| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Nancy Pond Trail, Carrigain Notch Trail, Wilderness Trail, Thoreau Falls Trail, Shoal Pond Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, August 8, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot can probably hold about 8 cars if people park correctly, plus additional roadside parking on 302 |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Every crossing was rock hoppable, including the East Branch at the site of the former Thoreau Falls bridge. It would have been slightly tricky, So i walked across knee deep on submerged rocks instead |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
blowdowns galore in the wilderness, as expected. Shoal Pond overgrown, as expected. short stretches of overgrown on lower Nancy Pond Trail and on Carrigain Notch Trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Great route for dogs. water everywhere. Fin enjoyed herself. The crossing of the North branch at the top of Thoreau Falls is sketchy for a dog and is right at a spot where they could be swept down to their demise. I had to lift her down this spot for safety, despite her being extremely agile/athletic/capable. So if you have a large dog, be aware. |
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 | Bugs: |
nothing buzzing or biting. Cleared about 1000 spider webs after Norcross Pond on every other trail. Got stung on the calf by a lone wasp at campsite! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Awesome wilderness hike! Hiked 29 miles for 26 new redline miles. Nancy Cascades and the two views from Norcross Pond are spectacular. Very rugged trail between the cascades and Norcross. Once we bottomed out the blowdowns started-nothing too crazy. Carragain Notch and Wilderness trails were in pretty good shape. Thoreau Falls Trail is a gem-follows the North Branch closely for a majority of the 5 miles, and Thoreau Falls are a real spectacle. Shoal Pond Trail, on the other hand, is very rough. The majority is a severely overgrown bog with decaying bog bridges. One jumped up and almost hit me in the face (imagine a cartoon where someone steps on a rake), launching me off of it sideways into a densely vegetated mud pit. I luckily avoided injury and laughed it off. Moose poop everywhere, only to be outdone by the number of blowdowns. None of these trails, including Shoal Pond, were ever hard to follow at all. Never carried a drop of water, as it was always abundant. We did an 18 mile stretch after Norcross Pond where we saw only one group of hikers. Awesome solitude. The wilderness lived up to its' name!!! |
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 | Name: |
Spence, Fin |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-08-08 |
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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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