| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Thompson Falls, Lila's Ledge, Square Ledge, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Jackson Road, Crew Cut Trail, road walk, Thompson Falls Trail, Libeskind's Loop, George's Gorge Trail, Square Ledge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 29, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Got a convenient spot at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, but it exploded all over the road and overflow lot during the day. Park at the ski area for the Thompson Falls Trail. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None were an issue. Take care on the crossing up high on the Thompson Falls Trail to not slip down the falls. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Cleared out a multi-limbed, spiny mess just below the first pool on the Thompson Falls Trail that had a herd path around it. There is another, larger one just past the second junction with the nature trail that is a duck-under thanks to a few branches having been removed by previous parties. The same trail gets obscure for a few dozen yards below the upper crossing, and it isn't immediately obvious the trail crosses either. Once across, it is easy to follow to the "end of trail" sign.
It looks like a fair bit of work is upcoming on the Rt. 16 side of the Crew Cut Trail, lots of flagging for bog bridges, rock steps, etc. A few spots on the upper George's Gorge Trail could use new bog bridges, and either more bridges or a few stepping stones due to muddy pits. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
These would all be good candidates for canine friends, but keep an eye on them near the falls, and on the top of Square Ledge. Not much water except the Thompson Falls Trail of course. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not much this day, a few mosquitoes and black flies, but it was noticeably cooler than the day before, and a stiff breeze most of the time kept them at bay. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I opted for some low-elevation wandering on this mostly overcast day, instead of hauling up the 5k of elevation gain planned. This was a nice setup to clear out these trails without having to move the car. The route was Old Jackson Road -> Crew Cut Trail (all the way to Rt. 16) -> a short roadwalk to the ski area and the Thompson Falls Trail (you can see the parking lot from the end of the Crew Cut Trail) -> back up the Crew Cut Trail to Libeskind's Loop -> George's Gorge Trail out and back to Old Jackson Road -> down George's Gorge Trail back to Pinkham -> across Rt. 16 to Square Ledge. Thompson Falls Trail was nice, though it was nearly a bushwhack for a short stretch before finding it (stay very close to the stream once the trail reaches it), and then I had to guess that it was time to cross the stream (I guessed right). A nice series of cascades with several folks enjoying the lower ones as I left. Lila's Ledge has potential, but was mostly socked-in, as was Brad's Bluff higher up. Square Ledge is an awesome perch, I took a nice break there as there were some views and sun on that side of the notch. Lots of climbers doing some short pitches. |
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 | Name: |
madmattd |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-05-30 |
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 | Link: |
 https://mattshikes.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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