| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Gunstock Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Unnamed trails, bushwhack, Ridge Trail, ski trails |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, June 6, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking lot is being constructed off Belknap Mountain Road (just north of Hoyt Road; currently blocked off pending completion). Looks like it'll be about 5 spaces, more or less. No room to park roadside, so I parked a 0.2 mi south where there was a shoulder. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Almost instantly picked up half a dozen ticks (from the parking lot to the treeline). First deer fly of the year. Mosquitoes and black flies. Summary: Yuck. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
A new complex of trails is being developed on the west side of Gunstock Mountain. The trails are not fully marked or established, so I would not recommend hiking them at this juncture if one is unfamiliar with off-trail navigation.
From the top of the field, I followed an old woods road, which soon had new blue plastic blazes. Looks like a side trail is flagged as well. Around 0.5 miles at about 1,400 feet in elevation, the road reaches a ledge with 180 degree views.
Thereafter, it was more of a footbed with yellow and blue blazes initially. I took yellow on the ascent; the blazes soon end, but there is occasional yellow flagging. Looks like it's following a mountain bike trail. Vague in a few places. At the Gunstock Ski Hoist crossing, I ascended roughly via this old route (obvious in some places, bushwhacks in others), coming out pretty close to what I believe to be the remains of the top terminal (a faint spur from the Ridge Trail to the ski trails).
After tagging the summit, I descended back to that spur, descended the Ridge Trail for a bit, then took the herd path/yellow flagged trail back to the ski hoist crossing. This time, I descended the old lift line, which was much more obvious in this direction. Leafy in some areas (where the lift line was dug out of the surrounding terrain). I eventually hit a woods road, near which I think may have been remains from an old warming hut. I then took some woods roads down to Belknap Mountain Road, popping out a bit north of the future parking lot.
Nice sunny afternoon with temperatures in the 70s. |
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 | Name: |
rocket21 |
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 | E-Mail: |
rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-06-06 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos/ |
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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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