| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bald Rock, Mt. Monadnock, Dublin Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Halfway House Trail, Side Foot Trail, Hedgehog Trail, Smith Connecting Trail, Unnamed trail, Amphitheater, Unnamed trail, White Dot, D/M Trail, Marlboro Trail, Marian Trail, Mossy Brook Trail, Cart Path, Old Toll Road |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, May 29, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I had originally planned on going up Marlboro, but couldn't get my lowly car to the trailhead. High clearance required. I turned around and went up the street to the Old Toll Road lot, which is a fee area ($5). |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None of any significance. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
It's Monadnock, most trails are like highways. The unnamed trails were even in good shape. Mossy Brook was grown in a bit due to light use, but what a lovely trail! |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
No dogs allowed on the mountain. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not too bad overall. A breeze at the summit kept them away. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found a couple of the trails I was looking for. I think. |
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 | Comments: |
I spent the afternoon wandering around the mountain seeking out some abandoned routes mentioned in the AMC Southern NH guide, in the Four Spots area. I found two paths not on the current maps, but I am unsure if they are the ones I was looking for. There are so many winding about up there. One in particular left the Smith Connecting and climbed up through a tiny ravine with a brook. Once out of the ravine, there was a fork. I went right and that took me to the White Dot just before it breaks out into the open, steep slabs.
Before that I had climbed up to Bald Rock via the closed Hedgehog Trail. It's still indicated on maps, but there was no signage prohibiting travel. It's steep and eroded in its lower half with no signage or blazes. There's one very steep but short scramble just before the summit.
The summit of Monadnock was loud with people, so I didn't stay long. I descended at first via the Marlboro Trail, which has some very steep scrambling that took care to come down. Definitely would be easier going up this! Then I picked up Marian to Mossy Brook to Cart Path to the Toll Road. Didn't see a soul on this side of the mountain. If you want solitude, you'll find it over here, especially on Mossy Brook. |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-05-30 |
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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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