| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Hayes, Cascade Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Centennial Trail, Mahoosuc Trail, Trident Col Tentsite Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, July 30, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Room for three vehicles at the trailhead of Centennial Trail on Hogan Road. Hogan Road has some large puddles right at the beginning - recommend a high-clearance vehicle for it (or just park at the junction with North Road and walk the 0.2 miles to the trailhead). Room for a couple of cars at Austin Brook trailhead. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Pretty much none. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Scattered blowdowns, but none were an impediment to travel (or the ones that were had herd paths around them). Not much mud - the trails were fairly dry. Signs were in place, though there's no sign (or significant marking) at the summits of either Hayes or Cascade. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Didn't see a single dog on the entire trip, and probably for good reason as Mahoosuc Trail is very rough and steep in places, and a lot of dogs would struggle with it. There's also very little water on the trail right now as well. |
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 | Bugs: |
I applied 25% DEET at the trailhead, and wasn't bothered for the rest of the day. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
This was the first day of a 2-day backpacking trip in the Mahoosucs to redline some new trails and finish redlining Mahoosuc Trail. Centennial Trail is generally a moderate ascent with a few steeper pitches and some flatter sections. We could tell when we entered the section that was burned by the fire earlier this year, though the trail itself doesn't seem to have suffered much damage. Mahoosuc Trail going over Mt. Hayes is pretty easy by Mahoosuc standards - not much sign of what's to come. The climb up Cascade Mountain had a steep, rough, ledgy section that ultimately led to a nice viewpoint. The rest of the climb, and much of the descent down the other side, was gradual to moderate but with several of Mahoosuc Trail's trademark steep ledges. The final descent down to Trident Col was steep and ledgy but honestly not terrible - we didn't need to buttslide. This may have been because the rocks were dry - in wet weather these steep ledgy areas would be much more difficult. We chatted with several thru-hikers along the way.
Trident Col Tentsite had a nice group of tent pads, and the privy was good (though it doesn't have TP, so bring your own). The water source at Trident Col, however, was honestly pretty pathetic - it was little more than a trickle, though with enough patience it was sufficient to fill water bottles. We were the only ones there initially, but several other backpackers came in later in the evening. It was a windy night. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-07-31 |
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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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