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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Sandwich Dome, NH
Trails
Trails: Bennett Street Trail, Gleason Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Monday, May 26, 2014
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: There were several cars in the lot when we arrived, but the only other person we saw all day was a fisherman. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Rock hops on both trails. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: See Pilgrim 21s report for the Bennett St trail but note I trimmed a blocking blowdown making it a step over instead of a walk around. I didn't notice any missing signs but I'm familiar enough with the trails I didn't focus on the signs. The Gleason herd path had a fair number of blowdowns, but it was pretty easy to follow going down until just before reaching the Flat Mtn Pond intersection. Gleason trail has recently received some impressive water drainage work. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Pepper had fun; lots of sip n dips, comfy temps and the freedom to lead me down the trails & herd path. Where I lost the trail I saw him down a ways watching me, and I told him he was off the trail. So I hunted around for it, eventually finding it after circling, and then as I followed it triumphantly I hit Flat Pond where he had been sitting. He didn't say a word. Dogs are the best. 
Bugs
Bugs: A couple of them bugged me when I stopped at Gleason and Flat Pond. I'm pretty sure one was a skeeter from the sound of it, but I didn't see her. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Bennett St. is a nice trail. Gleason herd path, excepting the many nuisance only blowdowns, in its upper section above 2500' or so, is a delightful trail, excuse me herd path, quite unlike the eroding sections that bedevil so many of the popular trails including the AT. When it meets up with the drainage and becomes steeper, it does have water running down it and it is eroding. Further down there are some slippery mud and leaves sections, at least in the season's wet period. By WODC standards (they do a pretty good job with their trails) this stretch wouldn't be a good section of trail, but I've been on worse. The lowest part of the herd path does have pockets of debris and blowdown in it, and as noted above the footbed kind of disappears in trail debris, but that is close to Flat Mtn. Pond. Gleason the trail is okay, but without the herd path it really feels out of the loop. I'm glad Pepper got to do the loop; he had fun. I had planned for some time to do a loop of Guinea Pond, Black Mtn Pond, Algonquin and Bennett but after seeing Trish's report on Guinea Pond I decided to wait for a summer drought or winter freeze to have Pepper finish it. We started after the last shower and saw mostly clouds on the summit, but it still was a pleasant walk in the woods on nice trails by ourselves; perfect for reflection. Thanks Pepper.  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail: windriversjohn at gmail dot com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2014-05-26 
Link
Link: https:// 
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