| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Sugarloaf Mountain (Benton) (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Private road, Sugarloaf Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, October 28, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Along Page Road in Benton, at a road signed private, but foot traffic is welcome (sign). This is the second green gate on the left on Page. Parking is available outside the gate, please don't block the road. This hike starts on private property so please respect access. On the way out, I spoke with the landowner and they are totally cool with hikers walking through, they encourage it. They are NOT the ones doing work on the trail. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
This formerly abandoned trail is now seeing maintenance again. New-ish yellow blazes up until the first scramble. Above that, it appears blazing is red and faded. I also noted several blue and orange markings. Blowdowns have been recently cleared. A new upper ladder has been installed on the cliffs (but no lower ladder yet to reach it). A rotten rope can be used to reach the upper ladder, but I wouldn't trust it, and there's nothing to aid in the first pitch up to the rope anyway. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Eh, probably not with the cliffs. |
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 | Bugs: |
Nope. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
Nordic Gal's recent report (http://www.newenglandtrailconditions.com/nh/viewreport.php?entryid=32816) moved this up on my radar, but I ended up turning back at the base of the cliffs.
Some more details on the start of the trail. From the gate, walk the road and follow it as it turns right just after the first house. Yellow blazes begin here. At a clearing (shipping container, old boat), continue straight. Just before the WMNF boundary (sign, red blazes) is a clearing on the left. I suspect this might be an old parking area or trailhead? After entering the WMNF, descend and cross a new, large culvert over a brook to where the trail leaves the road and enters the woods (sign, blazes, small cairn).
The trail was pretty easy going up to the base of the cliffs. The footbed is full of leaves but is still visible. Watch the double blazes for turns. Some areas of mud where it passes through the clear cut area, which was mowed with a brush hog.
After the clear cut area, the trail joins an old logging road for a bit, then departs it and starts to climb to the cliffs, at first moderately, then very steeply. The cliffs themselves are truly impressive and ENORMOUS! The trail leads right to the base of the cliffs where the ladder and rope is. The pitches up the rope and ladder were wet and there was no way I was going to attempt them, not that I would have anyway with the condition of the rope and the fact that the ladder is NOT attached to the rock. Turning right here, there's a herd path which hugs the cliffs very closely, teetering on the edge of a high drop off to the right. This herd path can be unnerving as it is right on the edge. There is one tree to push past along here.
The path ends at a cleft that I found pretty sketchy looking. It wasn't overly wet, but went pretty much straight up. I was more concerned with coming back down. After studying it for a bit, I wasn't feeling comfortable doing this stretch solo and in the interest of safety decided to turn back. I followed the same route out.
It was really interesting to finally hike part of this trail, as it's been on my todo list for years. Now that I know where it is, I can go back. The landowner I spoke with said he believes that the people doing work on the trail will be putting in at least one more ladder down lower. If those ladders get installed, this will be a really fun trail! |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-10-28 |
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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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