| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Thoreau Falls, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ethan Pond Trail, Ethan Pond Campsite spur, Shoal Pond Trail, Wilderness Trail, Thoreau Falls Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, June 18, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
i took the second to last true spot at the upper parking area at 6:15am. The upper lot really only holds a half dozen cars before it starts to overflow. Room for maybe a few alongside the road at the top, but most cars park at the bottom and walk the 0.3mi to the start. The road was in great shape. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
One of the major reasons I did this hike yesterday is because water is very low right now and there’s some very large water crossings on this trail that usually require wading. Yesterday they were all rock hoppable! I got my right foot wet on the crossing of the Carrigain Branch and my left foot wet on the crossing of Crystal Brook 😜 The water was shallow but there aren’t a whole lot of large rocks to step and I unfortunately chose one that moved in both cases but again, they are rock hoppable as were all other crossings. The Thoreau Falls bridge crossing (the bridge has been ENTIRELY removed in case you haven’t heard) looks a little more daunting as the water is a bit deeper but was actually one of the easiest because it had many large rocks to hop on. Some are a bit of a drop though. This is a great time to do trails with tough water crossings with the low water levels!! |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Ethan Pond Trail is blazed in white as it’s part of the AT and the campsite spur is blazed in blue as it connects to the AT. Like much of the AT below tree line, it’s blazed regularly but not frequently. Shoal Pond Trail was blazed in blue as it connects with the AT. I think it was often old and faded (lighter blue) and not often. Thoreau Falls Trail I don’t recall but I think must’ve also been blazed in blue as it connects with the AT. I remember unexpectedly seeing a faded yellow blaze at some point...maybe on Wilderness Trail. Anyway, don’t expect a whole lot of blaze on these trails but they weren’t hard to follow if you have some experience. Ethan Pond Trail is well travelled by the AT hikers so is obvious. Shoal Pond Trail is very narrow and overgrown at times but was always evident where it went. Wilderness Trail was obvious as it often follows an old road. Thoreau Falls was actually the trickiest with a section or two (usually on the steeper uphill sections toward Thoreau Falls) that were obscured by mud and we’re consequentially either rerouted or have developed herd paths around them that made the entire section of trail a bit obscure. There was also a sharp right turn (switchback) at one point that was obscure and just felt very unnatural. There was a blowdown on the campsite spur right before the shelter. Ethan Pond Trail was clear of blowdowns as far as I recall. Shoal Pond had many which was to be expected but it honest to wasn’t bad at all. The vast majority were small stepovers. Just a couple larger ones that are a bit of a pain but totally doable. Most are toward the southern end of the trail. One or two around the pond to go through. The trail could really use a good brushing through very overgrown sections, but again just push through and it’s really not at all hard to follow. I’m not recalling much about Wilderness Trail and Thoreau Falls Trail, sorry. I think there were blowdowns on each (particularly Thoreau Falls Trail) but not as many as on Shoal Pond Trail. All in all, the blowdown situation was quite good considering this is a wilderness area. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
None seen. If you dog can handle 25mi hikes in severe heat, then they should be fine. Lots of water most of the time and nothing too steep/sketchy. None seen. |
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 | Bugs: |
Some black flies in the morning at the Ethan Pond end (worse in the afternoon) and mosquitos on the Pemi East Side end along Wilderness Trail. Oddly there didn’t seem to be many in between the two on either Shoal Pond Trail or Thoreau Falls Trail. 40% DEET worked well. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
I think this was my longest hike to date! About 24.7mi with 3200ft of gain (in addition to the basic loop I also did an out-and-back on the 1.5mi of Wilderness Trail between Pemi East Side and Thoreau Falls Trail). So very long but also very flat for the most part. The uphill was mostly on the beginning of Ethan Pond Trail. Although pretty minor, I definitely felt the ups on Thoreau Falls Trail as you approach the falls, steeply are times. Of course it didn’t help that I’d been walking 18mi already and it was in the heat of the day. The ascent back up to the height-of-land on Ethan Pond Trail at the end of the day is very gradual but noticeable after 20+ miles.
I was a bit worried about the heat today and wondered if it would be wider to be in the cool temps above tree line in the northern Presidentials but went ahead with this and it was a great decision! Although these trails are lower (thus hotter) it was almost 10 degrees cooler at the Ethan Pond trailhead at 6:30pm then it was in Bartlett just a few miles south! I don’t think it really got above 80 there. Also, as the trails were below treeline, I was often in the shade and jot directly exposed to the sun. The trails were also very flat on the whole, so I also wasn’t exerting anywhere near as much energy as I would have been if I was climbing in the presidentIals so I kept fairly cool. Of course I also made note that if I did overheat I could easily just take a swim in the water as I was near it all day!
This is a great time to do these trails as the often involve very tricky water crossings and are very muddy. Yesterday, the water crossings were so low that they could be rock hopped and although there was still some severe mud and wetness are times, I was able to keep my trail runners dry except when I misstepped! I was surprised to see a bit of running water on Ethan Pond Trail though.
I saw only one group of campers at one of the tent sites at Ethan Pond Campsite. The shelter was open. I saw what I believe to be bear scat next to Ethan Pond and it looked fresh...make sure to hang your food and be careful! A group of three young folks stayed overnight somewhere around Shoal Pond as well. Met one person who seemed to be backpacking on Wilderness Trail. Met one through hiker as I headed back along Ethan Pond Trail and two young guys doing the same loop I was (without the out-and-back on the portion of Wildenress Trail between Pemi East Side and Thoreau Falls Trail). Nice to see other people and stop to chat with a few. Everyone was kind but please be aware that not everyone enjoys the smell of pot and some people (like myself who is highly allergic and chemically sensitive) are very bothered by it. If you’re around others, please ask before lighting up and maybe don’t do it if you’re someplace where you think you may run into others.
Thoreau Falls is a really awesome spot and I took about a 45min break and enjoyed some time with my feet in a pool of water resting my legs and fueling up on food and water as I admired all the beauty I was surrounded by. See my notes above about a hard to follow section or two (on the whole the trails are very followable) and the (relative lack of) blowdowns. |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-06-19 |
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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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