| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Hale, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Zealand Trail, Lend-a-Hand Trail, bushwhack, abandoned Zealand Trail, ski trails |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, June 18, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Crummy weather day makes parking a breeze |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues crossing any portions of Zealand River |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Zealand Trail, especially from the boardwalk to Ethan Pond, could greatly benefit from a nordic_gal Howkes style haircut. Its getting pretty narrow. There are three axe worthy trees from the 90 degree turn to Zealand Hut (about a half mile from hut). There is one axe worthy tree right at the beginning of Zealand Trail |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
A few dogs out, atleast the trailed seconds of my journey are good for them |
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 | Bugs: |
no bugs |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
A FINE day in Henry's Woods was had. I am slowly ticking away at my New Hampshire Hundred Highest, and the wet weather today made for a Hale of a day. I found lovely speedway conditions on Zealand, until the turn off for the hut when you actually have to start doing some work. There has been some recent rockwork done right before the hut. I don't know what it is, but the approach to this hut always smells like sewerage to me. A great segway into me being thankful there are always a few names I can rely on on NETC for good beta. I went to just about the height of land in the boggy area. Several reports mention a herd path, loose at best, which I poked around for a bit to find just to speed up the day. I didn't find it which was fine with me. I took a compass bearing just on the southern edge of the wet meadow. I actually did cross it and found it to be fine and supportive. Once in the woods I found scrappier wood to the ridge line that is north east of the summit bumps, or the direction I was heading south west. On my way in I was able to find a very loose herd/game path after a blow down section. The woods, where actually very amicable to moving around in much to my delight. I followed this, losing it regularly, but still able to make headway up this short walk to the ridgecrest. The woods here are lovely and easily moved around in. There are some car wash sections I did find in an absolutely spiders web network of trails/paths. The moose are busy through here it would seem. I was able to find the recognized summit and couldnt believe it was of a 1991 vintage. Like fine wine. On the way out, I took a very direct route back towards LAH. I was completely soaked, it was raining, windy, and temps where about forty. A great combination to get yourself into trouble. Upon my return to the blowdown section, the woods took me in a completely different direction than my ascent, popping out at about the 3360 contour. I preferred this way better anyways as the woods where lovely and over 0.75mph whack speed. Screaming! On the way out I poked around the abandoned sections of Zealand Trail. I am huge WMNF history nerd and on trails like Zealand, I always wonder why all of a sudden we go from railroad grade that Henry obviously used, to rock garden sections that make no sense, to return back to delightful grade. I was already soaked so I followed some nice abandoned sections of railroad. I attached a link about the long abandoned/forgotten Village of Zealand for the fellow nerds..... 'and when they ask you why you climbed a mountain, just say "BECAUSE IT WAS THERE!"
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 | Name: |
The Teal Goat |
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 | E-Mail: |
sea2thebiscuit@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-06-18 |
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 | Link: |
 https://whitemountainhistory.org/Zealand.html |
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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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