Mt. Tom - Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom Spur - 6-22-2019

Hiking Trail Conditions Report
	Peaks	Mt. Tom, NH

	Trails:	Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom Spur

	Date of Hike:	Saturday, June 22, 2019

	Parking/Access Road Notes:	Got there at 9am. Couldnâ€™t find a spot at the Highland Center to use the bathroom but we got the last spot at the small lot right at the trailhead! :D The lot for Jackson seemed to be overflowing already. Luckily parking on the side of the road here isnâ€™t a big issue.

	Surface Conditions:	Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant

	Recommended Equipment:

	Water Crossing Notes:	The water was a bit high today due to all the recent rain but the crossings were still very doable as a rock hop. The water flows over one of the rocks on the middle crossing I think so you may want waterproof boots if you donâ€™t like getting your feet wet.

	Trail Maintenance Notes:	I believe all the trails were blazed in yellow. Didnâ€™t pay too much attention to the blaze as the trail is so obvious as itâ€™s constantly being used but what I did see seemed a bit faded. Might be time for a new paint job soon. All the jcts are very clearly marked. I donâ€™t recall anything in the way of blowdowns either. There seems to be a lot of erosion due to use and weathe though.

	Dog-Related Notes:	Pretty easy trail for your regular 4K hiking dog. Saw 3-4. Dogs were well behaved but one was running back and forth looking for itâ€™s group at one or two points. The first time it happened it looked pretty anxious. Please either have your dog on a leash or on voice command. Some in my group were VERY upset that the owner let this happen.

	Bugs:	I finally remembered my bug net! ðŸ˜‚ It surprisingly wasnâ€™t necessary today though!! The bugs were minimal. A few buzzing around but not real bothersome and I donâ€™t think they were mosquitos.

	Lost and Found:	Thereâ€™s an assortment of gloves left at the kiosk a very short ways into the Avalon Trail.


	Comments:	In addition to raining Thursday and Friday morning it evidently rained in Crawford Notch last night leaving the trail a lot wetter than I anticipated. The trail is consistently wet and there is mud throughout most of it although mostly not too bad. Only a few spots of major mud down low. Lots more on the Mt Tom Spur. The rocks were wet and could be a hazard. I imagine the trail and rocks will dry out well tomorrow though. The mud always takes longer ðŸ˜œ This was my fourth time doing Tom for my grid and it was nice to revisit these trails. For those who are new to it... this is one of the easiest 4000 footers but itâ€™s a pretty sustained climb with over 2000ft of elevation gain. The first 1.3mi is the easiest. The next 1mi is rocky and consistently steeper. The Mt Tom Spur eases up a a bit. Although we didnâ€™t do it today, I recommend checking out the cascades on the Avalon Trail :)

	Name:	Liam Cooney

	E-Mail:	liamcooney96@gmail.com

	Date Submitted:	2019-06-22

	Link:	https://
		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.