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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Puzzle Mountain, ME
Trails
Trails: Grafton Loop Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 17, 2010
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Big lot off Route 26. NOTE: eastern branch of trail (up to Puzzle Mtn and on to the baldplates) leaves directly from the lot. The access to the new western section (Sugarloaf Whitecap and on to Old Speck) is several hundred yards back down Route 26 (towards Route 2)  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: All small and easily crossed 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Trail is in great shape 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Fairly easy trail - smaller dogs may need some help getting up some of the ledges. Water for first 2.4 miles up to first viewpoint, water scare after this to the summit 
Bugs
Bugs: Actually saw one in the parking lot 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: A great little hike to open views of Grafton Notch and surrounding mountains. Only person on the trail today. Cloudy, cool, and windy but sun did break out for a few minutes. Still a fair amount of color down low in Grafton Notch. A lot of leaf fall on first couple of miles of the trail which does obscure the trail bed in some places. The trail is mostly easy to follow - well blazed down low with cairns on the ledges. Trail goes on and off a number of old logging roads but entry/exits are fairly obvious. A number of other old logging roads and paths do cross the trail so make sure and follow the blazes. Only tricky part I had was on the descent at one of the small stream crossings - here a path has been worn straight from the crossing and peters out in the woods. On the descent, the actual trail turns right up a slight rise. Some mud down low but not bothersome, a few deeper mudholes after the South summit of Puzzle. There was a fair amount of water on the ledges heading up to the south summit after the viewpoint and in places the ledges were a bit slick. There is a new loop trail that has been cut off of the Grafton Loop trail that apparently goes over the subsidiary peaks of Puzzle Mountain. The new trail links to the Grafton Loop trail at points about 10 mintes before the summit proper of Puzzle Mountain (not the south summit) and at a point about 15 minutes beyond the summit. Sign indicates it takes 1.5-2 hours and is "very scenic."  
Name
Name: Brian from Maine 
E-Mail
E-Mail: brobert1@maine.rr.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2010-10-17 
Link
Link: https:// 
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