| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Blueberry Mountain (Benton), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Long Pond Road, Blueberry Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, November 28, 2014 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Long Pond Road is gated and closed for the winter. I almost blasted into the Glencliff Trail lot up the street to park there, but it was not yet plowed. I parked on the shoulder of High Street at Long Pond Road, away from the gate. From High Street, it's a 0.7 mi. road walk (uphill) to the trailhead. While I was gearing up, some guy drove down Long Pond Road. A few minutes later, he backed up the road and took off. I guess he was assuming the gate was open. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
A few tiny crossings on the Blueberry Mountain Trail, easily hopped. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Long Pond Road is wide and clear. Blueberry Mountain Trail is clear for the most part, but gets obscure in sections up near the summit. One stretch had no blazing and I wasn't sure if I'd wandered off-track. Many old, faded blazes along the way mixed with very old metal ones. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Would have been fine for dogs. The only water is along Long Pond Road, though. |
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 | Bugs: |
Nope. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing and nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
I was hoping to get some views on this short hike, but alas, it was not meant to be. The sun was out when I started and when I finished, but it snowed all through the hike and I couldn't see much.
I could have gone either way with snowshoes, but decided to wear them starting at the trailhead. I used light traction up Long Pond Road. Blueberry Mountain Trail was unbroken with about 6 inches of powder on average. I hit some thin spots along the way, but overall was glad to have the shoes. Moderate grades all the way make this a great snowshoe trek.
When I returned to the trailhead, someone had snowshoed up Long Pond Road and turned around, leaving a nice track, which I followed down. I also took a quick side trip to check out Jeffers Brook Shelter, which looks very cozy!
I'll be back another day to catch the views... |
|
 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2014-11-29 |
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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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