n dip spots down low. After the trail leaves its last crossing it is pretty dry, so bring water for it. Pepper loved this hike with the nice footbed, sip n dips, relative freedom in the solitude and critters to chase. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I did this hike so long ago I remembered almost nothing about it except the parking. Seeing all the cars the lot attracts every weekend, I figured this was a well used route. We saw one person all day except on the summit, and Smarts Brook's excellent footbed and light tramping suggest it is not often used. But it is a wonderful trail, well maintained, going through interesting woods, beside nice brooks down low, a really big boulder complex further up, with lots of solitude.
We only picked this hike because it required only a relatively short drive, after the ibuprofen and morning picked blueberries made me think my lower back was good enough for the hike. It turned out to be one of the best hikes of the summer, even though we got drenched by a T-storm in the last 10 minutes. Nothing like the crack of overhead thunder to add a little zip to the end of a hike. Hmm my lower back feels great. I wonder if I can my PCP to prescribe hiking for it for sick days. |
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 | Name: |
Pepper and Me |
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 | E-Mail: |
windriversjohn at gmail dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2013-08-04 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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