| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Three Ponds, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Three Ponds Trail, Donkey Hill Cutoff, Mt. Kineo Trail, road walks, Hubbard Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, September 9, 2018 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Due to a washout one still can't drive to the usual parking places. Parking on the side of the access road worked, and the extra hiking in minimal. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No problems |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
These trails are greatly improved over my prior hikes of them. Kudos to those responsible. Three Ponds has many more painted blazes, an obvious corridor and in most places an obvious footbed from the 118 side to Donkey Hill Cutoff. There are a few mud pit sections but they are manageable. There is a section that goes into a Foxglove area wet meadow that is only followable via "momentum" and a faint swath in the vegetation. I recalled a herd path around it but it petered out; a whack works as does a very careful looking for grass clumps in the wet area. There were a few blowdowns; I turned a blocking mess into an easy duck under but it could use more work. The beaver dam crossing of Sucker Brook was fine as was a short spur to Middle Pond.
Donkey Hill Cutoff was fine with the few usual wet/mud spots easy in these relatively dry conditions.
Mt. Kineo trail was well marked with new paint blazes, an obvious corridor and usually an obvious footbed its whole length. I miss the old section right after crossing the snowmobile bridge at the Donkey Hill Cutoff intersection as it was a nice trail that was relatively flat. If we weren't redlining again we would have taken it. The once obscure place where the trail branches off the snowmobile trail shortly after the snowmobile trails junction is easy to find given the blazes & corridor. The bog bridges in the wet section are usable with great care but they are in advanced decay. The once brushy section nearing the Kineo Rd spur is gone. Kineo and Hubbard Brook Rds are pleasant walks; they have that rarely used look. Hubbard Brook was easy to follow except for the latest beaver pond incarnation. There are recent yellow paint blazes but they are (I would guess) for a re-route that has been messed up some by the latest dam and drainings from it. Coming from Hubbard Brook Rd I'd say just stay right of the wet/pond and find the trail that disappears right into its upper end. From the 118 side when the trail ends in the pond go around it to the left and if you really want the trail pick up blazes at the base of the beaver dam. All signs were in place. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Pepper had fun; it is a good dog hike. There's gentle slopes, mostly soft pawpaths, water, and apparently lots of interesting smells. Although it is somewhat long it isn't a hard hike. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing |
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 | Comments: |
I remember when the non road and non Donkey Hill Cutoff parts of this hike were a cross between a bushwhack and herd path. This is now a very pleasant loop hike that still retains its feeling of solitude. Thanks to any trail crews and the trail maintainers. There are a few places where waterbars are needed to stop erosion, and a few more that will need clearing. I tried to clear a few knowing big rains might be coming, but I didn't have enough time to do a good job. The footbeds were so nice I felt compelled to continually flicked broken branches off it. There aren't any vistas with leaf out, but the various ponds are pretty. I think a great time to do it would in foliage season assuming we don't get an overwhelming amount of rain from the tropical storms. |
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 | Name: |
Pepper and Me |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-09-09 |
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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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