NewEnglandTrailConditions.com
NewEnglandTrailConditions.com:
MA
|
ME
|
NH
|
RI/CT
|
VT
|
Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Bald Mountain, Victor Head, NH
Trails
Trails: Old Summer Club Trail, Lamphere unnamed trail, Bald Mountain Notch Trail, herd path, bushwhack, Rowell Link, Victor Head Path
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, June 2, 2019
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: One father/daughter pair had their truck out there and were fiahif when I got there around 10:30. A mom and her kids were out for a swim when I returned around 3:30. Nice area for a swim or picnic :)  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: All rock hoppable or bridged. The only place you might get your feet soaked is in a mud pit... 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: A few small blowdowns that could be taken care of with a handsaw. I stepped on one small step over and broke it so it’s easier to pass. There were two very, VERY low duck unders that were obnoxious but I’m not sure where they were. It may have been the unnamed trail from Christine Lake. All in all trail conditions are good barring the mud. I believe all trails were blazed in yellow except when they were blazed. The herd path to Bald Mtn and the trail to Victor Head are not blazed but both easy enough to follow with an exception or two (see below). The trails that are blazed were blazed very well. There’s not a very well defined footpath in some places and the trails could use some more feet but they’re blazed so well that they’re still very easy to follow.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: I didn’t see any but I figure they’d be okay on most of the trails. The herd path to Bald Mtn and the trail to Victor Head are both quite steep and have some ledges  
Bugs
Bugs: While the black flies were horrendous yesterday on Wachipauka Pond Trail, it was the mosquitos that tormented me today. And the mosquitos can actually keep up with me unlike the black flies :( I learned my lesson yesterday and wore long pants and sleeves which helped though. Between that, bug spray, and a head net when I stopped, I found it tolerable. The number of mosquitos down low was astonishing... no black flies until you were at higher elevation.  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: I found a little sac full of dog food. Feel free to email me if it’s yours.  
 
Comments
Comments: Glad I got out today despite the forecast. It never rained while I was out and I got a fair dose of sunshine and views which made me a happy guy :)

From the parking area I took the unnamed (possibly called Lamphere Trail?) to the jct with Rowell Link and Bald Mtn Notch Trail. I then turned right on Bald Mtn Notch Trail, did an out-and-back to near the HOL where I redlined to this past winter, came back and shortly before reaching the jct again, took a left up the herd path to Bald Mtn. This herd path isn’t signed or marked but is actually more defined in places than that main trails in this area. It is a short and VERY steep few tenths of a mile to the summit. Shortly before the summit things flatten out a bit and you reach a loop jct (it’s easy to miss the right half of the loop and continue straight though). The loop goes around 2 sets of ledges, one with views towards the Percy’s and one within views towards Cabot. The loop sort of disappeared for me at the 2nd set of ledges with the view to Cabot (this is doing the loop clockwise and continuing straight at the right loop jct) so I went back to the loop jct and went counterclockwise to see if I could connect the two. My mistake was not sneaking down some ledges where you have to essentially guess where the trail is on the other side.

The actual summit is just off the loop. The easiest way to bag it is to go right at a small clearing at the first set of ledges (traveling clockwise) where there’s a view towards the Percy’s. It’s thick as all hell but it’s all of 10 yards from the loop. I made the mistake of thinking that the loop would snake around and come out at the true summit on the other side but when it never did I climbed up some wooded ledges to try and find the summit register which I had some trouble doing.

After this adventure I headed back to the 3 way jct with the unnamed trail, Bald Mtn Notch Trail, and Rowell Link. I took Rowell Link to Old Summer Club Old Summer Club to Victor Head side path, out and back on that, then back to the car on the Summer Club Trail stopping at the new Devils Rest Shelter on the way down (nice place!). I really enjoyed what view at Victor Head although getting there was a struggle due to how steep it was.

I’d recommend having either a printout or the AMC guidebook with you on these trails as all the jcts and directions around Christine Lake are confusing and I pulled out my guidebook to consult. I passed a red building (it honestly looked like a house) on the unnamed trail. It’s conected to the main trail by a bridge. I headed over that way but turned around as it looked sketchy. Was this the old cabin??

New redlines and a NH500 peak make a good day :) Facebook posts coming tomorrow...  
Name
Name: Liam Cooney 
E-Mail
E-Mail: liamcooney96@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2019-06-02 
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.

Copyright 2009-2024, All Rights Reserved