| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Cotton Mountain, Mt. Livermore, Mt. Webster, Mt. Morgan, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Cotton Mountain, Crawford-Ridgepole Trail, Mt. Morgan Trail, Old Mountain Road, Old Highway, Prescott Trail, Route 113 |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, October 26, 2013 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Room for a few cars at the Cotton Mtn. TH parking. More room for cars alongside the road nearby but at this time of year there isn't a lot of demand. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Step overs. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One new major two stem oak blowdown on Crawford-Ridgepole east of Old Mountain. It is easy to get over but would require an axe or large saw to remove. Old Highway was badly eroded in one long stretch near 113, probably from Irene, and a short stretch is being used to haul wood out. Old Mountain was surprisingly firm; it has been dry. The trails were generally in very good shape and well signed. The top of Morgan can be a bit confusing with its loop and spur and shared stretch with C-R if one lacks a map or zones out; I've gotten confused in the past (I can zone out with the best of them)but having been here a few times lately I was able to help some other hikers today. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Three paws up from Pepper, mostly for all the fun squeaky toys that were everywhere today, and announced their presence with dry leaf rustles, and for the lack of other hikers allowing him to run free most of the time. There's little water; some small drainages in the cols on the west side, and one seep pool near Morgan. But in today's temps he didn't need much water. He also liked the open ledge views and easy grades. We skipped the ladders this time on Morgan. Met two dogs on Morgan. I put Pepper on a leash for the road walk at the end, but it's short and traffic was minimal - one car. |
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 | Bugs: |
None. I just did a tick check on Pepper and found none. I have pulled two ticks off him in the past 3 days, but they came from home. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
When Plan A was rescheduled due to the higher summits forecast, I looked for an alternate with peaks that would stay below the clouds. Trish & Max's report (Thanks!) reminded me of these peaks, which are a great hike this time of year with the hardwoods being so open, the paths dry and the pests in Florida. Crunchy leaves, open woods, some large trees, lake vistas, a couple of old cemeteries and easy trail grades add up to a pleasant walk. Pepper had a blast. Me too. |
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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: |
2013-10-26 |
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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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