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Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks North Weeks, Middle Weeks, South Weeks, NH
Trails
Trails: York Pond Trail, Kilkenny Ridge Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, July 29, 2018
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: No problems, room for several cars. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: 3 brooks near the beginning of the York Pond trail. Streams were up with no safe rocks to hop on. Right foot went under water on the hike in and the left foot went under on the way out. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: York Pond trail is not maintained which is an understatement. Leaving the intersection with the Bunnell Notch trail was a wall of vegetation over my head. First mile is boggy with some very slippery bog bridges. Kilkenny Ridge trail had some basic maintenance near the intersection with the York Pond Trail but most of it to the base of South Weeks felt like a quasi herd path - numerous sections where you couldn't see your feet. Waist high ferns rule the area. Kudos to the trail crew who cleaned up the tree carnage on South Weeks. Several minor trail re-routes as a result of multiple trees coming down together. Only one remaining blow down to climb over. This section on the north side of South Weeks needs to be re-blazed as most trees with blazes were blow over. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs: Surprising none although is was a cool day with some breezes 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Lost one gaiter on the return hike. Gaiters were pretty much worn out so have thrown out the other one. 
 
Comments
Comments: This was an interesting hike despite having little in the way of views. Ground conditions were very wet from the previous days showers and the sun did not make an appearance until early afternoon. I underestimated the difficulty of the brook crossings at the very beginning of the hike. The brooks were flowing pretty well with no rocks to safely hop on. I did use part of the concrete sluiceway to get across the first brook but that was not a safe option on the return. The wet trail section lasted about a mile ending when the trail ascended to higher ground. There was a good stretch of about a mile in the woods with a clearly defined trail. The climb to North Weeks was long but gentle given the numerous switchbacks and meandering of the trail. Never seen so many acres of waist high ferns which dominated the ground for all 3 mountains. Both North and South Weeks summits are marked by a small cairns. South Weeks cairn is located at the end of a very short side trail. The tree damage on South Weeks was something to behold. The trail crew did an incredible job to restore the trail as best as possible. Completed the 12.4 mile round trip in 7 hours which included a 30 minute lunch stop and time to change out of wet socks and shirt. GPS app recorded nearly 4000 vertical feet climbing for the entire trip. If doing the hike I recommend pants or zipoffs. There were a few brier type bushes along the way. Also, if I were to do it again I would go in mid October after a few killing frosts to reduce the vegetation. Poles were very useful.  
Name
Name: Dexter Robinson 
E-Mail
E-Mail: dexpcdoc@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2018-07-30 
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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