| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Roberts, Faraway Mountain, Mt. Shaw, Black Snoot, Turtleback Mountain, Bald Knob, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Mt. Roberts Trail, High Ridge Trail, access trail, bushwhacks, Black Snout Trail, Turtleback Mountain Trail, Turtleback Summit Trail, Bald Knob Trail, Bald Knob Cutoff, Shannon Brook Trail, Brook Walk |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, November 25, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Mine was second in the upper Castle in the Clouds lot @ 8AM. Spots still available mid-afternoon. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Bridged on the trails, no problems. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are a number of felled trees and limbs along the way: notably a couple on the Mt. Roberts Trail and a few on the High Ridge Trail. There is one gnarly, large limb maybe a mile (from memory) E of Mt. Roberts on the HRT which completely covers the path so going around is the only option. The rest are simple step overs. That said there is ample evidence of recent clearings - the LRCT volunteers always do excellent work in this range. All trails are well blazed and signed (as usual). |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I saw a few today - including one with a hunter on the High Ridge Trail. |
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 | Bugs: |
None. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
Trails - aside from the trees and limbs mentioned above - are in very good shape. The access trail to Faraway Tower is easy to follow, flagged and also has some recent-looking limb cutting. I had planned four bushwhacks to change it up and eliminate some of the bridle path walking but after a couple I nixed the others due to gun shots heard in my general direction of intended travel. The shots were likely more distant than where I was going but I opted not to find out and stay on the trails. Even still I wore blaze orange from start to finish. There are small patches and stretches of ice and snow around, mostly higher up. At no point did I seriously consider wearing spikes.
In all this was a really good walk. I had forgotten how nice the Brook Walk is - all of the falls are running very well right now. As an added bonus I got to follow a group of horse riders back to the lot :) Quite a few people on the trails today but by no means crowded - in fact I somehow managed to have all of the summits and viewpoints to myself for as long as I wanted. If you are looking to extend fall conditions this is a good place to do it. Fun stuff!
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 | Name: |
HMJ |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-11-25 |
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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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