| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Haystack Notch, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Miles Notch Trail, Haystack Notch Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, November 11, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Tyler Road is in good shape and is easy for high clearance vehicles. Vehicles with lower clearance should be fine at least until just before the parking lot if they are careful. The waterbar before the parking lot is pretty significant and may be difficult for some low clearance vehicles. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Some were tricky, especially on the east side of the trail, but i was able to stay dry |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The trail is generally well-marked, clear, and easy to follow outside of the wilderness area. However, within the wilderness area the treadway is much less defined, and it is sometimes hard to see where it continues on the far side of blowdowns. I found myself stopping a number of times to see where the trail led next, but I never lost track of it. Reading previous reports, I noticed that some people found the trail hard to follow where it crossed old roads near it's east end, but these are now all well-marked and not confusing. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
would be a good trail for dogs |
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 | Bugs: |
none |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Just a walk in the woods today through Haystack Notch. I did an out-and-back hike starting from the end of Tyler Road. Parts of the clearing just past the trailhead had been recently brushed and the Haystack Notch trail sign was missing. The trail through the clearing had been recently marked with blazes on posts, so it was easy to the woods line.
The next section of trail had a number of stream crossings, mostly crossing the West Branch of the Pleasant River. Some of these were a bit difficult and required careful hopping to stay dry.
The trail started to ascend more steadily to the height of land after crossing into the wilderness. The floor of the notch is a beautiful hardwood forest with some rather old trees. It is also littered with large bolder from the cliff above which have made some decently large caves in places. The floor of the notch is a fun place to explore.
As the trail descends to Route 113, it crosses the East Branch of Evans Brook a number of times. These crossings weren't as difficult as those on the other side of the notch, but still took care to cross. After reaching 113, I returned back the way I came.
There are no peaks or viewpoints on this hike, but it isn't very difficult and passes through some beautiful landscapes in a rather remote area. |
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 | Name: |
Sam Shirley |
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 | E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-11-11 |
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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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