| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Eagle Crag, Mt. Meader, Ragged Jacket Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Wild River Trail, Eagle Link Trail, Meader Ridge Trail, Basin Rim Trail, Basin Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 14, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at designated lot off OPEN Wild River Rd just off ME 113 in Evans Notch. Wild River road is a good dirt road, passable by any vehicle. Privies at campground open, not stocked this AM. This is a fee lot ($5 per day or WMNF pass). Picnic table also in parking area. But the bugs will eat you alive. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
On Wild River Trail, the crossing above the old Spider Bridge area required minor fording. Deepest for me was shin depth (I am 5’5”). Others in my group got very creative and made their own route much further upstream, but kept their boots dry. I’m too impatient… |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple of trail blocking blow downs on Meader Ridge. Blazes on Eagle Link very faded and puncheons deteriorated to the point of oblivion (but boggy areas they once traversed drying out). Some small blow downs on this trail as well. Basin Trail had a few small blow downs. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Great trails for dogs. The ridge line (from Meader Ridge through Basin Rim to the Rim Junction) is dry at present. This 3ish mile segment may require additional water for them. |
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 | Bugs: |
Oh my gad. We abandoned our camping plans because of the bugs. Alternating swarming of black flies and mosquitos. DEET only excites them. Lots of new bugs bites to scratch after today’s foray. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Route:
Wild River trail > Eagle Link Trail > Meader Ridge Trail > Basin Rim Trail > Basin Trail > end.
Wild River trail: not blazed. Simple to follow footbed. Gentle grades, lovely hike just in itself. Some mud, totally manageable. See water crossing notes above. Some hopeful fishermen out this early morning. Bugs light through this area. 2 snakes seen, captured, and held for a minute though! That was cool.
Eagle Link: not blazed until 0.4 miles or so from junction with Meader Ridge. Then faded yellow blazes appear. All signs up, in good shape. Muddy trail in some sections, as it nearly always is. Water points flowing well. As these trails just became accessible this week, the old leaf litter has not been pounded down which obscures the footbed in many places. We were always able to find the trail if we got off. Bug swarming and biting (black flies) began here.
Meader Ridge: nicely blazed in updated yellow blazes. Simple to follow footbed. All signs up. Black flies and mosquitos had a feast. Great Ridge walk with viewpoints scattered throughout.
Basin Rim: also blazed well in yellow. No issues following the trail. Great views along the ledges just before the intersection known as the Rim Junction. Oh the black flies would not stop… Met one nice fella on his way back to the Blue Brook tentsite. This site has 3 tent pads and a Brook as the water source. I did not visit it today, but have seen it from prior treks.
Basin Trail (heading west towards Wild River area): not blazed until approximately 0.5 miles from campground. Then it is blazed in yellow. Footbed hard to follow in parts due to lack of traffic at time of this writing (mostly leaves and debris obscuring the trail). Great puncheons approaching the end of the trail. This is a wet, muddy trail in snow free seasons. The bugs were insatiable. |
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 | Name: |
Remington34 |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-05-14 |
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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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