| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Square Mountain (Milan) , NH |
|
 | Trails: |
FR460, FR104, bushwhack |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, March 10, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked at the plowed end of Hagar Rd in West Milan. The road is also gated here. The road in is flat and easily passable by any car. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
You cross Higgins Brook maybe 1/3mi into FR104. It was open. A bit of ice on some of the rocks in the morning. I was able to rock hop with my snowshoes. Several other smaller drainages afterward that were easily hopped over. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No obstructions on the FRs that I recall. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure |
|
 | Bugs: |
None |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
Day 130, Peak 110. 1st hike of the day. I began by walking FR460 (shown on Gaia as “National Forest Road Rocky Pond), bore right to continue onto it rather than stay on Hagar Rd, then took a left onto FR104 which is not shown on Gaia but is shown on CalTopo. This road heads south toward Higgins Brook, crosses to the south side of it, then follows it W/SW most of the way toward the peak before turning more S and heading toward the minor col between Square Mtn and it’s NW sub peak and fiddles out. Evidently I didn’t follow the road to its end but just continued due south as the road curves toward the col. That said, the road seemed to be disappearing to me. Along the way, the road is occasionally a bit overgrown but is mostly clear. A few roads diverge from it.
From the end of the road, I bushwhacked due south up the peak at easy-moderate grades at first, then more steeply. The woods were open at first, then became a bit tight as the grade became very steep. Nothing too bad though. The snow was crunchy and supportive which made the very steep grade at the top very doable. If breaking trail in powder, one probably would’ve wanted to aim for the minor col and come up at an easier grade but today this was doable and shortest. I made my way over to the highpoint and the open ledges. Unfortunately, there appeared to be more cloud than when I drove in obstructing the magnificent views to the Presidentials. I did however still get views toward the Carters, Mahoosucs, and nearby Kilkenny Ridge peaks. It was a bit windier than I expected and though it wasn’t a cold night it was still early enough that things hadn’t really warmed up yet so I didn’t stay as long at the summit as I perhaps would’ve liked too. Once I got my hands in some warm mittens I did do some more exploring around the ledges though which enabled me to get a view of the peaks/ranges mentioned above. I returned in my tracks.
235 more days and 255 more peaks to go… |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-03-12 |
|
 | 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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