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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Sandwich Dome, NH
Trails
Trails: Flat Mountain Pond Trail, Bennett Street Trail, Gleason Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, October 10, 2015
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Hiker parking is at a small lot at the end of Bennett Street in Sandwich. Bennett Street goes from paved to dirt, but is passable by any car. There is one short rough and rocky stretch just before the parking area. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Lots and lots on this route, but all mostly rock-hoppable. Only one crossing of Pond Brook took some strategizing. Lots of water running strong and fast after Friday's rains. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: FMPT is a wide clear road to its junction with BST, no problems there. BST is very good shape, it seems like a well cared for trail. Thank you to the maintainer! GT was fine up to the start of the abandoned section (the upper 1.7 miles of the trail were discontinued by the WMNF in 2012). After that, the trail was very wet and messy. At one point where it climbs steeply alongside a cascade, it is severely eroded with water running down the trail. Blowdowns weren't too bad, I expected things to be worse. Just a few tangles up higher. Where the GT meets the BST near the summit is easy to miss if you are thinking of coming down it. You could walk right by the junction if you aren't looking for it. Overall, the abandoned section is fairly easy to follow, I only questioned the corridor once. Faint and infrequent yellow blazes still mark the way. BST is an absolute joy to hike, just a really pleasant trail with fairly easy grades and good footing. The section along Pond Brook and Great Falls is really beautiful, especially with the current strong flow of water. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Sure! Plenty of water to go 'round. 
Bugs
Bugs: Nope. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Found some nice solitude on this otherwise crowded weekend. 
 
Comments
Comments: Influenced by Bryan and Nordic Gal's recent report, I decided to avoid the crowds and check out the quiet approach to Sandwich Dome. I only saw two people all day on the trails, a couple of backpackers headed for Flat Mountain Pond. And only a few other people on the summit. BST is a really, really nice way to approach this peak. Quiet, easy trails and beautiful, watery scenery. There was a dusting of snow starting at around 3000' and the summit was chilly with temps in the 30s with the wind. I ran into someone who used to live in the town I live in now, and two folks and their dogs who I met on Mt. Israel last year. Go figure.

The summit ended up being secondary though, as what stole the show for me was the trek along Pond Brook and Great Falls on the way out. Simply spectacular. The falls were roaring after Friday's rains.

On the way out, I did some recon and found the start of the bootleg trail to Young Mountain, also mentioned here recently by Bryan and Nordic Gal. Now that I know where that is, I'll save it for a future visit.  
Name
Name: KenM 
E-Mail
E-Mail: kmacgray@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2015-10-11 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share 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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