| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Cabot, NH |
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 | Trails: |
York Pond Trail, Bunnell Notch Trail, Kilkenny Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, October 17, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
It would appear they’ve redone the parking situation slightly since the logging operation. The parking lot right by the trailhead is smaller now and maybe a couple dozen yards less far down the road. There looked to be additional parking on the other side of the road shortly before though. Three cars were in the main lot at 12:45pm and I was able to squeeze mine in as the fourth. Given the number of people I saw, there must’ve been others parked in the other lot though. The road in is it’s usual self; bumpy but fine. It was not snowy, icy, or too soft after the rain/snow which I was a bit concerned about heading in. I called the fish hatchery before arriving and they evidently close the gate every night now at 10pm. They reopen it every morning at 7:30am. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Water was very high Saturday afternoon. All the little stream crossings were hoppable or bridged (although even small streams were gushing) except for the somewhat larger crossing of the brook that drains Bunnell Notch. It was not possible to rock hop above water here. I had very high cut boots and was able to very carefully step on rocks that were submerged a few inches under water and not get my feet wet. This would not be possible in mid or low cut boots or trail runners unless you were using gaiters. I heard one person say they crossed on a log upstream earlier in the day but it was pretty sketchy. It was probably safest for most people to just wade. While water is still high in the white mountains right now I would imagine this particular crossing is probably rock hopable again as it’s usually not a problem. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I recall seeing yellow blaze. Probably only on Bunnell Notch Trail and Kilkenny Ridge Trail (KRT) though. I doubt that short section of York Pond Trail is blazed. If I recall correctly, Bunnell Notch Trail was blazed regularly but not very frequently. Not hard to follow though particularly given that many people had already trudged through the snow. I don’t recall a whole lot of blaze on the KRT but again I was just following others tracks. There was enough snow on the tree limbs up around the cabin to obscure the trail and blazed though. There were a few false paths. There was a descent amount of small to mid-sized debris on the trails as well but I don’t remember too many blowdowns. I think there were some minor stepovers but my memory is fuzzy and I don’t recall exactly where. Personally, I’d like to see the summit sign moved to the true summit. No one had broken the path to the true summit out. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Two seen. Both were unleashed but well behaved. There did appear to be dog urine right on the trail at other points though. If you’re bribing your dog on a hike please have it trained to use the off trail facilities. It’s the respectful thing to do. |
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 | Bugs: |
I actually saw a large, presumably dead, fly on the snow that must’ve not made it back before the storm hit. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Packed out a plastic water bottle I noticed just off trail on my way down. |
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 | Comments: |
After an attempt at a Sandwich Range traverse earlier in the day with a friend didn’t work out (report is yet to come so my reports are chronologically out of order, sorry), I decided that Cabot might be a good one to get. This was 14/48 for my October grid and my 4/48 peak this month.
The rain/snow had stopped by the time I arrived and starting hiking just before 1pm. Although there was still snow in Berlin and signs of it on the drive in York Pond a Road, I was surprised to see no snow on trail for probably the first couple miles. Lots of deep puddles on the trail down low though. Some were easily 4-6in deep. I was very happy with my decision to wet my waterproof, high-cut winter boots. Gaiters would have also helped and are highly recommend but mine seem to have gone missing...!?
Where the snow began to appear on the trail (partway up Bunnell Notch Trail) so did the running water down it. This was a very, very wet hike. The snow was often avoidable as it was actively melting and often went back and forth between snow and running water. Very wet in Bunnell Notch. Luckily not all the snow had melted there so you could walk around the deep puddles on it without getting too wet. The snow became more consistent shortly after getting on KRT I believe but was still mostly wet/slush/packed down. It wasn’t until almost to the cabin where it became more powdery and the mountain took on the beautiful winter wonderland landscape we all know and love. Snowshoes certainly weren’t necessary but, without gaiters, had I been the first one to break through it all, snowshoes may have been nice. That said, there was no snow on the ground prior to Saturday morning and thus you would’ve been banging them up pretty badly on rock and such and they wouldn’t have been used for long.
The broken path stayed on trail although it was hard to tell this and there were some false paths diverging. No one had broken out the shot path to the true summit so I did that. The snow was easily have a foot deep and trudging through it unbroken really made you realize just how deep it was.
Less snow on the way down than on the way up. I’m sure there’s still inches of snow up high but everything must be well beaten down by now. I imagine most of all of the snow will be gone by this weekend. No ice so I wasn’t worried about putting my microspikes on but they may have helped in the slush some if you don’t mind banging them up. Also, although Sunday was supposed to be warm temps would be dropping below freezing over night so I imagine there could have been some ice and spikes may have been warranted Sunday.
Surprised to see probably about a dozen other people out. Not that busy on the Tripyramids!! |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-10-19 |
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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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