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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Bald Mountain (Cambridge) , NH
Trails
Trails: Bushwhack
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, October 1, 2022
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: I parked next to the very short spur rd I used to access Little Cambridge Mtn a few weeks back. From Blake Rd in Dummer, turn right onto what I think may be known as Black Jack Dd and follow it for 1-1.25mi. This road is wide and dirt but can be rather bumpy. Should be doable for low clearance though. Then turn right onto the road shown on Gaia that travels between Little Cambridge and Bald. This road is narrower and has a bit of a grassy centerline. I’d think mid clearance is needed. I drove this for about 3.5mi to whats basically the HOL between Little Cambridge and Black. I ran into a few other cars out on the roads that were presumably hunting.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Chickwolnepy Stream was rock hopable with dry feet IF you were willing so step on rock submerged underneath a few inches of water with waterproof boots. Certainly not dangerous at this water level but water would need to be pretty low for it to be your ordinary east rock hop. Honestly, I was surprised I wasn’t wading through this one.  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: N/A  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Sure  
Bugs
Bugs: None 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: None 
 
Comments
Comments: Day 335, Peak 315. 2nd peak of the day after Deer Ridge Peak in Milan. I regretfully ran out of time to do this one a few weeks back when I hiked Little Cambridge and Cambridge Black. I hadn’t exactly been looking forward to this peak as it seemed like it would involve either fording Chickwolnepy Stream or a long approach in from French Hill Rd area that would involve some hiking through logged areas and negotiating around some cliffs.

Descending from the road down to the stream was thick and brushy and very steep and times. I looked around the stream for awhile trying to find a place to cross without taking my boots off. Some more thicker stuff on the other side but I soon came out of it and slabbed up along the edge of a very steep slope. This was just west of a logged area shown on Gaia. Woods were good though. I made my way south toward another logged area shown on Gaia but the woods remained pretty good. As I began to get close to it I began really climbing up the mountain S/SE. I was a little too gentle though and slabbed too much. I had to head a little more easterly most of the way up to compensate. Woods were good most of the way but usually steep especially as you approached the summit.. I hit spruce as I neared the top but not too bad. Not too much trouble finding the jar. I headed NW off the summit coming more directly off it than I did on my ascent, slabbing up, and this worked fine. I generally followed a similar line down.

All in all, I still think this one is a bit of a pain, having to either cross the stream or come in a long ways, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I seemed to avoid the thick woods and regrowth that many others have hit on this side of the mountain. Steep at times for sure but certainly no scrambling either like others who came in from the south had. Lastly, and very importantly, BEWARE OF HUNTERS!!! Silly old me forgot my orange blaze and I heard a number of gunshots, some of which were much too close for comfort on my way down. Nothing whizzing by my head though ;) Most seemed parked well
west of where I was on the other side of the posted land but I guess at least one made their way over here.

Gaia had me at just over 2.5mi with a little more than 1000ft of gain. It took me just shy of 2.5hrs to complete. 30 more days and 50 more peaks to go…

 
Name
Name: Liam Cooney 
E-Mail
E-Mail: liamcooney96@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2022-10-04 
Link
Link: https:// 
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