Lookout Ledge - Ledge Trail, Notchway, Pasture Path, Four Soldiers Path, Crescent Ridge Trail - 3-7-2021

Hiking Trail Conditions Report
	Peaks	Lookout Ledge, NH

	Trails:	Ledge Trail, Notchway, Pasture Path, Four Soldiers Path, Crescent Ridge Trail

	Date of Hike:	Sunday, March 7, 2021

	Parking/Access Road Notes:	A small parking area has been plowed at the trailhead of Ledge Trail. It can fit three cars. There was one car there when we got there, and none other than our two when we got back. The area was somewhat icy in the morning, but was melting in the afternoon. Durand Road is in poor condition, with lots of frost heaves and some ice. On the one hand, I can understand that the locals might not want people to speed down it, but on the other hand, the posted speed limit was 35 mph, and I never came even close to that (I was going 20-25 mph for most of that road).

	Surface Conditions:	Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts

	Recommended Equipment:	Snowshoes

	Water Crossing Notes:	Everything was solid as long as you watched your step. A bareboot might break through an ice bridge, so wear snowshoes!

	Trail Maintenance Notes:	No major blowdowns (if there were any, they were under the snow). All signs were in place, though we noticed that the sign at the junction of Ledge Trail and Notchway misspelled the word 'soldiers' (as in Four Soldiers Path) as 'soliders'.

	Dog-Related Notes:	Didn't see any (though then again we didn't see any other hiking humans, either), but there were signs that a dog or two had used some of these trails. We did see some doggy postholes, so maybe doggy snowshoes might not be a bad idea if you want to bring your dog hiking in the winter. Dogs probably don't like sinking up to their knees (or further) with every step any more than humans do.

	Bugs:	None.

	Lost and Found:	Nada.


	Comments:	This was a fun redlining loop. From the trailhead, be sure to follow the trail that goes up between the two driveways, and not one of the driveways themselves. Ledge Trail was packed out and initially quite firm, but it got softer as we increased in elevation. Snowshoes are absolutely necessary - we saw some deep postholes on the side of the trail from people who hadn't used them (but the trail itself has a fairly smooth snowshoe track). We turned right onto Notchway, which had seen recent use by a single snowshoer but had a fairly solidly packed base underneath. Most of Notchway was pleasant, going through attractive woods with small undulations but no major ups or downs, until we approached Carlton Brook. This section is very narrow and on a very steep sidehill, and had not been fully packed out. My hiking partner successfully traversed the sidehill using great caution, but I bushwhacked around it (the snow was mostly supportive even off-trail) and then buttslid directly down the slope to where the trail crosses Carlton Brook. On the other side of the brook, there was another sidehill that was slightly less precarious than the first one, but still required caution as it was a little icy. Soon, Notchway meets Pasture Path, which then quickly intersects with Four Soldiers Trail. Pasture Path going west (toward Lookout Ledge) was not packed out, but still had a trench from earlier use this winter. We would do that section later in the hike. We redlined Pasture Path from there to Grassy Lane, and then back. This section was somewhat packed out, but drifted in a few places, however it was mostly flat so we had no issues. Then we headed up Four Soldiers Path, which appeared to have tracks from just one or two snowshoers. Four Soldiers Path started out flat but then started to gain elevation, and was a fairly steady climb for much of this section. There was a fairly solid base underneath, however there was also some drifting - we never sank more than 6 inches though in our snowshoes. The trail crosses a snowmobile trail a few times, and in fact the snowmobilers we saw there were the only other people we saw in the woods all day. Eventually the trail leveled off, and soon crossed Crescent Ridge Trail. There was a drifted trench on Crescent Ridge Trail going up toward Mt. Randolph, but no sign of recent use. There was no sign of any use at all on Four Soldiers Path past this junction. The snowshoe tracks we were following turned left toward Lookout Ledge, which was lucky because that was our plan as well. Crescent Ridge Trail was nicely packed out by snowshoes to Lookout Ledge (Vyron D. Lowe Trail was packed out with a snowshoe track; Sargent Path was not). Before this hike, I had occasionally wondered what was so special about Lookout Ledge that warranted three separate trails leading from Durand Road to the ledge. Now the question I wonder is why the ledge is so little-known. The view from the ledge across the Randolph Valley to the Northern Presidentials is phenomenal, and looks straight into the vast, gaping mouth of King Ravine. The bluebird day made the whole scene absolutely stunning. Lookout Ledge is definitely a place I'd go back to again and again. The uppermost section of Ledge Trail is steep in places, and gets close to some significant drop-offs, but never seemed too sketchy. We reached the junction with Pasture Path, and this side was also untracked but had a trench from earlier use this winter. Since we still needed that section for redlining, we headed down it (easy) and then back up it (substantially more difficult since it was later in the day). We then headed down Ledge Trail back to the trailhead - the upper section is a nicely smooth snowshoe track, while the lower section has more frozen postholes. The whole hike took about 5 1/2 hours (maybe 4 1/2 - 5 hours of moving time), was about 7 miles in total, and redlined 5 new miles of trails. And, as mentioned above, we didn't see a single other hiker the entire time. I want to clarify one last thing - when I say that a trail has a solid base or is supportive, I mean that it has a solid base FOR SNOWSHOES. If you try to bareboot or spike any of these trails, YOU WILL SINK IN WITH EVERY STEP. Snowshoes are the ONLY appropriate footwear for people wanting to hike these trails right now. Do NOT try to hike Lookout Ledge without snowshoes.

	Name:	GN

	E-Mail:	ghnaigles@gmail.com

	Date Submitted:	2021-03-07

	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.