| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Whitewall Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Kedron Flume Trail, Ethan Pond Trail, Ethan Pond Shelter spur, Thoreau Falls Trail, bushwhack, A-Z Trail, Zealand Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, June 12, 2014 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking at Willey House and at the end of Zealand Road (fee area). |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All crossings either easily rock hopped, or bridged. Even though we didn't cross, the crossing above Thoreau Falls was doable today. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails in good shape, a couple duck under blowdowns on Zealand Trail, but otherwise smooth sailing. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one nervous looking dog with its owners on Ethan Pond Trail, as we headed in. |
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 | Bugs: |
Virtually non-existent, maybe a mosquito or two around when we were at Thoreau Falls. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Lost, and then found, my pack-cover... twice! |
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 | Comments: |
While not a perfect day for hiking, this ended up being a perfect hike. Rain as I headed up, and rain as we spotted a car at Zealand trailhead, turned to not rain as we headed up Kedron Flume Trail. The flume was pretty sweet, and warrants a return for further exploration. Stopped by Ethan Pond, and Thoreau Falls, for great effect. After that bunch of easy trail sections, we got to the main event, and went off trail. Picking a line up the prominent slide on the northern end of the west face, we headed up on unstable (at best) talus. Rocks big and small moved at the slightest touch, and there were more than a few puckering moments. Reaching the top of the slide, we whacked a bit before picking up a herd path that brought us to the south ledges, and the promised excellent views (though some of the higher summits were obscured). Must, return, on, a, better, view, day! Following some off and on herd paths, we descended slightly to a boggy area, then up to the actual summit of Whitewall, where we signed into the summit register (last entry from 5/17). From the summit, we had some bearings to follow, and skirting some steep drop-offs, we came into some gorgeous birch glades, with a ferny understory. As we approached our destination, the woods became a bit thicker, then we popped out on the shore of the unnamed pond between Whitewall and West Field... what a wild spot! The rain began to fall as we neared the pond, and picked up the pace as we exited. Bearing north, we headed for A-Z Trail in scrappy woods with some thick spruce to contend with. Next time, I'll definitely take the more westerly route, with those open glades. Once back on trail, the exit was quick, and the rain continued.
All in all, a fantastic hike, with conditions just right, when we needed them to be. Thanks for another great adventure Mike!
Blog post today! |
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 | Name: |
Bill Robichaud |
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 | E-Mail: |
bill.robichaud@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2014-06-13 |
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 | Link: |
 https://onapathwithheart.blogspot.com/ |
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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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