| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Paugus, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Cabin Trail, Lawrence Trail, Kelley Trail, Old Mast Road, Gordon Path, Route 113A |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, July 3, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I got the last space at Ferncroft, which was a frickin' madhouse. By the time my friend arrived, there was nowhere left to park, so we bagged our original plan to ascend via Kelley Trail and drove over to the Cabin Trail parking area instead. In regards to Ferncroft, WODC is proposing to expand the parking area at some point. I talked to two neighbors who were out walking their dogs. One was fine with the increased hiker traffic in the area, the other not so much. : / |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
All in all, everything was in good shape. A few minor blowdowns on CT. A few spots of standing or running water in places on all trails from the rains, but for the most part they were all draining nicely. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure. |
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 | Bugs: |
Terrible. Mosquitoes and black flies depending on elevation. Tons of flies at the ledges on Paugus but better once in the woods. A slight wind on top helped a bit. The descent down KT was swarming with mosquitoes. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
A third trip to Paugus to help a friend with her 52WAV. #45 yay! After the parking debacle at Ferncroft, we ascended via CT which is gentle pretty much the whole way. Lots of muddy areas down lower from the monsoon. Easy walking along LT through some neat bouldery areas and up the well graded switchbacks that were built in 2006. These new sections skirt the old steep section of the trail, which is now choked with thick blowdowns. Awesome views from the big ledge on Paugus, which we had to ourselves, and a zillion black flies. Poking around the south summit, we noted some flagging heading toward to the actual summit, but didn't follow it too far. It may be that someone has flagged a route to the summit. The next trip will include the bushwhack to the high point.
From Paugus, we doubled back and continued to Paugus Pass, where we descended KT, which neither of us had been on before. What a beauty! This might be my new favorite stretch of trail in the SWR. It passes through a narrow notch, then drops down steeply into a rough and scenic box canyon with many cascades and waterfalls, where the flow was fast. A really neat geological area kind of tucked away from the world. I'll definitely be back here for some more photos.
We walked KT to OMR back to Ferncroft, where we hopped on Gordon Path to get us back to the road. GP took some care to follow, as there are some twists and turns that are marked with small "trail" signs. The trail pops out into a yard and private driveway before ending at Rt. 113A. From there it's a 0.3 mi. walk back to the CT parking area. |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-07-04 |
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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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