| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Cabot (Shelburne), Crow's Nest, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Access road, Blue Trail, Red Trail, Yellow-Red Connector, Yellow Trail, Wiggin Rock Trail, White Trail, road walk |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, October 9, 2021 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked on the concrete pad at Philbrook Farm Inn. Only vehicle there on my arrival, one other vehicle when I returned (which may have belonged to the couple I met on Mt. Crag later in the afternoon). No trail signs there, but the access road leading to the trails is easy to find. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
|
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing of any importance. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple stepovers, but nothing major. No sign at the summit of Cabot where Blue Trail and Red Trail meet. No sign at the new loop junction at Crow's Nest. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I don't see why not. |
|
 | Bugs: |
A few. They weren't bothersome. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
None. |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Is it possible, on a busy Columbus Day weekend with nice weather, to hike six miles and get several excellent foliage views without seeing a single other hiker?
Sure it is!
From the concrete pad at the Philbrook Farm Inn where hikers are requested to park, the access road leads 0.4 miles to the multi-way trail junction at the base of Mt. Cabot. I headed up the Blue Trail - it started off as a moderate climb, then flattened out, and had a steep section near the top before reaching the summit. There's a view spur just before reaching the summit, and a view loop that leads to the best view from Mt. Cabot. Continue on the trail and it becomes the Red Trail heading down. The descent was uneventful, and I redlined the Yellow-Red Connector just in case it ever shows up on the Redlining Spreadsheet for a future edition of the WMG. I then followed Wiggin Rock Trail past Wiggin Rock (where the view is pretty much overgrown) to White Trail. White Trail up to Crow's Nest is a gradual walk on woods roads that goes by quickly and is easy to follow, with all the turns marked with arrows. As others have noted, White Trail now has a loop around the summit area of Crow's Nest. There are no good views on the loop, and the footway is obscure in places, but it's well blazed and a pleasant woods walk. However, there's no sign at the loop junction, and I walked right past it following the left fork. There's practically no evident footway for the right fork at the loop junction, though there is a white blaze visible (though I was so focused on the blazes for the left fork that I totally missed it). I then followed White Trail back to the cabin just above the Inn, and a left turn there leads shortly to North Road and it was a quick walk back to my car.
This was a fun hike that most hikers should be able to make pretty good time on. The conditions were excellent - good weather, no crowds, and best of all after such a wet and rainy summer, the trails were dry with practically no mud. |
|
 | Name: |
GN |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2021-10-09 |
|
 | 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. |
|
