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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Dead Water Ridge - North Peak, Dead Water Ridge - South Peak, Diamond Pond Peak, NH
Trails
Trails: Private road, snowmobile trail, bushwhack, herd paths, access road
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, November 11, 2017
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: From Route 26 take Diamond Pond Road towards Coleman State Park, going past Little Diamond Pond. As you approach Diamond Pond you will see Roy Road on your left, we parked opposite Roy Road and the mail boxes. Note Roy Road is private and foot traffic only is allowed.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Slush 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: used snow-mobile bridge to cross 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes:  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Dead Water Ridge - North & South Peak & Diamond Pond Peak are on the New Hampshire 300 Highest and the New Hampshire 2000-Footer Lists.

From our parking, with a few inches of new snow, temps in the lower teens and wearing our orange blaze we followed Roy Road north for roughly just under a mile, at this point Roy Road takes a hard right and we continued northeast picking up a ATV / snowmobile trail. There was a truck parked at this corner and we thought they could be hunters whose footsteps also went this same direction. After a few hundred yards or so we decided to jump off, started bushwhacking northwest to avoid the hunter heading toward our 1st summit Dead Water Ridge - North.

The woods were nice and open as we moved along and we soon ran into a hunter. We stopped and chatted telling him our planned hiking route and he filled us in on his fellow hunter’s plans who were covering ground towards the east. He also had a two-way radio and filled in the rest of his party our plan. Off we went and soon caught the southern bump and edge of some logging clear cut with new growth. We skirted the edge for a short distance, then turned north and hit a swampy col just before a short section of steep that brought us to the large bumpy summit. After hitting every bump, checking the altimeter, and at a large hardwood tree we called it the recognized high point.

On to our next summit, Dead Water Ridge - South. We set off southwest on an old logging road now herd path and soon came to the western slope of that logging clear cut with nice open views. Rather than going around, we decided to push through the newer under growth toward our goal picking up herd paths and soon enough we were through it. In the distance, we could now see our destination and the bump before it.

When pre-planning this adventure, I noticed on the topo map a stream that we would have to cross at the 1st col and had some concerns if we would be able to safely cross. If you can see it on the map it’s typically not a rock hop. Now dropping down and back into nice woods we came across fresh bear tracks in the snow. He went left we went right crossing some swampy area and soon camp to a snowmobile trail with hunter’s footsteps on it. This trail wasn’t going in our direction but we followed it hoping it would turn and give us a safe way of crossing that stream on a bridge. As luck would have it, it did and we got back on track over the bump and into the next col, crossed over another snowmobile trail with hunter’s footsteps on it and into a larger swampy area. Once out, the woods opened and we began our final climb to the summit. Like the north peak, this south peak had lots of bumps and soon we hit the recognized high point.

We now set off to Diamond Pond Peak bushwhacking to an antenna on this mountain, followed the access road down, crossing another fresh set of bear tracks to Diamond Pond Road. We followed the road for about a ½ mile and entered the woods southeast towards the summit, again seeing hunter’s footsteps. We soon ran into the owner of those footsteps and had a nice chat with him. His family owned the land that abuts this peak. We told him of our trek we had just completed and the look he gave us seamed he somewhat impressed with us flatlanders LOL. We parted ways and hit the recognized high point, returned to the road and a short walk bac to the truck.

Another great adventure with Mary seeing lots of deer and bear signs, clocking over 7 miles and hitting 3 summits!
 
Name
Name: Brian Bond 
E-Mail
E-Mail: BrianBond@comcast.net 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2017-11-12 
Link
Link: https:// 
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