| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Webster, Mt. Morgan, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Cascade Trail, Crawford-Ridgepole Trail, Mt. Morgan Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, December 5, 2014 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Roadside parking for a few cars next to the gate for the road that becomes the northern part of the trail around Perch Pond. This is immediately after the height-of-land at the pond. The gate is not right at the road, so you have to look for it, but it is visible as you're driving by. Perch Pond Road is paved at the beginning, but then turns into a well-graded dirt road, suitable for any car. The dirt portion was icy, but completely plowed and sanded, as there are residences along the way. Parking near the gate may be problematic after a storm, but was not an issue on this day. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossing near the cascade on the Cascade Trail is the only one of note, and is easily hopped with care. There are a few other tiny streams on this trail that are no problem. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
For an abandoned trail, the Cascade Trail is in fantastic shape, blazed in blue and also marked with surveyor's tape. It gets a little brushy near its junction with the CRT, but nothing major. I've read that at one point, it was being maintained by mountain bikers, but that stopped. So I'm not sure if it's being maintained now. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Fine for dogs, but didn't see any. |
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 | Bugs: |
Nope. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing and nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
Going by Rocket21's previous report (http://www.newenglandtrailconditions.com/nh/viewreport.php?entryid=18292), I decided to check out this abandoned route up the backside of the Squam Range. Per his recommendation, I took the northern part of the loop around Perch Pond, where a logging road diverts and the trail "begins". The route was free and clear most of the way. Snowpack was frozen and crusty. I carried snowshoes, but didn't need them, and wore Hillsounds all day. I followed a filled-in snowshoe track all the way up to the ridge. No views on this route, but the trail does pass by a very attractive small cascade, from which I assume it gets its name. Grades were easy to moderate the whole way, with only one steep section.
I popped out on the Crawford-Ridgepole Trail, where a yellow arrow keeps hikers on that route. In summer when everything is grown in, this junction is probably more obscure. I had originally planned on going to Morgan, but since I was just there about a month ago, I decided to head over to Webster instead, which I had not yet visited. The CRT was unbroken, with about 4-5 inches of crusty snow. Arriving at Webster, I startled a solo hiker who thought I was rampaging wildlife. I replied that I thought the animals wouldn't be anywhere near us with all the noise we were making in this crusty snow! ;) She was doing the traverse. We chatted for a bit, then wen't on our way. I didn't find the supposed herd path to the Webster highpoint, but did drop down to the outlook ledge which offers a fantastic view over Squam Lake, Red Hill, the Ossipees, and up the rest of the Squam Range. The view of the cliffs on Percival is especially impressive.
With it still being early in the day, I decided to go back and head over to Morgan since I was up here. Upon reaching the Mt. Morgan Trail, the conditions improved, with it being well-traveled and much more packed down. I skipped the ladder route this time. ;) Heading up the other side of the split, I climbed up to the high point, where there is a limited view due to tree growth. I took a quick break here and went down to the outlook ledge, which was icy. By now, the blue skies had given way to clouds.
After grabbing a few photos, I headed back down the Mt. Morgan Trail to the CRT and its junction with the Cascade Trail, then back down to Perch Pond.
While this isn't as exciting as the ladder/caves route to Morgan, it's definitely attractive in other ways, and certainly less crowded! |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2014-12-07 |
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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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