| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
North Weeks, Middle Weeks, South Weeks, Mt. Waumbek, Mt. Starr King, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
York Pond Trail, Kilkenny Ridge Trail, Starr King Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, June 19, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Room for at least a dozen vehicles at the Starr King trailhead. The dirt road just past the last house has a series of large dips that require caution. Room for maybe 10 vehicles or so at the York Pond Trailhead near the end of York Pond Road - the dirt portion of this road has a few potholes but is generally in good condition. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
|
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The two near the beginning of York Pond Trail were difficult and required stepping on slippery, submerged rocks. Both crossings are of the same stream, so it seems like the trail could be rerouted to the left to avoid them both. No other crossings. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A fair number of blowdowns on Kilkenny Ridge Trail, though considering the length and remoteness of the trail, they really weren't that bad at all. Lots of evidence of blowdown clearing at many points along the trail - the blowdowns that have been cleared substantially outnumber those that are still there, and none of the remaining ones presented a major obstacle. The lower York Pond Trail is very wet and muddy in places, with a bunch of deteriorating bog bridges. As a previous report noted, some of the bog bridges act like seesaws, and if you step on a particular part of the bog bridge, it will fling you off into the water. (This happened to me on one of them.) Some parts of Kilkenny Ridge Trail, particularly the descent from Middle Weeks to the col with South Weeks and the lower part of the climb up South Weeks, were extremely muddy and had water running down the trail. The few signs that are supposed to be there were all in place, however there are no signs at any of the Weeks summits - North Weeks has a small clearing, Middle Weeks has nothing at all to mark the summit, and South Weeks has a small cairn. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I suppose. There are no particularly steep or scrambly areas on this route. |
|
 | Bugs: |
Thanks to the cool temperatures and wind, practically none. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
If you like remote trails that don't have much in the way of views but are surrounded by ferns for long distances, then this is the hike for you. York Pond Trail was straightforward except for the wet, muddy areas in the lower part that required care. Once the trail started to run above the stream, it got drier, and had easy to moderate grades up to Willard Notch. The notch was quite nice - some pretty wildflowers in bloom, and a couple of bog bridges that were much better made than the ones down below.
Kilkenny Ridge Trail looked and felt remote. For most of its length between Willard Notch and Mt. Waumbek, it is very narrow, with ferns encroaching on both sides and occasionally slightly obscuring the corridor (though experienced hikers won't have any trouble following the trail). Grades up and over the Weeks were generally moderate - nothing too steep. Footing was fairly good most of the time, though there were some rougher sections, most notably on the climb up South Weeks (southbound). But being surrounded by ferns for almost the entire stretch made the whole area beautiful, and provided much more visibility through the trees than in most forests in the Whites. At South Weeks, don't forget to take the very short spur path to the actual summit, which has a cairn. The ridge walk in the last mile and a half to Waumbek was very nice - just minor ups and downs there. We didn't see a soul from where Bunnell Notch Trail peels off from York Pond Trail all the way to the viewpoint just past the summit of Waumbek.
Of course, once we got there, the character of the trail changed dramatically - it got much wider, easier to follow, and better blazed, but also rougher and rockier. That being said, the descent from Starr King is a straightforward one, and we made good time on it. Very enjoyable hike that took us just under 9 hours. |
|
 | Name: |
GN |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-06-20 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
