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Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Forist (Berlin), NH
Trails
Trails: Unknown trails
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: We parked at the start of what looked like an unofficial ATV trail at the corner of Haskell St and Second Ave. It’s nearby a house for sure but we talked to some neighbors and they said we’d be fine so long as we didn’t block the driveway. No angry note when we returned. Only room for a car or two though not that I think many people park there. Lots of street parking in Berlin too.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: None 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: These trails/roads were not marked or signed. Wide, eroded roads though. It was clear that some of them have been used by ATVs and such but some we were on seemed to steep and dangerous for ATVs so I’m unsure of exactly what to call them. No blowdowns or anything to contend with.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Dogs should be fine but watch out for ATVs!  
Bugs
Bugs: None  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: None 
 
Comments
Comments: This hike was sort of a crap shoot 😂 I haven’t begun my 500 Highest in earnest yet but knew that Forist was on the list. Now that I’m a local it seemed like a great hike to do after work one day :) Even more so when I heard from coworkers that there’s actually a trail that goes to the top! I had thought this was at least partially a bushwhack. Upon reading trail reports though it does not appear that this path is well known.

The path we were trying to find supposedly begins behind the last house on the left on Haskell St. These were directions from a friend of my coworker from 1997 though and we got confused due to the road turning to dirt at the end of Haskell St and not knowing if we were supposed to continue up this dirt road to another house or not. The road is better suited for ATVs than cars though and between not knowing where the trail was and where to park we turned around. We ran into some folks at the corner of Second Ave and Haskell St though that just popped out of the woods looking as if they’d been hiking.

Upon speaking with them we found out that there’s a trail that starts on this corner, parallel to Second Ave that *can* lead you to Forist. It was unclear from our conversation with them if this was the start of the trail we were trying to find (they made it sound like it was) but it clearly didn’t match up with the directions we had nor, after hiking it, do I think it was. Not at all a path; all roads.

Anyway, we followed this ATV like trail south as it paralleled Second Ave descending some and running mostly level. It then curved southwest after about 0.25mi, then west after another 0.25mi as the trail finally began to gain some elevation. The road was very overgrown at times and occasionally muddy. I wouldn’t want to do it in summer during a big tick year. Probably not too long after this we came to a 3 or 4-way jct with other roads that looked similar. We continued straight through. Not sure where the road that travelled roughly perpendicular went but both my friend and I thought that if you took it to the right it may lead back to the dirt road we drove partway in on earlier (we roughly on the same contour line as where the road forks which is where we turned back - note that this road is shown on Gaia; look for the fork). I’m guessing that this was maybe 0.75mi in. Shortly after this, the road went out of the thick vegetation and into a more woodsy area. There was lots of mud, wetness, and even a little running water down the trail here. Still very wide though. After perhaps another 0.25mi this road ended at a T jct with another path. To the left, the road seems to ascend but more toward Jericho so we took the right. After maybe 200-300ft we noticed a steep dusty road heading up to the left. I figured that’s what would take us to Forist. The road is steep and lose for a very short ways. The footing will likely bother a layperson but it is short lived.

We followed this road for probably about 0.75mi. It became gradual and flat and passed through some beautiful areas that have been logged and the short trees are full of color and there are views overtop of them toward Goose Eye and the Mahoosucs. The foliage was magnificent in here. I was expecting for there to be another trail turning right (northeast) toward Forist in the col here and became concerned when there wasn’t. The right hand turn did not come until shortly after the col between Jericho and Forist. Just be patient. I think this is because if you took a right directly in the col you would pass over the false southwest summit. I did notice what appeared to be a faint herd path or two heading in that direction. Anyway, the road we took to the right led us due east at nice grades toward the summit ledges in just over a half mile. I did a short bushwhack to there to the high point where the summit jar is wrapped in orange duct tape :) It only appears to have been there a few years and has only had about a dozen people sign into it (a couple select names more than once of course;). Cool to recognize almost all of them!

The total hike was just over 5mi according to Gaia with about 1000ft of gain. A lovely fall hike and a fantastic way to spend the afternoon :D  
Name
Name: Liam Cooney  
E-Mail
E-Mail: liamcooney96@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2020-09-24 
Link
Link: https:// 
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