| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bumfagging Hill, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Road walk, Locke Trail, Overlook Trail, Ledges Loop, bushwhack |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 5, 2023 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Well, we were going to redline the Marison and Bog Loop instead but, despite what the guidebook said, it was not plowed. Not sure if this is a new norm or if it just was taking them awhile to get to it. The winter parking for Stonehouse Pond 3/4mi down the road was A okay though. Room for a half dozen to a dozen cars in this lot and I think there were 5-6 both when we arrived at 10:15am and left at 1pm. Less than a 1/4mi walk from here to the trailhead. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Wet/Sticky |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing that didn’t have a bridge across it or was trivial. Some more generally wet spots on trail (may have been a tiny stream?) where the snow is melting fast underneath and is a undermined. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Locke Trail isn’t blazed as the guidebook says (I don’t think any of the trails are) but was marked with what may have been green circles with white SELT arrows inside of them. East of Bumfagging Hill, near its jct with Overlook Trail, there were some blowdowns on Locke Trail. One group of two, one an awkward crawl under or straddler underneath another widow maker I believe. They were large. Then immediately thereafter is a stepover which is pretty trivial and small with current snow depth. A duck under just a few minutes north along Overlook Trail as well. This was small as well. Overlook Trail was marked with yellow circles, and Ledge Loop with red circles. I don’t recall any blowdowns on Ledge Loop. There was small but clear signage at each jct. Note that it appears parts of Locke Trail coincide with a snowmobile trail and there’s arrows along it pointing the snowmobiles in the correct direction which is not always the correct direction of the trail. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I believe dogs are allowed here and we saw one at the parking area. Good trails for dogs, I’d just be wary of them on the cliffs above the pond as they are quite steep. And, watch out for snowmobiles (and horses??) on the off chance… |
|
 | Bugs: |
A few snowfleas |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
None |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Nice little SNH redline with mom :) We’d planned on the Madison/Bog Loop but alas it was not plowed so we hiked a counterclockwise lollipop loop using Locke Trail, Overlook Trail, and Ledge Loop instead. I hiked an OAB on the southern portion of Ledge Loop while my mom continued down.
My folks live less than a half hour away from here and we were pleasantly surprised that we got much less snow than forecasted yesterday. I think likely lots more fell but since it was actively melting throughout the day, less than a half foot actually stuck to the ground and needed to be shoveled. That was not the case here. Lots more fell. That said, still a lot less than predicted and while it was still wet and heavy it wasn’t sticky nor was it as heavy as I thought it would be which didn’t make for awful conditions. The road and Locke Trail to Ledge Loop was pretty well trafficked but beyond that, I think it was just a set of snowmobile tracks and skis. Once the snowmobile tracks turned off, we were pretty much trailbreaking and trying not to ruin the ski track. Snowshoe prints were often more than a half foot deep but nothing crazy. Overlook Trail had a single set of snowshoe tracks I believe. Ledge Loop had also seen just seen one set on the south side and east of the cliff but had obviously seen lots more to the west. When completing the OAB on the southern section, be aware it coincides with a snowmobile trail for much of it. I missed the turnoff onto the foot trail on my way down and continued west on the snowmobile trail, and had to whack a short ways back to where the two jcts of the loop trail rejoin at their western jct. Easy, short whack.
The trees were sometimes bent over the trail on Locke Trail but generally weren’t bad at all as it was so warm the snow was quickly melting off of them. This meant snow came flying down at us though. Luckily we didn’t get hit by any ice like the car did in the morning (no broken or even cracked windshield though…phew!). With one, relatively quickly noticed mishap where I followed the snowmobile trail rather than Locke Trail, Gaia had me at 4mi, 325ft of gain, 2hr45min. |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2023-03-05 |
|
 | 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. |
|
