| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Straightback Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Stage Road, Blueberry Pasture Trail, Straightback Mountain Trail, Belknap Range Trail, Precipice Path, Jesus Valley-Beaver Pond Trail, Unnamed trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 26, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked at the end of Jesus Valley Road in Alton, at its junction with OSR, just before it becomes a private road. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The lower crossing of the waterfall along PP was a little tricky. I went down the falls a few yards. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
BPT is not signed at either end nor is it blazed. Its lower section is severely eroded. The top of the eastern loop of PP is not obvious. The trail appears to start behind some trees, where blazing then appears. The top of the western loop has new signage since last time I was there, as does the junction below the falls where the old road cuts over to OSR. A few scattered blowdowns along this whole route. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure! I saw several and they were all friendly and very happy. :) |
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 | Bugs: |
Some gnat-ey things and a butterfly. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found a ball cap on the upper SMT. I carried it and left it at the start of OSR. |
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 | Comments: |
A beautiful day in the range today for some more redlining, just about done. The "road" walk portions of this route (OSR, SMT, BPT) are just okay, but they get you to nice places.
I took BPT up to SMT then up to the summit of Straightback. From there, over to the western loop of PP and down, which I'd done before. Now that I've done the entire loop, this is the most scenic half. I heard some folks down below the cliffs who were either lost or bushwhacking. No trails down there that I know of. The falls along PP were running pretty good, that's really an impressive waterfall. Descending this takes great care as it's very steep. Once at the bottom of the loop, it was time to go back up. The eastern side climbs steeply alongside a cascade before easing out. Pretty easy from there back to the ridge. Then it was over Straightback again, and down SMT to JVBT to OSR and back to the car. The upper half mile of SMT is very, very nice, with lots of open ledge walking. A great stretch of trail!
There were a few tiny patches of snow and ice along the BRT, but nothing requiring traction. Minor spots of mud on all these trails. Some running water on the upper SMT.
I stopped and chatted with a few people along the way. Everyone was in such great spirits today and there was a lot of great energy on the trail. :) |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-03-26 |
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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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