Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mazurenko Farm, Carter Hill, MA |
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| Trails: |
Various trails |
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| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 19, 2020 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Three lots. One across from Lake Cochichewick (Rt 133 - aka Great Pond Road), two on Bradford St. Room for several vehicles and nicely maintained. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Tiny feeder streams - no problem. Mud was more of a challenge. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Excellent signs at kiosks. Some of the trails had signage and metal blazes. Some strategic bog boards, more may be needed.A couple blow downs, no big deal. Another great Friends of North Andover Trails property! Thank you! |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Good for dogs, not good for you if they love to roll in the mud. |
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| Bugs: |
Two pretty butterflies. |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Elevation loss and gain and a big variety in landscape made this a winner. Nice ponds and marshes (negative side is the mud). Woodsy areas alternated by large open fields. We parked at the Locust Trail entrance. Locust trail parallels the road, but this is a quiet st. Scout trail and Ridge Trail are on the left, paralleling each other up to Reas Pond (a small pretty pond where we saw several turtles sunning themselves. Scout Trail is more in the woods and is very muddy right now. It gives you a good view into a marsh (saw a white swan here), but I would not go there again during mud season (maybe bog boards would help here). There is a small connector path between Scout and Ridge Trails. Ridge Trail parallels the edge of a big open field. Nice views of the local area from here. Highland Trail takes you through a mixed wooded area (mostly pine, and a few big ones). A lovely open woods. Takes you into another open field. Up to this point all trails have had signs and metal blazes with the FONAT logo. But then you will notice three openings that do not have signs. The correct one takes you down into a small col and back up to the beautiful open field of Carter Hill. The trail leads you down to the parking lot. From this hill there is a gorgeous view of a barn, small pond, etc. Guide book says it is a popular sledding sight in the winter. I could have sat on that hill for hours; it was that beautiful.
Probably one of the best local hikes I have been on. Note - Mazurenko Farm is not a working farm. It hasn't been for several decades. Property was purchased by North Andover to protect the watershed and to provide a recreation area. |
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| Name: |
Beckie and Prema |
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| E-Mail: |
beckiejani@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-04-19 |
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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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