| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Smarts Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
J Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, October 17, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Just a few cars at the parking area at the end of Quinttown Road when I arrived, a couple more when I got back. Quinttown Road is in good condition - the last very short section is somewhat rougher but still doable in any vehicle. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossing of the South Branch Jacobs Brook 0.1 miles from the dirt road has a nice sturdy bridge. No other crossings. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Several significant blowdowns in the lower part of the trail. A bunch of wet and muddy sections - the bog bridges help with those, but more could be added. At the summit junction where Daniel Doan Trail peels off toward the cabin, there's no mention of either Lambert Ridge Trail or J Trail - the sign only mentions the AT. Perhaps there could be a sign right at the spur to the fire tower showing where Lambert Ridge Trail continues the AT southbound - it's not entirely obvious where this is because there are no white blazes visible from the spur junction either. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
They'd be fine. |
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 | Bugs: |
None. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
I knew the trails would be wet and muddy from the rain last night, but I still wanted to get out and redline something. J Trail ended up being a pretty good choice. It's an easy trail - easy to moderate grades all the way up, and relatively good footing. Yes, it was wet and muddy in places, but that didn't slow me down too much, and it was nowhere near as bad as the Mahoosucs a couple months ago.
Views from the observation tower were excellent even though it was somewhat cloudy. Still some foliage at the lower elevations, though most of the higher-elevation deciduous trees have dropped their leaves. Starting to get some views through the trees now.
Saw only two other hikers on the way up and four on the way down. Pretty quiet day, and a fairly quick hike - about 2:15 up and 2:00 down. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-10-17 |
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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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