| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
West Royce , NH |
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 | Trails: |
Burnt Mill Brook Trail, Royce Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, October 18, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked at the Burnt Mill Brook trailhead on Wild River Rd, 2.75mi from 113. The road is dirt and can be bumpy but is fine for low clearance cars and isn’t narrow. I was sure to get this peak on this day because just a day or two later they were going to be starting bridge work somewhere around here which would necessitate a longer drive and/or road walk for me. I don’t recall the specifics of the bridge work but I believe its ongoing throughout the winter!?! |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The small drainages on Burnt Mill Brook Trail were easily negotiated. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Burnt Mill Brook Trail is blazed in yellow. I think the blazing is infrequent and somewhat faded. Not too hard to follow but the trail bed is certainly obscured by leaves which could make it tricky for beginners. I don’t remember any blowdowns specifically but I’m posting this more than a week after the fact. Same with Royce Trail but I don’t recall the blazing. Easier to follow than Burnt Mill Brook Trail because it’s in the softwoods so the leaves weren’t such a problem. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
Day 352, Peak 343. 1st of the day. While I’d been here before while redlining, I wasn’t sure if I’d hit the true highpoint so wanted to revisit. I was disappointed by the forecast but lucked out as it never really rained on me during this hike. Just a little mist. Recent rain kept everything very, very wet though. Glad I wasn’t bushwhacking!
Burnt Mill Brook Trail starts off easy then gets rougher as it ascends on the west side of the drainage. The trail is clogged with leaves. I’ve only been on the trail once before, a few years before and around the same time of year I think, and I recall it being very similar. From the HOL, Royce Trail curves its way up to attain the ridge. There’s lots of wet rock and below treeline ledge in here. Not too tricky but definitely watched what I was doing since it was all so wet. Along much of the ridgeline the trail is a pleasant garden path through the moss. Also a large puddle or two of standing water here. You’ll come out to some ledge on the summit. The highpoint is either 1) Ledge right on the trail just beyond the trail jct sign or 2) just behind the ledge where there’s remnants of the old fire tower. I hadn’t noticed this when I was here before so was glad to check it out.
I descended the same way. Gaia had me at 5mi with 2200ft of gain. With a break at the summit and a few gear changes with the wetness and all, the hike took me just under 3.5hrs to complete. 13 more days and 22 more peaks to go… |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-10-26 |
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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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