| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Rogers Ledge, NH |
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 | Trails: |
South Pond Road, Kilkenny Ridge Trail, Devil's Hopyard Trail, Unknown Pond Trail, York Pond Road, Mill Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, August 15, 2014 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at the gate on South Pond Road, 1.1 miles from the trailhead, because I showed up at 7am. Gate open from 10am-8pm during the summer, though I've heard tell that parking is free if you're hiking. One car at Unknown Pond when I passed through, possibly one other at Mill Brook, though it was probably just Fish Hatchery folks. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Much to my surprise, the first two crossings on Kilkenny Ridge Trail are bridged! All other crossings were easy hops today. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Some old, huge, duck-unders on KRT between Devil's Hopyard and Roger's Ledge. Old step-overs throughout the whole route. KRT up to just before Roger's ledge is marked in yellow plastic "blazes" nailed to the trees, markings elsewhere were faded or non-existent. Some brushy sections of KRT, massive brushed-in areas of Unknown Pond Trail, but still easy to follow the footbed underneath it all. Mill Brook in good shape. Devil's Hopyard rocks were evil slick in the morning. New bog bridging on KRT near Kilback Pond, and on Mill Brook. Rotty, junk, bog bridging on Unknown Pond. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Hung around with Diesel, and his owner Hannah on Roger's Ledge for a while. |
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 | Bugs: |
Hanging around, mostly not doing much. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
A productive redlining day to be sure, finishing off Kilkenny Ridge and Unknown Pond, and adding Devil's Hopyard and Mill Brook. ~4 miles of roadwalking for this unfortunately. The new to me section of Kilkenny Ridge was great, I especially liked the birch glades up on the shoulder of Unknown Pond Peak. Roger's Ledge is a fantastic viewpoint, and was excellent in the morning sun. Devil's Hopyard was good fun, on a tamer scale than Ice Gulch or Mahoosuc Notch. Unknown Pond was interesting, very brushy, but really a beautiful section of trail, if you don't mind swimming in shrubbery from time to time. Mill Brook was nice, with consistent grades.
Really a fantastic set of trails, with solitude unmatched in any non-wilderness area in the WMNF. A long overdue return to the Kilkenny. Blog post soon. |
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 | Name: |
Bill Robichaud |
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 | E-Mail: |
bill.robichaud@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2014-08-15 |
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 | Link: |
 https://onapathwithheart.blogspot.com/ |
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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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