| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Smarts Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
J Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 7, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking lot is actually parallel spaces on the left side along the river before the gate, with room for 5 cars (if everyone parks politely). Road is in great condition, dry with zero ruts |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow/Ice - Postholes, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Bridge over major stream, and bog bridges over other sections |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
At least 5 major blow downs which required stepping over or reroute |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Met and got to snuggle three best boi’s on the road walk back to the trailhead, which was like having ice cream on your cake—-perfect way to end the hike! |
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 | Bugs: |
AT trail is magic…black flies didn't manifest and mosquitos were non-existent on both ascent and descent |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found a collapsible green doggo water dish about 3 miles in, hiked it out and placed on the trailhead gate |
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 | Comments: |
Trail Conditions:
-while it looks like a “trail”, the first half mile to the AT section turnoff is a gravel road, but it follows the river, so it goes by quickly
-water crossing is bridged; make sure to check out the HUGE slabs of marble that serve as support rocks!
-in the first mile after the bridge there are a few muddy/wet sections but easily avoidable.
-beautiful sturdy bog bridges and COPIOUS signs of moose about 2 miles in. Like I was waiting for a herd of moose to appear, there was so many land mines for about .3-.5 miles along the trail ????
-at about 2800 elevation we hit patches of rotten monorail, mostly in the shade, and some along the bog bridges. We brought microspikes but they weren’t needed, as the longest section was only about 15 feet long and soft
-true summit is not marked, but as long as you head to the cabin and fire tower you know you hit it!
-Ranger Cabin is in amazing shape, and has some fantastic messages from AT Thru hikers in there. Benches outside to eat lunch on (or nap, as hubby decided lol)
-Fire Tower is in excellent condition, no rotted boards, all windows intact, and was a fantastic spot to eat our lunch while we took in the 360 views. The trap door is HEAVY so push hard and make sure you don’t let it swing shut in your hand or head!
I give this trail AND this mountain 5 stars! For the life of me, I can’t understand why I stared at it from Mt Cube on multiple hikes but never ventured over ??????
#33/52WAV #48/NH48 |
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 | Name: |
Islandgirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
joannhall4@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-05-07 |
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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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