| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Prospect Hill (Enfield), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Smith Pond trails, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked at the designated parking area for the Smith Pond Trails in Enfield. Room for about a half dozen or so cars here. I was the only one at 4pm and 7pm. The entrance to it is very small so be careful turning into it with a large car! The road in was dirt but in fine shape for car. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Trivial |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The trails are generally blazed very frequently in a light blue but the they don’t seem to be terribly well established yet so they have a light treadway. Also, there are some blowdowns and lots of smaller debris in the trail. Typical spring cleanup time! One of the larger blowdowns was at the top of a hill after the trail turns off the extension of Smith Pond Rd. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Day 150, Peak 142. 3rd hike and peak of the day after Green Mtn in Claremont and Chase Pond Peak in East Plainfield with a friend. Cloudy and in the low 40s.
I followed the unnamed trail to its end at Halfmile Pond. It is well blazed but doesn’t seem to have a terribly well established footbed yet. I’m guessing this is a newer trail system. The snow obscuring it didn’t help either but still easy to follow with all the blazes. About 3/4mi in it joins the extension of Smith Pond Rd for 0.1mi. Make sure not to miss the turn off of it as the road ahead is private property. The trail has many minor ups and downs but is pleasant. Nice viewpoint to Smith Pond a ways in. The trail turns sharply right at the viewpoint and is easy to miss. From Halfmile Pond, I whacked due east steeply up to the edge of the summit ridge which I followed over several bumps and obnoxious PUDS to the SW to the high point. The woods were mostly open. Only one spot with more significant snow over a marshy area but I stayed on top of it. All other snow, when there was any, was very minimal. You’ll go over a few locally highpoints before you reach the right one but it’s not really difficult to find the jar.
I retraced my steps back for maybe 1/3mi along the summit ridge then headed due west down a drainage. Though this really wasn’t far at all from my ascent line, it avoided a bump or two along the ridge and was less steep. The drainage wasn’t terrific either but it was very short. I walked along the edge of the pond (herd paths) back to the end of the trail and followed it back to my car, passing four turkeys along my way!
Gaia had me at 6.5mi with about 1100ft of gain. It took me 2hr45min to complete. 215 more days and 223 more peaks to go… |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-03-31 |
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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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