| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Eastman Mountain, Mountain Pond, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Slippery Brook Road, Slippery Brook Trail, Eastman Mountain Trail, Mountain Pond Loop Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, June 22, 2013 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking in the National Forest lot at the gate - a surprisingly large number of cars in the lot late afternoon! |
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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 major crossings - most places had bog bridges relatively intact |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Slipper Brook Trail up to the junction of the Eastman Trail seemed, er, abandoned. I guess since the road closed, not much traffic. There did not seem to be any blazes and at times, there was no treadway. Many blowdowns and tree limbs and some were awkward to get around. At times, if you stop and look around, there is NO evidence of the trail, particularly in the fern and hobblebush areas once you are north of the logging road parts. Glad I saw the low-to-ground arrows pointing along the logging road junctions or I would have been lost. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
no dogs but you could lose them in the hobblebush!!! Plenty of water along the way. |
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 | Bugs: |
Below about 2400' (most of the hike), I felt completely enclosed in a buzzing biting swarm of blackflies and mosquitoes. They were particularly horrid at the pond - I could NOT outrun the bugs on the poor footing, nor could I see anything because of the swarm. The dragonflies there *should* be the size of unmanned drones given the food supply around the pond. I almost missed the shelter because I was swatting so much..... :( |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I mountain biked the closed portion of Slippery Brook Road up to the Slippery Brook Trailhead. On the logging road portions there were quite a few garter snakes sunning themselves - I almost stepped on a few... also, a very aggressive grouse came flying at me - kind of scary! Eastman Mountain had AWESOME views - made the day totally worth it! At the end of the day, a quick cool dip in the Saco River washed all those little bug parts away :) |
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 | Name: |
Becca Munroe |
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 | E-Mail: |
beccahiker@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2013-06-22 |
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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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