| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Hersey Mountain, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Class VI road, snowmobile trail, logging road, unnamed trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, February 17, 2017 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked at the plowed end of Carter Mountain Road in New Hampton. There is room here for two sensibly parked vehicles. Please don't block the driveway on the left. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Only one actual foot trail on this route. Unsigned, unnamed and unblazed, but marked with flagging. I lost the trail near a small rocky gully but picked it up again shortly. The upper section of this trail could use more flagging. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure, if they love deep snow. |
|
 | Bugs: |
Nope. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
Did this one on the advice of a friend and was pleasantly surprised.
The Class VI Road hadn't been touched in a while, about 6-8 inches of new powder. I followed this road to where it meets a snowmobile trail, which was packed down by sleds. Walking a short distance up this trail, I turned right into a very wide and clear logging road.
This road was also untouched with closer to a foot of new powder, so I broke trail all the way up to where it ends at an enormous logged clearing with an incredible view stretching all the way from the Benton Range to the Belknaps. There are a couple of junctions on this logging road, just keep to the main road and keep heading up.
To the right of the cliffs above this clearing, the unnamed trail heads into the woods. There is no signage, look for the flagging. The route was easy to follow most of the way but I did lose it at one point where the flagging stopped for a bit. In the woods, new snow depths were a foot or more, making for slow going. There are also some fairly steep sections along this trail.
I followed the flagged trail all the way to the summit, where the New England Forestry Foundation has a well-stocked cabin, which is free for anyone to use. I would have liked to check out the inside, but the door was frozen shut. I ate lunch on the porch and also checked out the nearby easterly viewpoint.
Going down was a LOT easier. Some of my tracks had drifted over in the wind, so I broke them out again. By the time I got back to the Class VI road, it has been packed down by snowmobiles.
I'll definitely be back to check this out in the summer. There's a sign at the summit which states that NEFF is working to build additional trails here. |
|
 | Name: |
KenM |
|
 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2017-02-17 |
|
 | 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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