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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Jim, Mt. Blue, Mt. Moosilauke, Mt. Moosilauke - South Peak, NH
Trails
Trails: Asquam Ridge Trail, herd paths, Beaver Brook Trail, Carriage Road, Hurricane Trail, Gorge Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 13, 2013
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: About 8 people failed at reading comprehension 101: DO NOT PARK IN THE TURN-AROUND.... I had trouble turning around in said turn-around, and I don't even have that big a car... (the one guy who parked right in front of one of the "do not park here" signs was, well, I lost some more faith in humanity seeing that). The road wasn't even that full at that point, I parked right near the staircase to the lodge at 9AM... 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Most have footbridges over them, the few that don't are tiny seeps. A couple of the footbridges on the Hurricane Trail have lost 1 of their 2 boards, requiring a little concentration to stay on. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Scattered blowdowns along Asquam Ridge Trail basically from the trailhead to the col between Jim and Waternomee. Some of the ones higher up were of the in-betweener variety, meaning I crawled under a couple. Most were between 4-8" in diameter. Other than those blowdowns and the broken bridge planks on the Hurricane Trail mentioned above, the trails were in the usual great shape for DOC trails. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Nothing of concern, just not much water on the upper half of this loop. Saw many at the summit, try to keep them (and yourself) on the rocks/trail and not the alpine vegetation. 
Bugs
Bugs: A few gnats or something here and there, not a problem though. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Went over to the Moose for a big 'ol loop on a bunch of new trails. Asquam Ridge was a great trail, with easy grades and good footing for most of it. Made the short detour on a scrappy herd path to what appeared to be the high point of Mount Jim. The herd path to Mount Jim is easily followed off of the Beaver Brook Trail in a flat area a bit before the sharp hairpin, and in about 2/10 takes you right to the recognized high point (no view).

From there was a fairly easy cruise up to the summit where the expected crowds were present. But also a thick undercast to the East, with even a few 4K summits (such as most of the Waterville Valley area) not visible through it. Very, very cool. To the West was mostly undercast too, with holes here and there. Visited South Peak on my way down, where the undercast thinned enough in the Tunnel Brook Ravine to see the ponds down there. Very cool, I've never had a view into there before.

Greatly enjoyed the stretch of the Carriage Road between the Snapper and the Hurricane Trails, much less rocky than the upper portion of the trail, and thickly covered in a carpet of hardwood leaves, bet this is a beautiful stretch when at peak color. Hurricane Trail was an easy 1-mile walk, though the 100ft PUD at the end was less than pleasant, haha. All in all, a great big loop hike of the Moose, with mostly quiet trails aside from the summit/summit ridge. Lots of trail worth repeating here.  
Name
Name: madmattd 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2013-10-14 
Link
Link: https://mattshikes.blogspot.com 
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