| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
North Baldface, South Baldface, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Baldface Circle Trail, Meader Ridge Trail, Bicknell Ridge Trail, Baldface Circle Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, May 24, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
None. 20 car lot well signed and maintained with privy. Apparently Maine residents and one Pennsylvania person were willing to take on “The Faces.†|
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
One large crossing just past the junction of Bicknell Ridge Trail and Baldface Circle Trail. Trust yourself and go once committed. It is crossable. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Several large, negotiable blowdowns on Bicknell Ridge. But really, nice trail on Bicknell. If a Ranger has the guts, then by all means, reblaze the faded yellow blazes on south Baldface Circle Trail. Otherwise, I understand... |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Do NOT take dogs on the Baldfaces. Totally not appropriate. Nor are children, or most adults for that matter... |
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 | Bugs: |
Oh. I thought these were complimentary while on the trail. DEET May help. Good luck! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Nice lovely hike to the shelter.
Then the terror began. Already aware that this trail is a new level of difficulty, I was not prepared for this level of “difficult.†Yes, it is steep. What I was not prepared for was the angled, rock only ascent up over 500+ feet of elevation gain. The lack of skin covering my knees attests to the fact that upright bipedal ascension was not an option. I have never crawled on all fours, upwards, so far in my life.
Belly sliding up rock faces, full upper body engagement, and sheer mental power over the innate human fear of heights are required for this trail. Do not underestimate the physical and mental difficulty of this hike.
Then add rain and wind. Oh yeah, ‘cause the “holy hell†ascension was not enough...
Once over “The Crawl†phase, my friend and I encountered “knock you over†wind speeds on the way to the junction with the Baldface Knob Trail. Estimated to be at 45 to 50mph. But we made it and once over the really steep terrifying part, it was basically walking up the rock shoulder. Even with high wind speeds it is doable. Just crouch during the gusts, push hard during the break.
The remainder of the trail was quite nice. You go in and out of treeline along the ridge providing both shelter from the wind and shelter from the mental strain of the prior ascent. When the clouds broke we could see why this is on the 52 with a view list. Beautiful.
This hike really does provide some unsurpassed views. Other than the terrifying part, it is a nice, well maintained trail. If you want to see it and cannot stomach the height factor, I recommend doing an out-and-back using the Bicknell trail to the summits via the Meader Ridge Trail. These are fantastic. |
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 | Name: |
Remington34 |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-05-24 |
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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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